Forum Discussion
Default view mode/edit mode behavior for Word and Excel Online files
I can't find the documentation for this, but I think it's a relatively new feature. I want my Word/Excel/PowerPoint online files to open in view mode instead of edit mode. When you open an Office Online file, the URL is like this [site collection]/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=[source location]&action=default&mobileredirect=true&DefaultItemOpen=1. The three paramtersare action, mobileredirect, and DefaultItemOpen.
Does anyone know how to change the action parameter so that its value is "view" instead of "default"? Is this set at the tenant level, or site collection and/or library level?
21 Replies
For anyone still running into the problem, I have written a Google Chrome extension that forces Sharepoint Online Office documents to be opened in Reading View instead of Edit View. This extension can also be deployed via Group Policy.
In the Google Chrome store, search for this extension:
SPO View It
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/spo-view-it/omljlibfjloccmdmmlpcnlijjneabhjm
The extension source code is also on my GitHub:
https://github.com/jftuga/spo_view_it
-John
You will need to protect the document to enable Viewing mode by default. Otherwise on Teams/Browser you can go to File>Info>Protect Workbook and there is a subtext: "To prevent accidental changes, this workbook has been set to open as read-only."
I want to do this as well. I have trolled through all the settings that I could think of with no success. Were you able to find out how to do it?
- No, I haven't found out anything more.
Hi Bynum Hoekstra
I had a bit of a look around and found this blog post in which some of the responses give hope for a solution.
I would like to be able to change this default view as well.
On the default site, any document library opens the document in Editing View, but, I noticed that on a new site created with Microsoft Teams, the default view when Word Online opens is Reading View.
