It finds rules, not just visibly-highlighted cells
This selects any cell with a conditional formatting rule attached, even a rule whose condition currently evaluates to false and so isn't visibly highlighted right now. That makes it useful for auditing a workbook you inherited from someone else, where rules might exist that aren't currently triggering.
Narrowing the search to a single rule
Selecting "Conditional formats" under "Go To Special" finds every rule in the sheet at once. If you want to isolate one specific rule instead, the Conditional Formatting Rules Manager (found under Home β Conditional Formatting β Manage Rules) lets you see, edit, or delete individual rules one at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this feature also show what the actual conditional formatting rule is?
No, it only selects and highlights the cells that have a rule applied. To see or edit the actual rule and its condition, open the Conditional Formatting Rules Manager separately.
Will this find conditional formats applied to an entire column or row, not just individual cells?
Yes. As long as the formatting rule is attached to the range, whether that's a single cell, a row, a column, or a larger block, all matching cells within that range will be selected.