To highlight top 10 ranks in Google Sheets we can use the RANK or LARGE functions.
The formulas using the said two functions are capable of highlighting up to rank 10 (n) in a single column or if there are values in multiple columns in each column separately.
If there are multiple columns to highlight, we should carefully use the dollar sign (relative and absolute reference) in the formula reference.
If we do it correctly, no need to change the formula depending on the number of columns. A single column highlight rule (formula) will automatically adapt to the ranges (columns) selected to highlight.
This post describes both the methods (RANK or LARGE) to highlight the top 10 ranks (values) in Google Sheets.
RANK Formula to Highlight Top 10 Ranks in Columns
Single Column
Let me start with a single column. The value to highlight up to top 10 ranks are in B2:B as below.
I have used the below RANK formula.
=RANK(B2,B$2:B)<=10The formula determines the rank of the value in cell B2 in the range B$2:B. Cell B2 is the first cell in the range.
Cell B2 in the formula is relative which means the conditional format will first determine the rank of the value in cell B2 in B$2:B, then the rank of the value in cell B3 in B$2:B and so on.
You May Like: Relative Reference in Conditional Formatting in Google Sheets.
Since the range B$2:B is absolute (only the row numbers are absolute, the column is relative), it won’t change to B$3:B, B$4:B, and so on.
So the formula will correctly highlight the top 10 ranks in the said column. To use this formula as a custom format rule, please follow the steps below.
Steps:
- Select B2:B.
- Click Format > Conditional formatting which will open the contextual conditional format menu as a sidebar.
- Make sure that “Apply to range” is B2:B (probably B2:B1000 if there are 1000 rows).
- Select “Custom formula is” under “Format rules”.
- Insert the above Rank formula in the blank custom formula field.
- Click “Done”.
If you have successfully implemented the settings detailed in the steps, the settings would look like as shown on the screenshot below.
Each Column
To highlight the top 10 values in each column, you can use the same above formula. Because in the formula I’ve correctly used the absolute/relative cell references.
See B$2:B, which is the range to highlight. In this, as I have already mentioned, only the row numbers are absolute.
What are the change(s) required then?
If the columns to highlight are B2:B, C2:C, and D2:D only select B2:D before applying the highlighting rule or change the “Apply to range” to B2:D in the sidebar panel.
There is no other change.
LARGE Formula to Highlight Top 10 Ranks in Columns
In Google Sheets, we can also use the Large formula for the said purpose.
=B2>=large(B$2:B,10)The above formula will work in single as well as multiple columns similar to the Rank formula. I’m not detailing it as all the settings are the same as per the Rank formula.
Highlight Top 10 Values in Ascending Order
The earlier two conditional format rules assign rank # 1 to the max value in a column. To assign rank # 1 to the least 1 value (smallest value) in a column we should change the formulas.
Regarding the first formula (Rank) change it as below.
=RANK(B2,B$2:B,1)<=10Regarding the second one (Large), we should change the function Large to Small.
=B2<=small(B$2:B,10)
This way we can highlight top 10 ranks in ascending or descending order in Google Sheets.
Resources:
- Top 10 Ranking without Duplicate Names in Google Sheets.
- How to Filter Top 10 Items in Google Sheets Pivot Table.
- How to Find Rank of a Non-Existing Number in an Existing Data Range.
- Flexible Array Formula to Rank Without Duplicates in Google Sheets.
- How to Rank Group Wise in Google Sheets in Sorted or Unsorted Group.
- Percentile Rank Wise Conditional Formatting in Google Sheets.
- Compare and Highlight Up and Down in Ranking in Google Sheets.
- Find the Rank of an Item in Each Column in Google Sheets.
- How to Highlight Largest 3 Values in Each Row in Google Sheets.
- Conditional Large in Google Sheets.
