Collaborate with confidence: Introducing Show Changes for Excel on the Web

[Sanjay Bhat]

We’re excited to announce a new feature in Excel for the web called Show Changes.  Show Changes in Excel revolutionizes the collaboration experience for one main reason: if you pour days and detail into the perfect Excel workbook, you may hesitate before sharing editing permissions with others.  And you can’t have collaboration without sharing.  Now, with Show Changes, you have the “safety net” of knowing that any changes done by others are being tracked for the entire workbook down to a single cell.   

The Show Changes feature enables you to collaborate confidently with others by letting you see exactly what edits were made to your workbooks up to 60 days. You can see details about who changed what, where, and when, along with the previous value of the cell for quick reversion, if needed.   

So if someone accidentally overwrites your formula, you can easily catch it and fix it.  You can even see bulk edits – edits made to a whole row or range of cells at the same time – within a card in the Show Changes pane. 

You can also narrow down the list of changes.  If you want to see changes made JUST to a specific sheet, or range, or even an individual cell, you can select the area you want to investigate.  Then, just right-click and you’ll see the Show Changes option there.   

You can get started with Show Changes in Excel for the web today by accessing your Microsoft 365 subscription using your favorite operating system and device. With support for Windows, Mac, iPads and iPhones, and Android phones and tablets, you can be assured that all of your team's changes will be tracked. So why not take the leap and go for it? Share those workbooks and try out Show Changes in Excel for the web today.

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[kschaefers]

Hi there, this looks really useful and another point off the list where google sheet used to be better .

I am wondering if this experience coming to Excel Desktop as well?

And will it also show structural changes? Do you have plans for "smarter" changes? E.g. when I cut and paset something it can either be shown as a deletion and an edit or as a cut/paste operaton?

Looking forward to seeing this feature develop in the future.

[GabrM]

Is that feature supposed to be available on Excel Desktop? The article mentions support for Windows, Mac, iPads and iPhones, and Android phones and tablets. Changes made from desktop versions are tracked correctly but I only see the button to see changes on Excel Online.

[Alan Jones]

I am confused .... if this is not also in the desktop Excel how does it work if a person chooses to open and an Excel file on the desktop instead of of editing on the web? Do others see the changes done in the desktop app? Does the person in the desktop see the changes done on the web? etc etc etc?

[Sergei Baklan]

As far as the file is kept on OneDrive/SharePoint, changes made in desktop version will visible in online version

[Campy04]

Hi- A few of us at my company expressed concern having this information readily accessible to just anyone. Particularly files that involve budgeting information that is shared and edited with all. We don't want some groups to be able to see the various working theories leaders have edited. At this time we're not seeing the ability to turn this feature off, clear history, or restrict who can or cannot view "Show Changes" such as the previous version (track changes) allowed.

Can you please advise or add this feature?

[Eric Davis]

I love this feature! Thank you for adding this feature to Excel!

[ericwychan]

This feature is nice and useful, but it should be launched in Excel for Desktop also!!!
My company has 365 subscription which enables colleagues can co-authoring documents on the Web. However one feature is missing in the Excel for Web is "protect" and "Unprotect" the workbook and the worksheet.

Therefore I have another subscription to use the Excel for M365, which I can do the protect unprotect while other colleagues changing the document in Excel for Web at the same time.

The "Show Changes" features is great for me to track who did what, but which is only available in Excel for Web. That makes me have to switch using Excel for Web and Excel for 365 from time to time when I need to do different operation. That's so confusing and troublesome. I definitely think the "Show changes" should extend to Excel for M365.

P.S. The files are in SharePoint.

Hope this helps you understand what issue i am going through, thanks.

[Jatzibe Burgos]

Is there any way we can track changes made by one person only or if we can filter changes made per person, instead of range of cells?

[DKiser]

I agree with @Jatzibe Burgos above. When using a spreadsheet for tracking bugs, it would be extremely beneficial to be able to track the changes made by the developer, for instance, to know when they have fixed something and it needs to be retested.  Otherwise, the change log list is so detailed, it takes forever to try and look through the list and pick out a specific person's changes.

[Zhaoben]

I want to know that in document:Get help with Show Changes in Excel - Microsoft Support What does "Deleted location" mean in "I made a change, but don't see it in the Changes pane" part.