To create data bars in Excel, select your cells and then choose data bars from Conditional Formatting.

Excel offers a one-click option on its "Insert" menu to take data on a spreadsheet and render it in a visual aid format.

Thanks to the linked cell property in Microsoft Excel, it's super easy to use the selected value as a condition in a macro or conditional formatting rule.

Looking to track positive or negative changes in your Excel data? Mary Ann Richardson explains how you can use conditional formatting to find out this information automatically.