GETTING THE LINK TO AND LOCKING A WORKBOOK IN MICROSOFT EXCEL

• About a month ago, while writing a blog, I wanted to access the link to a workbook I worked on so as to be able to publish in the blog, but to no avail.
• I researched and all but couldn’t find the solution, so, I concluded that maybe it is the version of Excel I am using which is 2013.

Photo Credit: Google

• So recently, while taking the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate on Coursera, I was doing a research which led to another research that led me to the solution.
• The solution is what I will be sharing in today’s blog.
• The essence of having the link to an Excel workbook is that:

1. You can share or publish the view link on the web for as many to view.
2. Once the data is updated from the publisher end, it will automatically be updated whenever the exact link is launched.
3. It has an edit link that can enable any unrestricted person with the link to edit the workbook.

• The steps to getting the link are as follows:

1. Open the workbook from your folder with Microsoft Excel.
2. Go to File, click on Share, click on Invite People and click on Save To Cloud.
3. Under Save To Cloud, save the workbook on your OneDrive.
4. Go back to Share icon and click it, a new option named Get a Sharing Link will be shown. Click on it to create both the view and edit link.
5. You can go ahead to copy and share the links.

• To protect/lock your workbook to disallow users without the edit link from editing, the following should be done:

1. Carry out step 1–3 from the previous steps above.
2. While carrying out step 3, a little difference will be made which is:

• Before clicking the save button, click on the Tools drop-down icon as depicted in the picture below.

Picture depicting statement above

• After that, click on the General Options icon, then tick the Read-only recommended box.
• Continue with steps 4 and 5 from the previous steps above.

P.S: What this will do is that, only individuals you share the edit link with will be able to edit the locked workbook. Individuals with the view link will only be able to view and not edit the workbook.

GOOD LUCK!