Are you looking for a way to share a single worksheet with others in Google Sheets? Look no further! In this article, I’ll show you six methods to share a specific worksheet with users in Google Sheets.
These days, collaboration is essential, regardless of distance. Google Sheets makes it incredibly easy for teams to collaborate on projects without any hassle. With Google Sheets, multiple users can access a single worksheet simultaneously, providing real-time comments on the changes made by each user. Collaboration has never been easier!
However, there might be times when you only want to share a single worksheet with a user, while keeping the rest of the workbook private. While sharing the entire workbook is a rather simple process, sharing just one worksheet is not as straightforward.
In Google Sheets, there are no native solutions that allow a user to share only one worksheet. However, there are workarounds with some notable exceptions. Let’s explore these workarounds that will enable you to share a single worksheet and its limitations.
Share Only One Worksheet with the GID Identifier
The GID identifier is a code in the URL of a spreadsheet that allows direct access to a specific worksheet. Typically, when users open a shared spreadsheet, they land on the first worksheet and then have to navigate to the desired one.
However, when you share a worksheet with its GID identifier, users are directly directed to that specific worksheet. Simply copy the URL of the worksheet. At the end of the URL, you’ll find the GID code. For example, in this case, the GID is gid=662745270. You’ll also notice that the GID for the first worksheet is different, proving that each worksheet has a unique GID identifier.
The downside of sharing a worksheet this way is that you can’t prevent other users from accessing information on other worksheets. This solution is suitable if you don’t mind other users seeing data from other worksheets. However, there are a few settings you can adjust to mitigate this issue.
You can hide a worksheet you don’t want other users to see, although this is not a foolproof solution. When you unhide the worksheet to access its information, other users will also have access to it. Additionally, you can only hide the worksheet for all users, not for specific users.
For this to work as intended, users must have only “Comment” or “View” permissions. This means they cannot have editing permissions, or else they can unhide the hidden worksheet and access its content. If you don’t mind other users seeing information on other worksheets but don’t want them to be able to modify or edit it, you can lock the worksheet.
For more information about protecting a worksheet, check out this article.
While this solution doesn’t prevent other users from seeing specific worksheets, you can be sure that users can only modify information in their designated worksheets.
Share Only One Worksheet by Creating a New File
The first method discussed for sharing only one worksheet has several drawbacks. You can’t securely keep all the information from other worksheets. Creating a new file can easily solve all these problems. The process is simple:
- Click on the “File” menu.
- Select the “Make a Copy” option.
This will create a copy of the worksheet! You can change the name of the new file using the “Name” text box. Leave the options “Share with the same people” and “Copy comments” unchecked, as you’re creating a new file for a specific user.
Click “Make a Copy” when you’re done. This will create a copy of the worksheet in a new file. Now that you’ve created a new file, you can easily delete the worksheets with information that you don’t want the user with whom you’re sharing this file to see. After removing the worksheet, you can then share the entire Google Sheets file with the user.
Share Only One Worksheet Using the IMPORTRANGE Function
Another method to get data from one worksheet to another is by using the IMPORTRANGE function. With this approach, you can import exactly the worksheet you need without having to delete any worksheets afterward.
The IMPORTRANGE function allows you to connect to another worksheet and retrieve data from a specific range.
- “spreadsheet_url”: The URL of the spreadsheet you want to import.
- “range_string”: Refers to the worksheet name and the range you want to import.
When you copy this formula and press Enter, it returns the error “#REF.” You can fix this error by hovering over the cell and getting a pop-up window “Allow Access.” Click on the “Allow Access” button to grant access to the worksheet. The data will be imported into the new file.
Now that both worksheets are linked, any changes made to the main worksheet will be reflected in the new secondary worksheet. If you don’t want to keep these linked worksheets, you can copy and paste the IMPORTRANGE data as values.
When you share a file in this manner, you eliminate most of the issues that arise from the first method. The user can’t see information you don’t want them to see in other worksheets, and they can make modifications and changes.
The only downside to this approach is when you have multiple users you need to share the file with. You’ll have to create new files for multiple users.
Share Only One Worksheet with an Apps Script
For this approach, we’ll create a script that shares the active worksheet with a user. Open the Apps Script editor window by going to the “Extensions” menu and selecting the “Apps Script” option.
Copy and paste the code above into the editor. Click “Save” and “Run” to grant the necessary permissions. Refresh your spreadsheet, and the script will create a new menu ribbon called “Share Worksheet.” The custom menu has a sub-menu called “Active Worksheet.”
