Excel is the top spreadsheet application to track daily activities and boost productivity. It offers the best-in-class tools for data analysis, management, and visualization. There are both offline and online versions of this excellent tool.
While the desktop version of Excel has many features, the browser-based version aims to make data organization easier by letting you use the most essential tools right from your web browser and while on the go.
You can access, create, and edit worksheets from anywhere with an internet connection.
Note that Excel online covers most essential tools for everyday use, including formulas, basic data analysis, and charts.
This is a quick guide where we will discuss how to use Excel online. Please read the article till the end because it includes all the essential instructions, from setting up an account to performing everyday tasks.
How to Get Started With Excel Online
Before we discuss the features of browser-based Excel, let us first discuss how to set up your account to access it.
Here are the steps to create a Microsoft account,
- Open the Microsoft sign-up page by clicking here
- Enter your email address or phone number in the field shown below
- Now, create a new strong password
- Complete the Verification process and click on “Next”
- Once your account is created, you will be redirected to your Microsoft account dashboard, as shown below
Note: If you already have a Microsoft account, you can directly login using your email and password.
Once you have created your account, follow the steps below to access Excel online:
- Open any web browser installed on your device
- Go to Office.com
- Sign in using your Microsoft credentials
- On the office homepage, click on the app launcher at the top left corner of the page, as shown below
- Click on the “Excel” option
You are now ready to work on the Excel Online app.
Now that you have set up your Microsoft account and are signed in let’s dive into how to create new worksheets in Excel online.
How to create Web-based spreadsheets in Excel Online?
We have seen how easy it was to set up a Microsoft account and sign in to Excel online. Similarly, it is also easy to create a new workbook.
Let’s begin,
- Once you are on the Excel online page, click on “Blank Workbook”
- A new worksheet will be opened in which you can start entering your data
But what if you wish to open an existing workbook stored in your OneDrive, it is as well easy to do.
Here are the steps below:
- Click on “File” tab from the main menu
- Choose the “Open” option
- Scroll down to the “Recommended” section
- You will find a list of recently edited or opened workbooks
But if you are looking for a file that is not shown in the Recommended section, then go to “My Content” from the left sidebar to browse more files saved on your OneDrive.
Once your desired file is opened, you can make the necessary changes and save it for future reference.
How to Edit Workbooks in Excel Online?
Editing workbooks in Excel online is pretty straightforward. It allows you to work on the files from anywhere using any web browser. But note that you need a stable internet connection to open and edit files.
Once your workbook is opened on Excel Online, you can work on it in the same way you use the Excel application on your desktop.
It includes,
- Entering and formatting data
- Analyzing data using various tools
- Performing calculations using the built-in formulas,
- Visualizing information through multiple types of graphs and charts
- Creating tracking systems to help monitor tasks, sales, or other operations
Apart from all these, there is one major difference between both the desktop version and Excel Online. The changes made in the file are saved in real-time in Excel Online, meaning you don’t have to worry about manually saving your progress every time.
If you have accidentally made any changes to the workbook, then you can press “Ctrl + Z” to undo and “Ctrl + Y” to redo. You can also access it from the main menu by clicking on “Home > Undo” as shown in the image below.
Why am I unable to edit data in Excel Online?
Sometimes, you fail to make changes to your data; it could be because you are in Read-Only mode. This happens when the workbook is set to “Viewing” by the owner, or it’s a shared file with limited permissions.
You can confirm this by looking at the top-right corner of the screen. If you observe “Viewing” there, then it means you are in the read-only mode.
To switch to Editing mode, follow the steps below:
- Click on the “Viewing” dropdown
- Select “Editing” from the available options
Now, you can make the necessary changes to the file.
If the Editing option is not available, then you may not have the necessary permissions to edit the file. In this case, you will have to contact the file owner to request access.
How to Save Your Workbook in Excel Online?
As discussed earlier, your progress is automatically saved while using browser-based Excel. It is different compared to the desktop version, where users need to save their workbook manually by clicking on “File > Save”.
The changes you make are saved instantly. So, one of the main points to remember is – there is no button called “Save” to keep your progress in Excel Online.
If you wish to save a separate copy of your workbook, you can do it using the following steps,
- Open the workbook that you want to save as a separate file
- Hover to the main menu and click on “File”
- Select “Save As”
- Now, click on “Save a Copy”
- Now, rename the file, choose to download the file in formats like Excel (.xlsx) or PDF, and save it locally on your device
- Once all the details are filled in, click on “Create a Copy”
That’s it! You now have a copy of your file stored locally on your device.
