How to Change Background Color in Microsoft Excel

Updated on:

May 12, 2026

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Use this interactive demo to learn how to apply a fill color to cells in Microsoft Excel.

Quick summary

This demo shows how to change the background color of cells in Microsoft Excel using the Fill Color tool in the Home tab. Follow three quick steps to select cells, navigate to the Font group, and apply a color from the palette.

Steps

Press Ctrl + A or click the square between the column and row headers to select all cells.
In the ribbon, click the Home tab and locate the Font group.
Click the Fill Color icon and select a color from the palette, or choose More Colors for additional options.

📌 Why this matters

Knowing how to change the background color of cells in Microsoft Excel is a foundational formatting skill that improves spreadsheet readability and data organization. The Fill Color feature lets users visually highlight key data, separate sections, and create professional-looking reports without any advanced Excel knowledge. This three-step process — selecting cells, accessing the Home tab Font group, and applying a fill color — works across all modern versions of Excel. Mastering cell background color formatting helps teams present data more clearly and reduce errors during review.

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