How to Share Workbooks in Excel 2016

Edited 5 months ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Excel 2016 has several features that allow users to share and collaborate on workbooks with others. Workbook sharing in Excel allows multiple users to view, modify, and contribute to the same document simultaneously. This can be particularly useful in a team environment where collaboration is essential. In this detailed guide, we will explore how to enable workbook sharing in Excel 2016, collaborate effectively, and manage changes made by multiple users. We will move step-by-step through the process and include examples to help you understand each part clearly.

Enabling workbook sharing

Before multiple users can work on an Excel workbook simultaneously, you must enable workbook sharing. By default, Excel workbooks are not shared, which means only one person can modify the content at any given time. By enabling sharing, you allow simultaneous access for editing and modification purposes. Here's how you can enable sharing in Excel 2016:

• Open your Excel workbook: First, open the Excel workbook you want to share.
• Go to the Review tab: In the Excel ribbon, click the "Review" tab. This tab contains tools related to review and collaboration.
• Click "Share Workbook": Once you are in the Review tab, click the "Share Workbook" button in the Changes group. This will open a dialog box with various settings for workbook sharing.
• Enable sharing: In the Share Workbook dialog box that appears, check the box that says "Allow changes by multiple users at the same time." This is the main setting that allows multiple people to edit a workbook simultaneously.
• Advanced settings: You can click the "Advanced" tab within the Share Workbook dialog box to configure additional settings, such as how changes are tracked and reconciled.
• Save the workbook: After enabling sharing and configuring any necessary settings, click "OK" to save the changes. You may be prompted to save the document after enabling sharing. Be sure to save the workbook to apply the new settings.

Once you complete these steps, your workbook is now shared, and multiple users can start working on it simultaneously. Users can open the workbook and make changes, which will be visible to other users who also have the workbook opened.

Collaborating with others

Collaboration in a shared workbook is the primary purpose of enabling workbook sharing. Here are some tips and features you can use to collaborate effectively in Excel 2016:

• Track changes: You can track changes made to a workbook by different users. To do this, click the "Track Changes" button in the "Review" tab and select "Highlight Changes." This feature allows you to see what modifications have been made and by whom.
• Comments: Users can add comments to cells to provide feedback, questions, or clarification. To add a comment, simply right-click a cell and select "Insert Comment."
• Resolve conflicts: If two users try to edit the same cell at the same time, a conflict may arise. Excel provides a dialog box that helps you resolve these conflicts by allowing you to choose which changes to keep.
• View changes: You can view a list of all changes made by going to "Review" > "Track Changes" > "List Changes on a New Sheet." This will show all changes in a separate worksheet.

Key considerations for sharing workbooks

When sharing workbooks, there are a few key things to keep in mind to ensure smooth collaboration:

• Compatibility: Not all Excel features are supported in shared workbooks. Some features, such as Excel tables, data validation, and conditional formats, may work differently in shared workbooks. Evaluate your workbook to ensure compatibility.
• Performance: The size and complexity of shared workbooks can affect performance. Consider splitting large workbooks into smaller files to improve efficiency.
• Backups: Always keep a backup of your original workbook in case of errors or complications caused by editing by multiple users simultaneously.
• Limit the number of simultaneous users: Although Excel allows multiple users to edit a workbook simultaneously, too many users can cause conflicts and performance issues. Limit the number of simultaneous editors to maintain optimal performance.

Examples of shared workbook scenarios

Let's look at some examples of how workbook sharing can be useful in different scenarios:

Team budget planning

Imagine a finance team is planning the annual budget. Team members are responsible for different sections including sales, marketing, and operations. By sharing a workbook, each member can contribute data related to their section. For example, a sales team member can update expected revenue figures while an operations team member can enter costs associated with production.

Project timeline management

In a project timeline, many stakeholders need to provide updates. By opening a shared workbook, project team members can adjust dates, update milestones, or add deliverables to the timeline. This collaborative approach ensures that the timeline is up to date and accessible to all team members.

Inventory tracking

The inventory system may require the warehouse manager to update the count of stock items. A shared workbook allows them to input updated figures in real time, ensuring that all numbers reflect the current inventory levels available in storage.

Monitoring and reviewing changes

Monitoring and reviewing changes to a workbook is an important part of managing a shared document. Here's how you can do it effectively:

• Use the change history: Excel maintains a change history that you can review to see what edits have been made over time. You can access this via "Review" > "Track Changes" > "Highlight Changes."
• Accept or reject changes: After the changes are made, you can review them and decide which changes to accept or reject. This feature is available in the same "Track Changes" menu.
• Set review dates: If you're interested in changes within a specific timeframe, you can set the "When" option when highlighting changes, allowing you to focus on edits made during a particular period.

Best practices for sharing workbooks

To ensure successful collaboration, consider these best practices when sharing Excel workbooks:

• Clearly define access levels: Define clear roles and permissions for users, ensuring that only those who need editing access can have it. Use shared folder permissions to manage this.
• Communicate with your team: Communicate regularly with your team about changes and updates to prevent confusion and ensure everyone is on the same page.
• Use OneDrive or SharePoint: When possible, save and share your workbook using OneDrive or SharePoint, as these platforms provide additional collaboration and version control tools.
• Avoid simultaneous structural changes: To prevent conflicts, coordinate with your team to ensure that structural changes to a workbook (such as adding or deleting sheets) are made by only one person at a time.

The end of workbook sharing

If you want to stop sharing your workbook, you can do so by reversing the process you used to initiate sharing. Simply return to the "Share Workbook" dialog box, uncheck the box that allows simultaneous editing, and save the document. Unsaved changes by others will be lost when you end sharing, so be sure to coordinate with all parties involved.

In conclusion, sharing workbooks in Excel 2016 can significantly increase collaboration and productivity within your team. By following the steps and best practices outlined in this guide, you can share workbooks efficiently and easily manage collaborative projects. Always remember to monitor changes and stay in communication with your colleagues to ensure smooth operations.

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