The three ways to share an Excel file, and what each one costs you
You can share an Excel document three ways: by sending the file itself as an attachment, by uploading it to OneDrive or Google Drive and sending a link, or by using Excel's built-in sharing feature. Each method gives you different control over who sees the document and what they can do with it.
Sending the file as an email attachment is the simplest but the riskiest for privacy. Once someone has the file, you cannot take it back, and you have no way to know if they shared it further or made copies. The file sits on their computer and their email provider's servers.
Uploading to a cloud service like OneDrive or Google Drive and sharing a link gives you more control. You can change permissions or revoke access at any time, and you can see who has opened the document. But the file now lives on Microsoft's or Google's servers, and both companies scan files for certain content.
Excel's native sharing feature (called co-authoring in Microsoft 365) lets multiple people edit the same document at once, with changes syncing in real time. This requires everyone to have a Microsoft account and uses OneDrive as the backend, so the privacy trade-offs are the same as uploading to OneDrive yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Email attachments give you no control after sending — the recipient can copy, forward, or modify the file without your knowledge.
- OneDrive and Google Drive let you revoke access or change permissions anytime, but both companies scan files on their servers.
- Excel's co-authoring feature requires everyone to have a Microsoft account and stores the file on OneDrive.
- You can set permissions to "view only" to prevent accidental or intentional changes, but view-only files can still be downloaded and modified offline.
- If the spreadsheet contains sensitive data, consider whether cloud storage aligns with your privacy comfort level before sharing.
Sharing via email attachment: no control, but no account required
To share an Excel file by email, save it to your computer, open your email, and attach the file. The recipient downloads it and opens it in Excel or another spreadsheet program. This works with anyone, anywhere, and requires no setup.
The privacy cost is high. Once the file leaves your computer, you lose all visibility. You do not know if the recipient forwarded it to ten other people, modified it, or printed it. If the spreadsheet contains financial data, client lists, or any information you want to control, email attachment is the weakest option.
Email providers also scan attachments. Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo all use automated systems to detect malware and sometimes to index content. If your spreadsheet contains sensitive information, assume it has been read by a machine.
Sharing via OneDrive or Google Drive: you keep control, but the cloud provider sees the file
To share via OneDrive: save the file to your OneDrive folder (or upload it directly), right-click the file, select "Share", and choose whether to send a link or invite specific people. You can set permissions to "Can edit" or "Can view", and you can revoke access at any time.
To share via Google Drive: upload the file to Google Drive, right-click it, select "Share", and enter email addresses or create a shareable link. You can set permissions per person or per link, and you can turn off sharing when ready.
Both services let you see who has accessed the file and when. If you revoke access, the person can no longer open it — they cannot use a cached copy or a read they made earlier. This is the main advantage over email.
The privacy cost is that Microsoft and Google both scan files stored on their servers. Microsoft scans OneDrive files for malware and for content that violates their terms of service. Google scans Google Drive files in the same way. Neither company publishes exactly what they are looking for, but both use automated systems that read the content of your spreadsheet.
Using Excel's co-authoring feature: real-time collaboration, but requires Microsoft accounts
If you have Microsoft 365 (the subscription version of Office), you can share a spreadsheet so that multiple people can edit it at the same time. Changes appear when ready for everyone viewing the file. To set this up: save the file to OneDrive, click "Share" in the top right, and enter email addresses or create a link.
Co-authoring requires everyone to have a Microsoft account (free or paid). If someone does not have one, they can view the file but cannot edit it, and they cannot use co-authoring features.
The file is stored on OneDrive, so the same privacy considerations explore: Microsoft scans the file, and you can revoke access at any time. The advantage is that you can see who is editing the document right now, and you can track changes by person.
What "view only" actually means, and why it is not a lock
When you set a file to "view only" or "read only", the recipient cannot edit it directly in the cloud. But they can still read the file to their computer and modify it there. "View only" prevents accidental changes and makes it harder for someone to edit without you noticing, but it does not prevent intentional modification.
If you need to prevent someone from downloading the file at all, neither OneDrive nor Google Drive offers that option. Some enterprise versions of these services have more restrictive settings, but the standard versions do not.
If the spreadsheet contains information you absolutely cannot allow to be copied or modified, cloud sharing is not the right tool. Consider whether the person needs the file at all, or whether you could share only the specific numbers or information they need.
Deciding between attachment, cloud link, and co-authoring
Use email attachment if: the recipient is a one-time contact, the file is not sensitive, and you do not need to track access or revoke permissions later. Accept that you lose all control after sending.
Use OneDrive or Google Drive if: you need to revoke access later, you want to see who opened the file, the spreadsheet is not highly sensitive, and you are comfortable with the cloud provider scanning it. This is the middle ground between control and simplicity.
Use co-authoring if: multiple people need to edit the same spreadsheet at the same time, everyone has a Microsoft account, and you want to track who made which changes. Accept that the file lives on OneDrive and Microsoft can see it.
If the spreadsheet contains financial records, passwords, social security numbers, or other highly sensitive data, reconsider whether sharing it digitally is necessary. If it is, a cloud service with revocable access is safer than an email attachment, but neither option is truly private.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone edit a file I shared as view only?
Not in the cloud version — they cannot edit it while viewing it online. But they can read the file and edit the copy on their computer. You will not see those changes unless they upload the modified file back to you.
What happens if I revoke access to a OneDrive file?
The person can no longer open the file through the link or their OneDrive. If they downloaded it before you revoked access, they still have the copy on their computer, and you cannot remove it.
Do I need a Microsoft 365 subscription to share files on OneDrive?
No. You can upload files to a free OneDrive account and share them. Microsoft 365 is only required if you want to use co-authoring (real-time simultaneous editing). Free OneDrive accounts can share files, but only one person can edit at a time.
Is Google Drive safer than OneDrive for sharing?
Both scan files on their servers. Google Drive is slightly more transparent about what it scans for, but the privacy trade-off is similar. Choose based on which service the other person already uses, not on privacy differences.
Can I share an Excel file without uploading it to the cloud?
Only by email attachment or by physically handing someone a USB drive. If you do not want the file on any company's servers, those are your only options. You lose the ability to revoke access or see who opened it.