Mastering Google Sheets: Format Entire Ranges Dynamically Using Cell-Based Rules

Scenario: Highlighting a Column When the First Row Represents the Current Date. This technique proves valuable in calendar-style sheets where the first row contains dates, allowing automatic highlighting of the entire column that aligns with the current day.

tl;dr

Select the whole column (where the date is on the first cell), than apply Conditionaal formatting, custom formual and add

=INDEX($1:$1, COLUMN())=TODAY()

Full explaination

1. Select the entire column that you want to format based on the condition.
2. Navigate to Format > Conditional formatting in the menu.
3. In the Conditional format rules panel:
4. a. Choose “Custom formula is” from the drop-down menu.
5. b. Enter the following formula:

=INDEX($1:$1, COLUMN())=TODAY()

• This formula uses INDEX($1:$1, COLUMN()) to check the value in the first row of the selected column (based on the current column) and compares it to the current day using TODAY().

1. Set the formatting options (text color, background color, etc.) that you want to apply when the condition is met.
2. Click on Done.

This formula should format the entire selected column based on whether the value in the first row of that column matches the current day. Adjust the formatting and range as needed for your specific sheet structure.