What feature in Google Sheets is used to apply colors to cells based on the content within them?

The feature in Google Sheets that is used to apply colors to cells based on their content is known as Conditional Formatting. This tool allows users to set rules that change the appearance of cells, such as altering the background color or text color, depending on the values or conditions specified. For instance, if a cell's value is above a certain threshold, you might want it highlighted in green, whereas values below another threshold could be displayed in red. This dynamic visual representation helps in quickly assessing data trends or values without needing to manually analyze each entry.

Other options, while related to cell management and formatting, do not specifically address the automatic alteration of cell appearance based on their content. Data Validation is concerned with setting criteria for what can be entered into a cell, ensuring data integrity rather than visual representation. Cell Styling is a more general term that can involve any aspect of formatting a cell but does not inherently involve dynamic rules based on content. Color Scale is a specific example of Conditional Formatting that uses gradient colors to represent range of values but does not encompass the broader functionality of applying conditional rules across various types of criteria.