How to Make an Excel Spreadsheet or Google Docs Spreadsheet Shared

Collaborating on a document with a team is seamless with shared spreadsheets. Learn how to make your Excel spreadsheet or Google Docs spreadsheet available to others with these step-by-step instructions. Whether you need to work on a group project, manage a signup list, or track data in real-time, sharing your spreadsheet can enhance efficiency and collaboration.

Method 1: Sharing an Excel Spreadsheet

To share an Excel spreadsheet, follow these steps:

Open your Excel spreadsheet or create a new document by going to the File Menu in the top horizontal toolbar and selecting New.

Make changes to your document. This may include macros, charts, merging cells, pictures, objects, hyperlinks, outlines, subtotals, data tables, Pivot Tables, reports, worksheet protection, and conditional formats.

Click on the Tools Menu or in other versions, find the Review Tab.

Select Sharing to enable sharing functionalities.

Click the Editing tab when the dialogue box pops up.

Find the box that says Save sharing permissions. Click on that box to affirm you want that change.

Select the Allow other people to edit option to control who can edit the document.

Click Save to save the workbook in its current location by clicking the File Menu and selecting Save.

Go back to the File Menu and select Save As.

Save the file in a shared folder on a shared network. Make sure all the people that will use the document have permission to use that folder. If not, save it somewhere that everyone can access.

Note: For Microsoft's step-by-step guide, click here.

Method 2: Sharing a Google Docs Spreadsheet

To share a Google Docs spreadsheet, follow these steps:

Sign into your Google Documents account. Click Create and then Spreadsheet to create a new document if you don't have one.

Select the spreadsheet you want to share.

Click on the Share button located in the right upper corner.

Find the box labeled Send. Click on it to share the document with specific people. You can type in email addresses or use your Google contacts to select individuals.

Decide if the person can edit or only view the spreadsheet. Click on the drop-down box to the right of the person's name and select the appropriate option.

Press the Send button to submit the invitation.

To view changes and collaborate with others, simply click on the link you sent them and start working on the worksheet in edit mode. You can see the changes that they make in real-time.

Note: Other people will be able to access everything in the folder you select because you cannot provide permission to individual workbooks only. To keep specific workbooks private, use one or more folders for private workbooks and create a separate folder for the workbooks you want to share.

Conclusion

Sharing your spreadsheets with others can significantly enhance collaboration and efficiency in both Excel and Google Docs. Follow the steps outlined above to make your document accessible to team members and ensure everyone works on the latest version without delays.