How to Share an Excel File

Share using co-authoring or the shared workbook feature

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Updated on November 12, 2021

What to Know

Sign up for OneDrive if you don’t already have an active account.
Open the workbook and select Share > Sign In. Enter a name and choose a OneDrive folder, then select Save. Select Share again.
Under Sharing Options, select Invite People and enter the recipients’ email addresses. Check Can Edit to grant editing privileges.

With shared Microsoft Excel workbooks, you can collaborate with others by adding or modifying data, formulas, and formatting on the fly from multiple locations and devices. Here's how to share an Excel file in Microsoft 365, Excel 2019, Excel 2016, and Excel Online.

Sign Up for OneDrive

If you use Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office, you may have an active OneDrive account. If not, or if you're unsure, sign up for OneDrive before continuing. The only exception is if you intend to share an Excel file hosted on a SharePoint Online library or internal network, in which case, you don't need a OneDrive account.

Before you can share a spreadsheet for co-authoring purposes, you must save it in the XLSX, XLSM, or XLSB format.

How to Share an Excel File in Microsoft 365 or Excel 2019

To share an Excel workbook:

Newer versions of Excel replaced the Shared Workbook feature with a service called co-authoring. It allows for similar collaboration and offers advanced tools that aren't available in older versions of Excel.

Open the Excel workbook you wish to share.
Select Share, located in the upper-right corner of the screen and below the Search Sheet bar.
In the Share dialog box, select Sign In.

If you're signed in to your Microsoft account, go to step 6.
When prompted for your Microsoft account credentials, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the authentication process.
Once signed in, return to the main Excel window and select Share again.
In the Name field, enter a title for the shared workbook.
Select the Place drop-down menu to choose where to share the file, for example, OneDrive. In most cases, this is the preferred location unless you use a SharePoint library or an internal network location.
Select Save.
The file uploads to the repository you chose in step 7. Select Share.
In the Sharing Options pop-up list, select Invite People.

You don't have to share the workbook for collaboration purposes. If you'd rather share a read-only version, select Send a Copy.
In the Invite People dialog, type the email addresses of the people you want to share the workbook with. Separate each email address with a comma.

You can type names from your contacts in place of email addresses. In this case, you're prompted to grant Excel access to the corresponding application.
Enter a message for the recipients, if desired.
The Can Edit option, accompanied by a check box, is disabled by default for precautionary purposes and dictates that the recipients can't modify the Excel file. To remove this read-only restriction, select the check box so that the check mark appears.
Select Share. Your recipients are notified that a workbook has been shared with them.

How to Share a File in Excel Online

Just like Excel for Microsoft 365 and Excel 2019, the web-based version of Excel uses the co-authoring features in place of what used to be known as Shared Workbooks.

Go to Excel Online in a web browser and open the workbook you want to share.
Select Share, located in the upper-right corner of the browser window to display the Invite People dialog box.
In the To field, type the email addresses of the people you want to share the workbook with, each separated by a comma.
In the Add a quick note field, enter a relevant message for your recipients.
Select Recipients can edit.
Two drop-down menus appear. The first contains the following options: Recipients can edit (default) and Recipients can only view. If you choose the latter, your recipients receive the workbook with read-only restrictions.
The second drop-down menu dictates whether your recipients require a Microsoft account to access the document. Select the option that meets your needs.
Select Share. Your recipients are notified that a workbook has been shared with them.

How to Share a File in Excel 2016

Follow the Microsoft 365 instructions, as the co-authoring feature and the steps are similar. The main difference is the Share button, which appears in the upper-right corner and is represented by a head and torso alongside the word Share.

If you'd like, you can use the Shared Workbook feature. To do so, add the appropriate options to the Quick Access Toolbar by following the steps below.

Unless you have a specific need to enable the original Shared Workbook functionality, such as sharing on a restricted network with particular requirements, use co-authoring instead.

Add a Shared Workbook Button in macOS

To add the Shared Workbook functionality in macOS:

Select Excel > Preferences.
In the Excel Preferences dialog, select Ribbon & Toolbar, located in the Authoring section.
Select Quick Access Toolbar.
In the Choose commands from setting, select Review Tab.
In the list of options provided, select Share Workbook (Legacy) to highlight it.
Select the right bracket (>) found next to the Share Workbook (Legacy) option so that it moves to the list labeled Customize Quick Access Toolbar.
Select Save to complete the process. You can now begin the sharing process from the Excel toolbar.

Add a Shared Workbook Button in Windows

Follow these steps to add the Shared Workbook functionality to Excel 2016 for Windows:

Select File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar.
Select Choose commands from to expand it, then select All Commands.
Scroll down and select Share Workbook (Legacy) to highlight it.
Select Add.
Add each of the following commands, one at a time: Track Changes (Legacy), Protect Sharing (Legacy), Compare and Merge Workbooks.
After these items are added, select OK to return to the main Excel window. You can now begin the sharing process from the Excel toolbar.

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