We, adults can’t escape three things:
- Deadlines
- Demanding bosses (replace with customers or nagging spouses or naughty kids)
- Taxes
While I can’t help you with demanding bosses or taxes, when it comes to deadlines, I have the right tool for you.
A tracker that highlights all overdue items so that you know where to focus your attention.
Let’s learn how to use awesome powers of Excel to find-out which items are due. You can apply these concepts to nail down over due invoices, pending project tasks or scheduling workforce.
Highlight overdue items using Excel Conditional Formatting – Video
Please watch the below video tutorial to understand how to highlight overdue items with conditional formatting.
You can watch this video on our YouTube channel too.
Interactive highlighter – use form controls + CF for awesome effect
In the downloadable workbook, find this cool interactive highlighter. Examine the formulas & conditional formatting rules to unlock the mystery behind this.
How to deal with deadlines?
Whenever I am doing a project, I use conditional formatting to keep track of the progress. In fact, right now, I have a file (with conditional formatting) to keep track of Awesome August festival.
What about you? How do you deal with deadlines & pending items? Please share your tips and ideas by writing a comment.
More on highlighting & deadlines
If you deal with a lot of deadlines (who doesn’t?), you will find below links very useful.
- Highlighting due dates in Excel – formulas & conditional formatting logic explained
- Make an interactive calendar to keep track of events & appointments
- Working with date & time values in Excel – an overview
- 5 Conditional formatting tips to make you a rock star at work
7 Responses to “How to highlight overdue items ”
I enjoyed watching this video
Thanks a bunch
Very nice trick, especially with the dashboard. Thanks !
I learned a new use for the formula median! Thank you!
I always look forward to the emails and tutorials!!
Many thanks for this and your other excellent tips - Median, yep I like it.
I suggest using the actual end date in the selection criteria, rather than end-1 in the median formula. That would would be clearer and correctly highlight the last date when using a custom range.
Thanks again.
Dear Chandoo,
Really learn t a new thing. Only that we have to yet practice writing formulas.
Dear Chandoo,
Simply Superb.......
I have already used these in Conditional formatting.
But this video gives better understanding to use Conditional formatting.
This kind of Video tutorials gives better understanding.
Thanks Chandoo.
Ramesh.S
Nice, though you gave greater detail in the post : http://chandoo.org/wp/2012/05/22/highlight-due-dates-excel/