Basic tasks in Excel for the web

With Excel for the web, you use your web browser to create, view, and edit workbooks that you store on OneDrive or Dropbox. If your organization or school has a Microsoft 365 plan or SharePoint site, you can also create and store workbooks in libraries on your site. This article walks you through the basic tasks: creating a workbook, sharing it, editing in your browser, working with others, and printing.

Create an online workbook

  1. Open your OneDrive by selecting the OneDrive icon on your system tray, and then select View online.
  2. Select + New > Excel workbook.
  3. To rename the workbook, select the generic name of the new file on the top ribbon (usually something like Book1). In the File Name box, enter a new name.

Share workbooks online

After you create your online workbook, you can share it with friends, coworkers, or the public. People can view your worksheets, sort and filter data, and drill into the details of PivotTables on the web or on a mobile device.

To share a workbook, select Share, and then enter the email addresses of the people you want to share with or get a link that you can email to your contacts.

Screenshot that shows the Share button in the Excel ribbon.

Edit in the browser

If you try to enter data, set up a formula, add charts, or apply basic formatting and nothing happens, you’re probably in read-only view. Here's how to switch to editing view:

Select Edit Workbook > Edit in Excel for the web.

For more advanced editing options, select Edit in Excel.

Excel for the web saves your work automatically. However, if you change your mind about any changes you just made, select Undo or press Ctrl+Z.

Work together on the same worksheet

When you work with others in Excel for the web, you can edit the worksheet as you usually would. When others edit the worksheet, Excel for the web shows their presence and the updates right away. This works only when everyone is working in Excel for the web.

Screenshot that shows a label stating that two people are editing the current document.

Other versions of the Excel app also let you work with others at the same time. For more information, see Collaborate on Excel workbooks at the same time with co-authoring.

  1. Select the cells or chart you want to print, and then go to File > Print. To print the whole worksheet, don’t select anything before you go to the Print command. Print selected cells
  2. Select Print for a preview.
  3. If you change your mind about printing a selected area, choose the Entire Sheet print option, and then select Print.
  4. If the final print preview looks right, select Print. Screenshot that shows the printable view of a worksheet.

For more information, see Print gridlines in a worksheet.