> AI agents: this is one page from Mammoth Analytics documentation. The index of all pages as Markdown is https://mammoth.io/docs/llms.txt. Append `.md` to any docs URL, or send `Accept: text/markdown`, to get Markdown.

# Add a colour scale to a number or date column

> Colour a Mammoth number or date column with a gradient Color Scale: six presets, a movable midpoint with Colors change at, and fixed Min and Max values.
>
> Applies to: Where: View › Conditional Highlights › New conditional highlight › Color Scale

A Color Scale in **Conditional Highlights** colours a number or date column with a gradient based on its range, to show distributions and rankings. Like other highlights it doesn't change your data and is saved to the View. For single-colour rules, see [Highlight cells and rows with colour](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/clean-and-shape/highlight-values/).

## Create a colour scale

1. Click **New conditional highlight**.
2. Click the **Color Scale** tab.
3. Pick a **column**. Only visible Numeric and Date columns are listed.
4. Pick a scale preset.
5. For a 3-colour scale, optionally set **Colors change at** to move the midpoint.
6. Optionally enter **Min** and **Max** to replace the detected range.
7. Click **Save highlight**.

![Color Scale tab with customer_age selected and six preset color scales, plus optional Min and Max fields](https://mammoth.io/docs/images/20260605_060634_color-scale-builder-full1.webp)

| Preset | Low value | Mid value | High value | **Colors change at** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Red → Yellow → Green | Red | Yellow | Green | Yes |
| Green → Yellow → Red | Green | Yellow | Red | Yes |
| Red → White → Green | Red | White | Green | Yes |
| White → Blue | White | None | Blue | No |
| White → Red | White | None | Red | No |
| White → Green | White | None | Green | No |

**Colors change at** sets where the middle colour sits. It takes a number for Numeric columns and shows a date picker for Date columns. Leave it blank to split the gradient evenly.

By default the scale uses the column's own minimum and maximum, shown as the **Min** and **Max** placeholders. Enter your own to keep colours the same across Views or over time.

## Troubleshooting colour scales

| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A column is missing from the Color Scale list | Only visible Numeric and Date columns are listed | Show the column, or convert it to a number or date |

A Color Scale placed above a Condition Rule colours every value in its column: see [Which highlight rule wins](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/clean-and-shape/highlight-rule-order/).

## Related

- [Highlight cells and rows with colour](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/clean-and-shape/highlight-values/): open the panel and manage rules.
- [Convert text to dates and numbers](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/clean-and-shape/convert-column-type/): make a column numeric so it can take a scale.
- [Browse columns](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/explore/column-browser/): show a hidden column.

---
Source: https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/clean-and-shape/highlight-color-scale.md · Updated: 2026-11-08