When you use this command, the script will create a copy of the active worksheet as a new spreadsheet file. It will then trigger a prompt asking for the email address of the user you want to share the newly created file with.
When you enter the user’s email and click “OK,” the user will receive an email with the link to the new spreadsheet.
Share Only One Worksheet by Exporting as PDF
Exporting files is another approach to share a single worksheet. During the export, you can select the specific part of the worksheet you want to include in the final document. This means you can choose to export an entire worksheet or a specific range.
Follow these steps to export a worksheet:
- Go to the “File” menu.
- Select the “Download” option.
- Choose the file format as “PDF” for the final document.
On the right side of the next window, you’ll see many parameters you can apply to make your document appear as desired.
In this case, we’ll focus on the worksheet parameters. This is where you can choose which worksheet(s) or range(s) you want to export. The preview shows how the file will appear in the final document.
Select “Active Sheet” in the export options. Click the “Export” button. You can also modify other parameters such as “Paper Format,” “Page Orientation,” “Scale,” “Margins,” and “Custom Page Breaks.”
A new PDF file will be created and automatically downloaded to your machine. You can share this file as an email attachment with anyone.
With this solution, you can be sure you’re only sharing the information you want others to see. The obvious downside is that the user can’t make any changes to the document if it’s exported as a PDF. Additionally, you should know that only PDF and CSV file options allow you to select which worksheets or ranges to export in the final document. The other options will download the entire content of the spreadsheet.
Please note: Only PDF and CSV file options allow you to select which worksheets or ranges to export in the final document. The other options will download the entire content of the spreadsheet.
Share Only One Worksheet by Publishing on the Web
The “Publish to the Web” function is another highly useful approach to share a worksheet. It also allows you to share only a portion of the file.
Like the other approaches, it also has drawbacks as the user may not be able to edit the information depending on the options you choose.
Follow these steps to publish your file on the web:
- Go to the “File” menu.
- Select the “Share” option.
- Choose the “Publish to the Web” option in the sub-menu.
This will open the “Publish to the Web” window, where you have two options for publishing the worksheet. You can choose the “Link” or “Embed” option.
The “Publish to the Web” window opens with the “Link” tab highlighted, and it’s set to share the entire document by default. Click on the “Entire Document” checkbox and select the worksheet you want to share.
You can change the document’s sharing format by clicking the “Web Page” checkbox. You’ll have different file options to share the document from the available options in the drop-down menu.
You can share as a “CSV” or “TSV” file, both of which can be opened with MS Excel. This allows users to make changes to the document if that’s what you want, and they can share the updated file with you.
When you share as a “Web Page,” they can only view the worksheet as a web page and can’t make any changes. However, the web page data will update when you make changes in the main worksheet.
After selecting the worksheet and the file format, you can now publish the document.
Click “Publish.” A prompt will appear to confirm whether you want to share the worksheet.
Click the “OK” button. Once you click “OK” from the previous step, the “Publish” button becomes grayed out, and a link is generated for the worksheet you want to share.
Now, the worksheet is accessible, and anyone with the generated link can access the information.
If you want to revoke access to the worksheet via the link, click the “Publish content and settings” dropdown menu and select “Stop publishing.” When prompted, click “OK” to stop publishing the worksheet.
To use the “Embed” option, select the “Embed” tab and select the worksheet you want to share using the previous method. After clicking “Publish” and selecting “OK” in the popup window, you’ll get an HTML code that will display the worksheet information when you add it to any web page. The worksheet information will update based on changes made in the main worksheet.
You can stop publishing the worksheet by following the previously described steps.
Publishing on the web seems to be the most robust method for sharing a worksheet, mitigating the issues that arise when using the previous methods. You can be sure to share only the data you want.
Depending on the editing requirements, you can choose to share them as a “CSV” or “TSV” file if you want the user to be able to edit the data. But if you just want them to see the data without being able to modify it, share it as a web page.
This also avoids creating redundant spreadsheets with the sole purpose of sharing a single worksheet.
Conclusion
Google Sheets doesn’t offer native solutions to share only a single worksheet, but there are many workarounds you can use. These workarounds may not be perfect for every situation, but you’ll surely find one that suits your needs.
What do you think of these methods for sharing a single worksheet? Do you use any different methods to share a worksheet? Let me know in the comments section!
This article is presented by Crawlan.com – The ultimate guide for Google Sheets experts.
