Conditional formatting in Google Sheets allows you to automatically format cells based on specified conditions. This feature is useful for highlighting important information, identifying trends, or visually organizing data. Here's how conditional formatting works in Google Sheets :

* Select Data Range : First, select the range of cells that you want to apply conditional formatting to. You can select individual cells, entire rows, entire columns, or any combination of cells within your spreadsheet.

* Open Conditional Formatting : Once the data range is selected, go to the menu at the top of the screen and click on "Format" > "Conditional formatting." Alternatively, you can right-click on the selected data range and choose "Conditional formatting" from the context menu.

* Set Formatting Rules : In the Conditional formatting pane that appears on the right side of the screen, you'll see options to define formatting rules based on specific conditions. Click on the "Add new rule" button to create a new rule.

* Define Condition : In the rule editor, specify the condition that you want to apply formatting to. For example, you can choose conditions such as "Greater than," "Less than," "Text contains," "Is equal to," etc. Then, enter the criteria or value that the cells must meet for the formatting to be applied.
* Choose Formatting Style : After defining the condition, choose the formatting style that you want to apply to the cells that meet the condition. You can customize various formatting options such as text color, cell background color, font style, borders, etc.

* Apply Rule : Once you've defined the condition and formatting style, click the "Done" button to apply the conditional formatting rule to the selected data range. The cells that meet the specified condition will be automatically formatted according to the chosen style.

* Manage Rules : You can add multiple conditional formatting rules to the same data range by repeating the above steps. You can also edit or remove existing rules by clicking on them in the Conditional formatting pane.

* Preview Formatting : As you define or modify conditional formatting rules, the changes will be previewed in real-time on your spreadsheet, allowing you to see how the formatting will appear before applying it.