How to Find and Select Cells by Fill Color in Google Sheets

Select 'Fill Colors' to find and highlight cells based on their background color.

Why you need this tool

Managing and analyzing color-coded data in spreadsheets can be tedious, especially in large datasets. This tool simplifies the process by allowing you to quickly find and select cells based on their fill color, enhancing navigation and organization.

What Are Fill Colors?

Fill colors are background colors applied to spreadsheet cells to visually categorize or highlight data. They can be manually set or applied using conditional formatting rules. Efficiently identifying and selecting these cells helps streamline data analysis and formatting adjustments.

How to Use the Tool

First, you need to install the Select Special addon for Google Sheets. Visit the instruction page to learn how to do it step by step.

1. Select the Search Scope

Choose how the tool searches for colored cells:

All on the sheet - Finds and selects all cells with any fill color across the entire sheet.
Same as selected cell - Finds and selects all cells with the same fill color as the currently active cell.

Note: The tool treats fill colors applied via conditional formatting the same as manually colored cells.

2. Execute the Selection

After selecting the desired option, press the Select button in the add-on interface. The tool will highlight all matching cells, making it easy to review and work with color-coded data.