Excel for the Web

Daniel Velez - Thank you for your comment, happy to share Protection features availability in Excel for the Web:

Protected workbook:

When using the desktop a user can define to protect the structure of the workbook (not the content) with or without a password.

Excel Online will enable to open the WB and protect the WB structure. The action to protect WB structure is not supported in Excel Online.

Protected sheet:

When using the desktop a user can define to protect a specific sheet within a workbook.

If a sheet was protected using the desktop, the workbook and sheet can be open in view or edit mode using Excel online, the sheet will have lock icon and its content cannot be changed. If a user will try to edit it, he will receive the following notification:

“Protec Sheet” action is unsupported in Excel Online.

Protected sheet and “Allow Users to Edit Ranges”:

When using the desktop a user can define to protect a specific sheet within a workbook but to allow (with or without a password) to edit a range within the sheet. “Allow Users to Edit Ranges” can provide permission only to specific users.

·         The user need to mark a range

·         Choose “Allow Users to Edit Ranges”

·         Define a new range

·         Define a password – Optional

·         Choose Protect Sheet

If it was done using the desktop, the workbook and sheet can be open in view or edit mode using Excel online, the sheet will have lock icon and its content cannot be changed. Excel online doesn’t support edit of the range. If a user will try to edit the sheet or the range within the sheet, he will receive the following notification:

“Protec Sheet” and “Allow Users to Edit Ranges” actions are unsupported in Excel Online.

Protected sheet and unlock cell/ cells:

When using the desktop a user can define to protect a specific sheet within a workbook but to allow to edit cell or cells within the sheet.

·         The user need to mark cell/ cells

·         Right click, Format Cells, Protection tab – uncheck the box for Locked

·         Choose Protect Sheet

If it was done using the desktop, the workbook and sheet can be open in view or edit mode using Excel online, the sheet will have lock icon and only the cells that were marked as unlocked are editable. If a user will try to edit the sheet excluding the unlocked cells he will receive the following notification:

“Protec Sheet” and unlocked cells actions are unsupported in Excel Online.

Password encrypted WB:

When using the desktop a user can choose to encrypt the workbook with password.

This feature is unsupported when using Excel online and the user will be directed to open the workbook in the desktop. - Soon we will be able to open password encrypted workbooks in Excel for the Web.