There is a better way to handle delivery dates, and it starts with understanding what your spreadsheet is actually telling you. The user in this story set up a conditional format expecting one thing and got the opposite, which is frustrating, but it is also a clear signal that the rule logic needs a rethink, not the tool. The problem is not the spreadsheet; it is the assumption that the formula should work without first accounting for how dates behave in your data.
The issue here is straightforward: the rule was applied to the entire column, including empty cells and the header row, which is why the highlighting went haywire. When you select a whole column and apply a date-based condition, blank cells are often treated as zero, and zero is always less than 14 days away. That is why only a few rows highlighted, and not the ones you actually needed. The fix is not complicated, but it does require precision: apply the rule only to the range of cells that contain actual dates, and use a formula that checks both that the cell is not blank and that the date is within your 14-day window. Something like =AND(ISNUMBER(A2), A2>0, A2<=TODAY()+14) will give you the red flag you are looking for, without lighting up every empty row.
What this story reveals is a common misunderstanding about conditional formatting: it is not magic, it is math. The spreadsheet is doing exactly what you told it to do, not what you meant to do. That is a critical distinction. When you set a rule, you are not just saying "highlight if the date is soon," you are saying "highlight if this condition is true for every cell in the selected range." If you include blanks, you are telling the spreadsheet that blanks are valid dates, and it will treat them accordingly. The practical takeaway is simple: be explicit about your range, and build your formula to exclude empty cells. This is not about being a spreadsheet expert; it is about being a careful thinker.
The good news is that this is a fixable problem, and it does not require a complex workaround or a separate helper column, though that can work too. The key is to test your rule on a small sample, see what it highlights, and adjust until it matches your intent. You are not lacking skill here; you are just missing a small but essential detail. Once you get that detail right, you will have a system that works reliably, and you can stop fighting your spreadsheet and start using it to keep your orders on track. That is the real goal, and it is within reach.