Microsoft Excel - Regarding conditional formatting....

I've done a conditional formatting rule 

which says =$f$7="Essential" then apply blue formatting to =$B$7:$P$7

 I've tried to copy it down to the remainder of the columnF cells but it won't copy properly.  I don't want to set each one individually - how do I make it apply to the entireF column where the word 'Essential' is in there?

Thanks

Collette,

It is not perfectly clear from your description what you want to do but I assume that if any cell if columnF includes the word 'essential' then the corresponding row columnsB to P are to be formatted.  Assuming that you have it working for row7, then the first thing I would do would be to remove the $ signs from the formulae so that you get the addressing to change as you copy the formatting down.

Get back if that is not the problem.

Harry

Hello again Collette,
Quick correction, you formula should be = $F7 = "Essential".
Harry

Thanks Harry, that clarification just gave me a lightbulb moment in understanding that the $ 'fixes' the reference?  Anyway I worked on that basis and it worked. Thanks so much - the experts on here are awesome - you always get me a solution.