If you have created a new workbook, then Excel Online will save it as “Book1” to your Microsoft cloud storage by default. If you wish to rename it, click on the file name at the top of the screen, type the new name, and press “Enter”, as shown in the GIF below.
Can I save an online Excel file to my local drive?
You can have an offline version of your online Excel workbook. For that, you need to download a copy of your file to your device.
Follow the steps:
- Open the desired workbook in Excel Online
- Navigate to the main menu and click on “File”
- Select “Save As” from the menu
- Choose “Download a copy”
The workbook will be saved in .xlsx format on your desktop. You can work on the file even without an internet connection. If you wish to sync the changes, make sure to upload it back to OneDrive.
Note: Always remember you can only open or edit the workbooks in Excel Online which are uploaded to the OneDrive or SharePoint.
How to Share Excel Online Workbooks with others?
In the above sections, we have seen how to create, open, edit, and save a workbook in Excel Online. Now, let’s see how to share a browser-based Excel workbook with other users.
Here is how to do it,
- Open the workbook you want to share
- You will find a “Share” button at the upper right corner of the screen
- Click on it to find the dropdown options as shown below
- We will discuss each one of them below:
- Share: By clicking on this, you can invite others to view or edit your spreadsheet. Specify the email of the user with whom you want to share the workbook. Do not forget to assign the permissions (can view, can edit) by clicking on the pen icon as shown below.
- Copy Link: This option allows you to create a global link to your worksheet and share it with others. You can also choose whether the link allows others to edit, view, or comment on the spreadsheet. For that, click on the “Copy Link” option and select the “Settings” button.
- Copy Link to this Sheet: This is very similar to the “Copy Link” option, but it creates a link to the specific sheet in a workbook. This is useful if your workbook has multiple sheets and you want to share only a single sheet with others.
- Co-edit in Teams: Using this feature, you can collaborate with your team members in Microsoft Teams. You can add the workbook to the team chat in Microsoft Teams, and other team members can work on it simultaneously.
- Manage Access: This option allows you to check which users or groups have access to your workbook and also their permission levels.
- Share: By clicking on this, you can invite others to view or edit your spreadsheet. Specify the email of the user with whom you want to share the workbook. Do not forget to assign the permissions (can view, can edit) by clicking on the pen icon as shown below.
There is one more excellent feature that Excel Online has, and the Desktop version doesn’t – You can see who is editing the file right away when several users are working on a single file.
If you wish to know which cell exactly is being edited at that moment, move the cursor to the name of the person editing the file.
How to Lock Certain cells for Editing in a shared Workbook in Excel Online
If you have shared a workbook with multiple users, and many people are working on it, you may often want a few people not to edit some important cells.
In this case, Excel allows you to limit the editing rights for a few of the team members. You can lock a certain range of data or protect the entire sheet.
Let’s see how to do this,
- Open the worksheet that you want to protect
- Go to the “Review” tab
- Click on “Manage Protection” in the “Protection” tab
- A new dialog box will appear on the right side of the screen, as shown below
- If you wish to protect the entire sheet, turn on the toggle switch, meaning the sheet protection is on
- And if you want to allow editing for a range of cells in the protected sheet, then specify the data range by clicking on “Add range”
- You can also create a password to unlock the protected sheet by clicking on “Sheet Protection Password”
- By clicking on “Options”, you can set additional options for sheet protection, like allowing users to format cells, delete rows, sort, use objects like charts and graphs, etc.
After you have made the changes to the password-protected Excel spreadsheet, make sure to lock the sheet again by following the above steps.
Overall, it is a very useful tool for preventing accidental changes to the workbook, ensuring the data remains safe and secure.
FAQs
Q. Can I use Excel Online for free?
Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet program used to organize, analyze, and visualize data. If you have a paid Microsoft 365 subscription, you can download the Excel application on your device and use it.
But to use Excel Online, you do not need to have a subscription. You can use it for free and enjoy almost all the features of the desktop version.
Q. How do I view edits in Excel Online?
Excel has a unique feature that can be used to view the changes made to your workbook.
Here are the steps:
- Open the desired workbook
- Go to the “Review” tab
- Click on “Show Changes” in the “Changes” group
This will open a pane on the right side of the screen that displays all the changes made to the workbook.
Conclusion: How to Use Excel Online
Microsoft Excel Online is a free and easy-to-use browser-based tool that helps you create, edit, and share workbooks from any device as long as you have an active internet connection.
If you do not have Excel software installed on your device, you can use Excel Online without giving it a second thought.
Feel free to comment below if you are stuck somewhere or are having any particular issues while using browser-based Excel.
Also, make sure to explore our blog for more such tips and tricks to use Excel like a pro.