This article shows you how to automatically apply shading to every other row or column in a worksheet.

Here's how: Select the range of cells that you want to format. Go to Home > Format as Table. Pick a table style that has alternate row shading. To change the shading from rows to …

Make a table to shade or highlight alternate rows. The easiest way to apply shading or highlighting to alternate rows is to make them a table. Tables also include tools to help you analyze your data.

Adding shading to a table can help make certain rows, columns, or cells—or the entire table—stand out in your document. The easiest way to add colored shading to a table is to use …

To use a pattern with two colors, select another color in the Pattern Color box, and then select a pattern style in the Pattern Style box. To use a pattern with special effects, select Fill Effects, …

How to use conditional formatting in Excel to visually explore, analyze, and identify patterns and trends.

You can add shading to cells by filling them with a solid color, a pattern color, a pattern style, or any combination of the three. You can remove cell shading if you no longer need it.

To add special formatting to the last row in a table, select Design > Total Row. To alternate row or column colors and make tables easier to read, select Design > Banded Rows or Design > …

You can delete conditional formats that you no longer need. Click in the range that contains the conditional formatting rule that you want to change. On the Home tab, click Conditional …

Apply a style to format your PivotTable, turn on banded rows to make a lot of data easier to scan, or highlight important information.