use the first cell select. So if you select all of column A, use A1. If you
select A2:A500, use A2.

"George Lynch" wrote:

I need to create a conditional format based on a text string that will be
contained in a larger text string within the active cell. I know I can use
either the SEARCH or FIND function to determine if a text string is contained
within a larger string, but those functions require a cell address and I
don't know how to apply them to the current cell address, whatever it might
be.

So, for example, if the text string is "needs training", and the text in
cell A5 is "George has had some exposure to the app, but he needs training",
then I would want that cell to apply a conditional format because the phrase
"needs training" is contained in the cell.

Thanks in advance for any advice on this...