Google Sheets is a powerful spreadsheet tool that many people use on a daily basis. While it may be similar to Microsoft Excel, it also offers distinct advantages. One of these advantages is the ability to share your spreadsheets with others, allowing for collaboration with teams, employees, and supervisors. However, this can also lead to potential problems. You don’t want just anyone editing your cells, whether it’s intentional or accidental. So, take a few minutes to lock your cells and protect them from any modifications, ensuring that your document remains secure even when shared with others.
How to Lock Cells in Google Sheets Step by Step (And Give Editing Permission to Some Users)
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To protect your document, open your sheet and identify the cells you want to lock. You can lock certain cells while allowing collaborators to make changes to others. Start by identifying and selecting the cells you want to lock.
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Open the Data menu at the top of the document, then select Protected sheets and ranges from the drop-down menu. This will open a Protected sheets and ranges pane on the right side of your document.
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In the Protected sheets and ranges pane, enter a description of the actions you want to prohibit in the protected cells, such as “No modifications” or “No editing”. Then, click the Set Permissions button to customize the permissions for the highlighted cell range.
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Next, decide who should have permission to edit these selected cells. Click on the Restrict who can edit this range option. You can choose Only you from the drop-down menu, and no one else will be able to modify these cells. If you want a few selected individuals to still be able to make changes to these cells, choose Custom from the drop-down menu.
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By default, any document collaborator with editing permissions will be able to modify all cells, including the ones you’ve selected. You’ll see a list of all the people authorized to make changes to the document. Deselect anyone who shouldn’t have permission to edit the highlighted cells. Finally, click Done.
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If someone without special editing permissions attempts to modify these protected cells, they will receive a warning message indicating that the cell is protected. They will have to contact you to get permission to edit the locked cells.
How to Lock an Entire Sheet in Google Sheets
Protecting certain cells can be useful if you want to allow others to edit other parts of a sheet. However, if you want to protect an entire sheet, you can prevent any modifications to any part. You can choose to give yourself only editing permissions, or you can give specific individuals the ability to make changes.
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To begin, open the sheet you want to protect.
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Right-click on the tab of the sheet you’re going to protect. This process applies to one tab at a time, so you’ll need to repeat it for any other tabs you want to protect.
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Click on the Protect sheet option. This will open a Protected sheets and ranges pane on the right side of the sheet.
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In the Protected sheets and ranges pane, enter a description of what you’re doing, such as “Protecting sheet from any modifications”.
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Verify that the sheet name in the second field matches the name of the sheet you want to protect.
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Click the Set Permissions button.
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Select Restrict who can edit this range.
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From the drop-down menu, choose Only you if you want to be the only one who can edit the sheet. If you want to give certain individuals the ability to make changes, choose the Custom option from the drop-down menu. Deselect any collaborators whom you don’t want to give editing permissions to.
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Click Done.
Unleash the Power of Google Sheets
Google Sheets is a powerful tool for any business, and when you know how to use features like protected ranges and cells, you can make this tool even more powerful for your business. If you frequently work with spreadsheets, it may be time to upgrade to more advanced spreadsheet and database software. Options like Jotform Tables enable seamless collaboration, and you can import CSV or Excel files directly to get started quickly. Jotform Tables also comes equipped with templates such as budget sheets and calendars to save you even more time.
No matter what programs and software your business uses, spreadsheets are surely a key element. When you understand their functionality and features, you’ll get the most out of these tools and make your business more efficient.
Photo by Vojtech Okenka from Pexels
So, protect those cells and sheets, and make Google Sheets your ultimate ally in organizing and analyzing your data. For more tips and tricks on optimizing your productivity, visit Crawlan.com.
