Conditional formatting should not require a workaround. When a user on Reddit asked how to apply formatting across columns B and C based solely on the value in column B, they exposed a limitation that many of us have simply accepted as normal. It is not normal. It is a sign that traditional spreadsheet tools still think in terms of isolated cells, not connected workflows.
The request is straightforward. A user has a color name in column B and a different color name in column C. They want both cells to turn the same color when column B contains "Tan." Column C should follow along, even if it says "Brick Yellow." In any modern tool, this should be a single rule. In legacy spreadsheets, it requires a separate conditional formatting rule for each column, manually duplicated, and then manually adjusted if the range changes. That is not a feature. It is friction dressed up as functionality.
This Reddit user's request reveals a deeper need. Users do not want to manage formatting rules one column at a time. They want to define a logic trigger once and have it propagate intelligently across their data. When column B says "Tan," the entire row should reflect that. The spreadsheet should understand the relationship between columns, not treat them as strangers sharing a grid. This is the difference between a tool that stores data and one that helps you work with it.
Our opinion is plain: conditional formatting is overdue for an upgrade. The ability to apply a single trigger across multiple columns should be a default behavior, not a hack you search for on a forum. For anyone managing inventory, project tracking, or color-coded schedules, this small change saves minutes per task and eliminates errors from forgotten rules. The user who posted this question is not asking for something exotic. They are asking for the spreadsheet to work the way their brain already does. That is a reasonable request, and the industry should treat it as table stakes, not a request for a custom script.