This is the kind of question that reveals a deeper truth about the tools we rely on. The user has done the hard part, they figured out conditional formatting for late and on-time statuses, only to hit a wall when empty cells break the logic. Their instinct is right: the spreadsheet should know when to do nothing. The fact that it doesn't is not a failure of the user, but a limitation of the tool.
Blank cells are not errors; they are signals waiting to be interpreted. In traditional spreadsheets, every empty cell is a trap for formulas that assume a value exists. You end up writing workarounds, nested IF statements, ISBLANK checks, or helper columns, that turn a simple tracking sheet into a fragile web of logic. That is not how data should work. The user's frustration is a sign that the spreadsheet is asking them to think like a programmer rather than a person managing submissions. That gap is exactly what an AI-native approach can close.
What this user needs is a tool that understands context: if a date is missing, the status should simply remain neutral until a value appears. No error colors, no false negatives. A smarter spreadsheet should let you say, "Highlight this cell red only if there is a date and it's past the deadline," without forcing you to handle every edge case by hand. That is not a luxury feature; it is the baseline for a tool that respects your time and your workflow.
Our take is plain: conditional formatting should not require a workaround for emptiness. The user asking for kindness deserves a tool that returns the favor. This is not about replacing the spreadsheet; it is about making it respond to intent, not just formula syntax. When your tool can distinguish between a blank that means "not yet" and a blank that means "missing," you stop wrestling with cells and start acting on the signals they contain.