Filling text via conditional formatting

No, you can't insert text with Conditional Formatting, that only changes cell visual characteristics, like color and borders.

You can put a formula into that cell that will offer "Meetings" as a default answer if the condition is met and show blank otherwise. The user can always TYPE into that cell in either case, but after that the original formula would be forever gone.

If you're building this into a template, then that shouldn't be problematic, each new copy of the opened template would have the formula back in C5 at the start of use.

The formula could be:

=IF(C5="Meetings", "Meetings", "")

Try this to see if this helps.....

Select C5 --> Conditional Formatting --> New Rule --> Use a formula to determine which cells to format --> In the box below "Format values where this formula is true", paste the formula given below --> Format --> Number Tab --> Custom --> In the box below "Type" (General is written there by default), type this "Meetings" ;@ --> OK.

Formula:

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So if the cell A5 contains the word "Meetings", C5 will show "Meetings" otherwise C5 will show you the value entered into it.
Is this what you are trying to achieve?

It works actually but has a drawback which I forgot to mention that you need to input something in the cell C5 and if A5 contains Morning Meeting, C5 will show you Meetings not the value you entered into it. So see if this is something you can work with.

Or another way around this is you can use a VBA code (For Worksheet Change Event) to achieve this very easily.

I have attached two sheets here for your reference. One is Tracking Log v4.0 - Sample.xlsx which contains the conditional formatting applied.
And another is Tracking Log v4.0 - VBA Code.xlsm which contains a VBA code, please read the notes on the sheet to know how this code works. You can find the code on Monday Sheet Module by Right clicking on Monday Sheet Tab --> View Code

In that case change your custom format to ;;;"Meetings" but the problem with this is what if a user enters a numeric value in col. C and then it will not work. To overcome this you may add data validation to restrict user to input a numeric value in col. C by following these steps.....
Select C5 --> Data --> Data Validation --> Allow --> Custom --> Formula --> =ISTEXT(C5) --> OK.

But if you ask me I find VBA code is much more convenient than the conditional formatting. Choice is yours.

Consider the option in post #2. Since each row is used once, the formula would be there at the initial use of any single row, and only be deleted if someone types a manual entry over it. I do this all the time in my template tables.

Originally Posted by CorvusReed

So there's no way to use conditional formatting to overwrite both text and numbers?

In that case you need to make two separate rules for conditional formatting in col. C. One rule if the user inputs a numeric value in col. C and another if the user inputs a text string in col. C.
Please find the attached sheet where I have applied these two rules for conditional formatting to see if this works as per your requirement now.

Ah, yes, two separate rules would be fine. I'd much rather go that route than have the users write over a visible equation. My coworkers believe Excel equations like that to be synonymous to witchcraft and panic at anything beyond basic inputs.

So for bonus points, is there any way that you can walk me through the logic of how these conditional statements were written? I understand what they should look like and how to create them, but I don't really understand why they need to look that way. Why are the semicolon's needed for text and the semicolon + @ symbol needed for numerical inputs?