Column colors
Apply a shared background or text color to a column so it is easier to scan.
COLUMNS
Open the column settings and, in Display under Column colors, choose either Column color or Text color. The choice applies to both the heading and cells in that column.
To color individual status or category values, set the column's data type to Enum. You can then choose a separate color from the picker for each discovered value.
Color a column
Open the column and choose the right color in its display settings.
Open Columns
Edit the macro and switch to the Columns tab.
Expand the column settings
Click the column you want to highlight, then open Display.
Choose a color
Under Column colors, choose Column color for the background or Text color for the text. The preview updates immediately. Use Reset column colors to return to the defaults; then save or publish the page.
A simple example
A project team tracks the status of its active initiatives.
- Before
- Every status value looks the same. Risks and blocked work get lost in the list.
- After
- The team colors On track green, At risk amber, and Blocked red. Readers can recognize status at a glance.
Column colors
Column colors are per-column overrides. They live in Columns > Display > Column colors and let you apply one background color and one text color to the selected column from the same Confluence palette used across Simple Tables.
COLUMNS
Quick guide
- Open the Columns tab in the table setup panel.
- Select the column you want to style.
- Open Display.
- Find Column colors.
- Choose a Column color, a Text color, or both.
- Use Reset column colors to return the column to inherited table colors.
Shared Confluence palette
Choose from the familiar Confluence neutral, blue, cyan, green, yellow, red, and purple swatches. Select Inherit to remove a column override and return to the table-level colors.
Available controls
The UI is intentionally small. You only choose a background color and a text color for the whole column.
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Column color | Background color for the column header and cells. |
| Text color | Text color for the column header and cells. |
When to use column colors
- Highlight a key metric such as Total, Risk, or Priority.
- Make a status or ownership column easier to find in a wide table.
- Visually separate an important calculated column from source data.
How column colors differ from table colors
Column colors only affect the selected column. Global table colors, including header, row, border, group row, and totals row colors, are configured in Formatting > Table colors.
Use global table colors for the overall table theme. Use column colors only when a specific field needs extra visual emphasis.
Best practice: Avoid coloring many columns at once. One or two highlighted columns are easier to understand than a table where every field competes for attention.
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