If you’re interested in creating a heat map in Excel, this article is the right one for you! In this article, we will be guiding you in creating a heat map in Excel using conditional formatting, so keep reading!
Why Create a Heat Map?
A heat map is a graphical way of representing the highs and lows of a data set. If you’re creating an Excel file where you’re comparing numbers, heat maps would be of great use to you. For instance, you could compare the temperature all over the world, the test scores of a classroom, and so much more!
How to Create a Heat Map in Excel?
You could create a heat map in Excel using conditional formatting. You can manually enter values and set different gradients to represent the highest to lowest values. Even if you do not enter values, Excel will automatically adjust the gradient according to the value of the number in each selected cell.
Step 1: Apply Conditional Formatting
To begin creating your heat map, you need to apply conditional formatting to the selected cells on your Excel grid. Here are the steps you can follow to apply conditional formatting to create a heat map in Excel:
Step 2: Manage Rules for Heat Map
Excel creates a basic heat map that will format your cells from the lowest to highest value according to the set gradient. You could also, however, manually enter the lowest, mid, and highest values yourself. Using the values you’ve entered, Excel will shift the gradient accordingly. Follow these steps to enter a set value for the heat map:
Step 3: Hide Characters from Map
To complete your heat map, you would want to hide the values from the map in the end. The process may sound tricky as the formatting is dependent on the values you’ve entered on the cells. This means that you cannot simply clear the content from the cells. However, you can use a special type of formatting to hide the characters while keeping the formatting. Refer to the following steps to hide characters from the map:
Does Excel Have a Heat Map Chart?
Excel has the feature of conditional formatting that allows you to format cells according to the rules you set. You could insert a heat map chart on your Excel grid using conditional formatting. You can find the conditional formatting feature on the Home tab of the Excel program.
Why Can’t I See My Formatting Rule?
If you cannot see the formatting rule you applied while managing your formatting rules, it’s probably because the ‘Show formatting rules for’ option is set as Current Selection. To see the rules you’ve applied on the entire sheet, drop the menu down and select This worksheet.
