Read the legend before the row
The legend is not a grading system. It is a way to sort what a row tells you by where it comes from and how likely it is to change. Read the legend first, then read the row.
The four labels
- Visible in the sheet — ultramarine.
Only what the spreadsheet currently displays. A cell value, a label, a link. It tells you what is written, not whether it is true.
- Visible after opening — vermilion.
What you can only see once you open the link and land on the actual page: the title, the images, the options, the price shown there.
- Likely to change — moss green.
Details that shift often: price, stock, options, images, seller, and shipping wording. Assume they can move.
- Confirm at the destination — soft violet.
Facts you must re-read on the real external page before relying on them. Nothing is settled until it is seen there.
Colors are not verdicts
Ultramarine does not mean “safe.” Vermilion does not mean “risky.” Moss green does not mean “untrustworthy,” and soft violet does not mean “unverified.” The color only tells you the source of the information and its changeability. It never says whether an item is good, bad, authentic, or verified.
When the column structure is unknown
You do not need to know what every column is called to read a row. Work through the labels in order:
- Read the row label and visible cells. Whatever is written now is “visible in the sheet.”
- Open the link. Whatever appears only after opening is “visible after opening.”
- Mark changeable fields. Any price, stock, option, image, seller, or shipping wording is “likely to change.”
- Re-check on the page. Before relying on a fact, “confirm at the destination.”
A row you cannot fully name can still be read correctly: sort what you see by source, and never treat the label as the confirmation.
A worked reading
Suppose a row shows a short label and a link, and you cannot tell what each column means.
- Visible in the sheet: the label text and the link itself.
- Visible after opening: the page title, images, and options that appear when you open the link.
- Likely to change: the price and stock shown on that page.
- Confirm at the destination: the price, stock, and option you actually need, re-read on the live page.
Reading example — not live data, verification, or a saved record.
Continue your review
Next, learn to record link text and destination separately with the link label guide, and set re-check rules with the changeable details guide.