How to Show Negative Numbers as Red in Excel

Negative numbers can be hard to spot in a crowded spreadsheet. A simple way to make them stand out is by changing their color—red is the classic choice. Excel makes this easy, and you don’t need to be a formula wizard to do it.

Here’s how you can show negative numbers in red in just a few clicks.

Option 1: Use Excel’s Built-In Number Formatting

This is the quickest method, perfect for most users.

1. Select the cells you want to format.
2. Press Ctrl + 1 (or right-click and choose Format Cells).
3. In the Format Cells window, go to the Number tab.
4. Choose Number from the category list.
5. Under Negative Numbers, pick the option that shows red text.
6. Click OK.

That’s it. Excel will now automatically turn negative numbers red.

Option 2: Use Custom Number Formatting

If you want more control (like adding symbols or specific color tones), you can write your own format code.

1. Select your cells and open the Format Cells dialog (Ctrl + 1).
2. Go to the Number tab and click Custom.
3. In the Type box, enter a format like this: 0;[Red]-0
   • This tells Excel: show positive numbers normally (0), and negative numbers in red with a minus sign ([Red]-0).
4. Click OK.

You can tweak this to fit your style. For example:

• #,##0;[Red]-#,##0 adds commas for thousands.
• $#,##0.00;[Red]$#,##0.00 formats currency.

Option 3: Use Conditional Formatting (For More Flexibility)

Need to highlight more than just red text? Conditional formatting lets you change fonts, backgrounds, borders—whatever you like.

1. Select your cells.
2. Go to the Home tab.
3. Click Conditional Formatting > Highlight Cells Rules > Less Than.
4. Type 0, and pick a red font (or custom format).
5. Click OK.

This method works well if you want to apply multiple rules (like turning positive numbers green and zero values gray).

Wrap-Up

Highlighting negative numbers in red helps you catch issues faster—whether you’re tracking losses, expenses, or anything else below zero. Excel gives you a few different ways to do it, depending on how precise or visual you want to get.

Want your spreadsheets to speak louder? Start with color—and let the numbers tell their story.