Creating a shared workbook makes it easy to collaborate on important projects with others. We'll show you how to create and share spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet

  1. 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. 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.
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  3. 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. 4
    Click the Editing tab when the dialogue box pops up.
  5. 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. 6
    Click "OK" to save that change.
  7. 7
    Save the workbook in its current location by clicking the File Menu and selecting "Save."
  8. 8
    Go back to the File Menu and select "Save As."
  9. 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.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Google Docs Spreadsheet

  1. 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. 2
    Go to your spreadsheet or click on the "Create New" drop down box.
  3. 3
    Select "Spreadsheet" from the list of choices, or open a spreadsheet you have already been working on.
  4. 4
    Click on the "Share" button to the right and above your spreadsheet.
  5. 5
    Choose the names of people you want to join from your list of Google contacts, or you can type in email addresses.
  6. 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. 7
    Press the "Share & Save" button.
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Things You'll Need

  • Shared folder
  • Shared network
  • Google account

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 269,548 times.
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Co-authors: 7
Updated: March 20, 2023
Views: 269,548
Categories: Spreadsheets
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