> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://jetxl.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Conditional formatting

> Style cells according to the values they hold

Conditional formatting reacts to content. Where [cell styles](/guides/cell-styles) fix appearance by position, these rules apply wherever the data meets a condition.

Every rule takes the four range keys, and two optional keys that behave the same way across all four rule types.

<ParamField path="start_row / start_col / end_row / end_col" type="int" required>
  The range the rule covers.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="priority" type="int" default="1">
  Decides which rule wins when ranges overlap. Lower numbers take precedence.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="style" type="dict">
  How matching cells look, in the same shape as [cell styles](/guides/cell-styles). When you omit it, Jetxl applies bold red text.
</ParamField>

<Note>
  Color scales and data bars generate their own coloring, so `style` has no effect on them.
</Note>

## Highlight cells that meet a condition

<ParamField path="rule_type" type="&#x22;cell_value&#x22;" required />

<ParamField path="operator" type="str" required>
  One of `greater_than`, `less_than`, `equal`, `not_equal`, `greater_than_or_equal`, `less_than_or_equal`, or `between`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="value" type="str" required>
  The threshold, written as a string. For `between`, give two numbers separated by a comma, such as `"10,100"`.
</ParamField>

```python theme={null}
conditional_formats=[
    {
        "start_row": 2,
        "start_col": 2,
        "end_row": 100,
        "end_col": 2,
        "rule_type": "cell_value",
        "operator": "greater_than",
        "value": "50",
        "style": {
            "font": {"bold": True, "color": "FF0000"},
            "fill": {"pattern": "solid", "fg_color": "FFFF00"},
        },
    }
]
```

<Warning>
  Check the spelling of `operator`. An unrecognized value falls back to `greater_than` without raising an error, so `greater_then` produces a working file with the wrong rule in it.
</Warning>

## Grade a range by color

<ParamField path="rule_type" type="&#x22;color_scale&#x22;" required />

<ParamField path="min_color" type="str" required>Color for the lowest value.</ParamField>
<ParamField path="max_color" type="str" required>Color for the highest value.</ParamField>

<ParamField path="mid_color" type="str">
  Adding a midpoint turns a two-color ramp into a three-color one.
</ParamField>

```python theme={null}
conditional_formats=[
    {
        "start_row": 2,
        "start_col": 2,
        "end_row": 100,
        "end_col": 2,
        "rule_type": "color_scale",
        "min_color": "F8696B",
        "mid_color": "FFEB84",
        "max_color": "63BE7B",
    }
]
```

<Tip>
  Two colors suit a simple low-to-high ramp. Three suit deviation from a middle, such as under target, on target, and over target.
</Tip>

## Show magnitude with bars

<ParamField path="rule_type" type="&#x22;data_bar&#x22;" required />

<ParamField path="color" type="str" required>Bar fill color.</ParamField>

<ParamField path="show_value" type="bool" default="True">
  Keeps the number visible next to the bar. Set it to `False` for bars alone.
</ParamField>

```python theme={null}
conditional_formats=[
    {
        "start_row": 2,
        "start_col": 2,
        "end_row": 100,
        "end_col": 2,
        "rule_type": "data_bar",
        "color": "638EC6",
    }
]
```

## Highlight the highest or lowest values

<ParamField path="rule_type" type="&#x22;top10&#x22;" required>
  The name comes from Excel's dialog. The count isn't fixed at ten.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="rank" type="int" required>How many cells to highlight.</ParamField>

<ParamField path="bottom" type="bool" default="False">
  Set it to `True` to highlight the lowest values instead of the highest.
</ParamField>

```python theme={null}
conditional_formats=[
    {
        "start_row": 2,
        "start_col": 2,
        "end_row": 100,
        "end_col": 2,
        "rule_type": "top10",
        "rank": 5,
        "bottom": True,
        "style": {"font": {"bold": True, "color": "FF0000"}},
    }
]
```

## Layering rules

Rules are a list, and `priority` resolves overlaps. If you want negative numbers in red and every value carrying a bar, give the red rule the lower priority so it wins on the cells it covers.

```python theme={null}
conditional_formats=[
    {
        "rule_type": "cell_value",
        "operator": "less_than",
        "value": "0",
        "priority": 1,
        "style": {"font": {"color": "FF0000"}},
        "start_row": 2, "start_col": 2, "end_row": 100, "end_col": 2,
    },
    {
        "rule_type": "data_bar",
        "color": "638EC6",
        "priority": 2,
        "start_row": 2, "start_col": 2, "end_row": 100, "end_col": 2,
    },
]
```

<Warning>
  An unrecognized `rule_type` doesn't raise. Jetxl drops the rule and writes the rest of the file normally, so a typo gives you a spreadsheet with no conditional formatting and no indication why. Open the output and confirm the rule is there.
</Warning>