Never miss a deadline again.
Colour-coded tasks that warn you before things go wrong. See what’s overdue, what’s due today and what’s next, and light up the row you’re working on with one key. No macros.
✓ One-off payment ✓ Instant download ✓ Excel for Windows & Mac
| Task | Priority | Due Date | Status | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Send Q3 report to manager | High | 27 Sep 2026 | In Progress | Overdue |
| Renew car insurance | High | 28 Sep 2026 | Not Started | Overdue |
| Book dentist appointment | Medium | 29 Sep 2026 | Not Started | Due today |
| Prepare team meeting slides | High | 30 Sep 2026 | In Progress | Due soon |
| Pay credit card bill | High | 01 Oct 2026 | Not Started | Due soon |
| Order new printer ink | Low | 02 Oct 2026 | Waiting | Due soon |
| Fix leaking kitchen tap | Medium | 05 Oct 2026 | Waiting | On track |
| Submit expenses | Medium | 25 Sep 2026 | Done | Done |
A plain to-do list doesn’t warn you
Deadlines sneak up
A list of tasks doesn’t tell you what’s late. By the time you notice, it’s already overdue.
Everything looks the same
In a plain list, a finished task looks exactly like an urgent one. Your eyes have nothing to go on.
Losing your place
In a long list it’s easy to read across the wrong row. It’s why my “Highlight the Active Row” video has been watched nearly 300,000 times.
Type a task. The colours do the rest.
Add your tasks
Task, category, priority and due date. Everything else is worked out for you.
Update the status
Pick Not Started, In Progress, Waiting, Done or Cancelled from the drop-down. The row changes colour instantly.
Check the dashboard
See what’s overdue, what’s due this week, your next 10 deadlines and how far through you are.
Know what’s late before anyone asks
Every task gets a deadline flag that updates itself each day: Overdue in red, Due today in orange, Due soon in yellow, or On track. Overdue rows are tinted red so they’re impossible to miss.
- Days left or days late for every task
- Choose how many days counts as “due soon”
- Done tasks fade out and get crossed off
| Due Date | Status | Days Left | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 2026 | In Progress | 2 late | Overdue |
| 29 Sep 2026 | Not Started | Today | Due today |
| 01 Oct 2026 | Not Started | 2 left | Due soon |
| 05 Oct 2026 | Waiting | 6 left | On track |
| 25 Sep 2026 | Done | Done |
Light up your row. No macros.
Click any task and press F9: the whole row lights up so you never read across the wrong line. Most highlight tricks need macros, which bring up security warnings. This one uses a built-in Excel formula, so it just works.
- Updates whenever you press F9 or type
- No macros, no security warnings
- Switch it off in Settings if you prefer
| Task | Priority | Due Date | Status | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book dentist appointment | Medium | 29 Sep 2026 | Not Started | Due today |
| Prepare team meeting slides | High | 30 Sep 2026 | In Progress | Due soon |
| Pay credit card bill | High | 01 Oct 2026 | Not Started | Due soon |
| Order new printer ink | Low | 02 Oct 2026 | Waiting | Due soon |
Your week at a glance
The dashboard adds everything up for you: total tasks, done, overdue, due this week and overall progress. Your next 10 deadlines are listed with the overdue ones first, plus charts by status and category.
- Updates automatically as you work
- Open tasks by priority and category
- Nothing to set up, no formulas to write
| Next deadlines | Due | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Send Q3 report to manager | 27 Sep 2026 | Overdue |
| Renew car insurance | 28 Sep 2026 | Overdue |
| Book dentist appointment | 29 Sep 2026 | Due today |
| Prepare slides for team meeting | 30 Sep 2026 | Due soon |
For anyone juggling more than one thing
Office workers & teams
Reports, meetings and follow-ups in one place, with an Owner column so everyone knows who’s doing what.
Freelancers & small businesses
Client work, invoices and deadlines colour-coded, so nothing slips and no client gets forgotten.
Students & home life
Assignments, bills, appointments and renewals, each with a clear warning before it’s due.
Everything you get
- Room for 500 tasks with filters and sorting
- 5 colour-coded statuses and 3 priorities
- Automatic Overdue, Due today and Due soon warnings
- Highlight the row you’re on with F9, no macros
- Progress bars, owners and 10 categories you can rename
- Dashboard: key numbers, progress, next 10 deadlines and 2 charts
- Example tasks that always show every colour
- Start Here guide
One-off payment. Yours to keep.
Get instant access $12.99Secure checkout by Payhip · Card or PayPal
Download link emailed straight away
Hi, I’m Lee
I run Sheet Leveller on YouTube, where I make quick, no-nonsense Excel tutorials. My videos on highlighting the active row and colour-coded drop-down lists have been watched nearly 400,000 times between them.
This tracker puts both of those ideas, and a lot more, into one ready-made spreadsheet, so you can start using it in minutes instead of building it yourself.
Questions
Does it use macros?
No. It’s a normal .xlsx file, so there are no security warnings and nothing to enable.
How does the row highlight work?
Click any cell on the Tasks sheet and press F9 (on a Mac, fn + F9). The row you’re on lights up. It also updates whenever you type something. You can turn it off in Settings.
Which versions of Excel does it work with?
Microsoft 365, Excel 2010 or later on Windows, and Excel for Mac. It’s built for Microsoft Excel.
Can I change the categories?
Yes. Rename them or add your own (up to 10) on the Settings sheet, and they appear in the drop-down straight away.
Can I use it with a team?
Yes. There’s an Owner column for who’s responsible, and you can filter by it. Save it somewhere shared, like OneDrive, and everyone sees the same list.
Is this a subscription?
No. You pay once and the file is yours to keep.
See what’s late. Know what’s next.
Colour-coded tasks, automatic deadline warnings and a live dashboard, in one simple spreadsheet.
Get the tracker $12.99Not ready yet? Try the free Colour-Coded Task List.