You can use the custom formula function in Google Sheets to highlight the highest value in a range.
The following example shows how to use the custom formula function in practice.
Example: Highlight Highest Value in Google Sheets
Suppose we have the following dataset in Google Sheets:
Suppose we’d like to highlight the highest value in the Points column.
To do so, we can highlight the cells in the range B2:B11, then click the Format tab, then click Conditional formatting:
In the Conditional format rules panel that appears on the right side of the screen, click the Format cells if dropdown, then choose Custom formula is, then type in the following formula:
=B2=MAX($B$2:$B$11)
Once you click Done, the cell with the highest value in the Points column will be highlighted:
By default, Google Sheets uses a light green background as the conditional formatting style.
However, you change the conditional formatting to appear however you’d like by changing the default settings in the Formatting style box.
Note: If there are multiple cells in a range that share the highest value, each of these cells will be highlighted.
Additional Resources
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in Google Sheets:
Google Sheets: Conditional Formatting if Another Cell Contains Text
Google Sheets: Conditional Formatting if Another Cell is Not Empty
Google Sheets: Conditional Formatting from Another Sheet
Google Sheets: Conditional Formatting Based on Checkbox