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Adaptive Planning
Last Updated: 2025-11-14
Example: Create Conditional Formatting on a Column Chart

Example: Create Conditional Formatting on a Column Chart

This walk-through shows you how to create conditional formatting rules on a column chart, where:
1
Service Revenue data series is conditionally formatted to highlight
Below Expectations.
2
Product Revenue data series is conditionally formatted to highlight
Above Expectations.
3
Total Revenue data series is conditionally formatted to highlight As
Planned Zone.
Line Chart with 3 Data Series Conditional Formatted for Above Expectations, Below, and As Planned

Prerequisites

Review Conditional Formatting before starting this walkthrough.
  • Edit access to a personal or shared perspective.
  • This example assumes that a column chart exists in a dashboard using the default version
    Working Budget
     with the following two accounts and one calculation:
    • Product Revenue (general ledger account)
    • Service Revenue (general ledger account)
    • Total Revenue: A calculation that sums Product Revenue and Service Revenue.
  • Security:
    • Access Dashboards
       permission.
    • Edit Dashboards
       permission.

Create a Rule for Above Expectations

You will create a conditional formatting rule on the Product Revenue data series to highlight revenue that goes above plan. After completing these steps, you will have a conditional formatting rule and a column chart that looks like:
Conditional Formatting Rule for Highlighting Above Expectations on Total Revenue
You can replace the hard coded value with an expression that references a data series in the chart. For example:
[Product Revenue] >= [Product Revenue] * 1.03
, where the right-side expression is a growth rate. You must reference a data series that is in the chart.
Create the First Rule
  1. In edit mode, go to the column chart.
  2. Click the
    Appearance Settings
     button in the right panel and expand the
    Conditional Formatting
     section.
  3. Select
    Add rule
    . A dialog displays.
  4. Define the rule. See syntax rules and list of operators and functions.
    1. Provide a description:
      Above Expectations
    2. Build the expression:
      [Product Revenue] >= 4750000
    3. Pick the highlight color to format data points when the condition is true.
    4. Select the series:
      Product Revenue

Create a Rule for Below Expectations

You will create a second conditional formatting rule on the
Service Revenue
 data series that highlights revenue that goes below plan.
After completing these steps, you will have a conditional formatting rule and bar chart that looks like:
Conditional Formatting Rule When Data Falls Below Expectations and Resulting Chart
Build a Second Rule
  1. In the same chart, select
    Add rule
    . A dialog displays.
  2. Define the rule:
    1. Provide a description:
      Below Expectations
    2. Build the expression:
      [Service Revenue] < 1250000
    3. Pick a highlight color.
    4. Select the data series:
      Service Revenue
Change the Data Series Name
The data series name for services revenue is too long and makes the chart look cluttered with data labels. You can shorten the name of the data series referenced in a conditional formatting rule without breaking the rule. When you change the name in the data series, the name changes in the rule too.
Effect on Rule After Renaming the Data Series
  1. Click the
    Data Settings
     button in the right panel and navigate to the Accounts section.
  2. Expand the data series:
    Services Revenue
  3. Change the name:
    Services
The name changes on the chart data label and the conditional formatting rule now references the renamed data series.

Create a Rule for an As Planned Zone

You can create a conditional formatting rule that evaluates data that falls within a range of values. You will create a rule that will highlight data points that are tracking "as planned."
After completing these steps, you will have a conditional formatting rule and a column chart that looks like:
Conditional Formatting Rule That Evaluates Data Between Two Values and the Resulting Chart
  1. Click the
    Appearance Settings
     button in the right panel and expand the
    Conditional Formatting
     section.
  2. Select
    Add rule
    . A dialog displays.
  3. Define the rule:
    1. Provide a description:
      As Planned Zone
    2. Build the expression:
      [Total Revenue] BETWEEN 830000 AND 880000
    3. Pick a highlight color.
    4. Select the series:
      Total Revenue
This completes this walk-through.