Normally I would just use a diff tool to compare text. However sometimes a spreadsheet like MS Excel comes in handy to visually communicate to other people as well.

Conditional formatting is one way to accomplish this. However I struggled getting the conditional formatting to copy to many rows. For some reason the formula kept to a static cell in the newly formatted cells. Finally got it to work as follow. The screenshot indicates the end result I was after. I needed to have conditional formatting to two separate columns.

Excel_Formatting_Patste_Issue

The answer was to setup your conditional formatting exactly the way you need it in your first cell (F2 in my case).

Remember to remove the row $ in the formula to make sure its not static. As in $B2:$F2 and NOT $B$2:$F$2 by default.

Then DOUBLE CLICK the paintbrush and apply format to new cells.

Before double clicking the paintbrush the formula would never increment the cells in the formula.

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