How to Make a Shared Spreadsheet

Last Updated: April 24, 2021

Spreadsheets are a staple of an office. They are used to organize data and make reports. Whether you use an Internet-based spreadsheet program or the standard Microsoft Excel, you will need to share spreadsheet reports to your team or managers. Luckily, most spreadsheet programs have a built in feature to help you create a spreadsheet for use by many people, as long as you are using a shared server, or you have an Internet connection. This article will tell you how to make a shared spreadsheet in Google Docs and Microsoft Excel.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet

1
Open your excel spreadsheet or create a new document by going to the File Menu in the top horizontal toolbar and selecting "New."
2
Make changes to your document. These should include macros, charts, merging cells. pictures, objects, hyperlinks, outlines, subtotals, data tables, Pivot Table reports, worksheet protection and conditional formats.
3
Click on the Tools Menu or in other version you can find the Review Tab. Select "Shared Spreadsheet/Share Workbook" from the options in the drop down menu.
4
Click the Editing tab when the dialogue box pops up.
5
Find the box that says "Allow changes by more than one user at the same time." Click on that box to affirm you want that change.
6
Click "OK" to save that change.
7
Save the workbook in its current location by clicking the File Menu and selecting "Save."
8
Go back to the File Menu and select "Save As."
9
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.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:
Google Docs Spreadsheet

1
Sign into your Google Documents account.
- If you do not have a Google Docs account, set it up by clicking the "Try Google Docs Now" button on the Google sign in page.
2
Go to your spreadsheet or click on the "Create New" drop down box.
3
Select "Spreadsheet" from the list of choices, or open a spreadsheet you have already been working on.
4
Click on the "Share" button to the right and above your spreadsheet.
5
Choose the names of people you want to join from your list of Google contacts, or you can type in email addresses.
6
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.
7
Press the "Share & Save" button.