The fastest way depends on who you're sharing with and what you want them to do

If you're using Excel online (through Microsoft 365 or Excel on the web), the share button is in the top right corner — click it, type the email addresses of the people you want to share with, choose whether they can edit or only view, and send. They get a link and can open the file in their browser without downloading anything. If you're using Excel on your computer, you have more options: email the file as an attachment, use OneDrive or SharePoint to create a shareable link, or save it to a shared folder that multiple people can access.

The choice matters because it affects whether people see your changes in real time, whether the file stays in one place or spreads across devices, and how much control you keep over who can edit it. A shared link is usually faster than emailing back and forth, but a shared folder works better if multiple people need to edit the same file constantly.

Key Takeaways

  • Excel online (Microsoft 365) has a share button in the top right that lets you send a link to specific people in seconds.
  • You can choose whether people can edit the file or only view it before you send the link.
  • OneDrive and SharePoint create links that stay current — people always see the latest version instead of opening old copies.
  • Emailing the file as an attachment works but creates multiple copies that can get out of sync if more than one person edits it.
  • Shared folders (on your company network or a service like Google Drive) are best when the same group edits the same file regularly.

Sharing through Excel online or Microsoft 365

Open the file in Excel on the web or through your Microsoft 365 subscription. In the top right corner, you'll see a blue Share button. Click it, and a panel opens on the right side of the screen.

Type the email addresses of the people you want to share with, separated by semicolons if there are multiple people. Below the email field, you'll see two options: Can edit or Can view. Choose which one fits what you need — if someone only needs to read the numbers, pick Can view. If they need to add data or change formulas, pick Can edit. Then click Share. Each person gets an email with a link that takes them straight to the file.

Everyone who has the link sees the same file. When you change a number, they see it update (usually within a few seconds). When they edit something, you see their changes too. This is the simplest way to share if everyone involved has a Microsoft account or a work email address.

Creating a shareable link with OneDrive or SharePoint

If your file is saved to OneDrive (Microsoft's cloud storage) or SharePoint (your company's document system), you can create a link without typing individual email addresses. Right-click the file, select Share, and choose Copy link. You get a URL that you can paste into an email, a chat message, or anywhere else. Anyone with that link can open the file.

Before you copy the link, you can set permissions. Look for the option that says something like Anyone with the link can view or Anyone with the link can edit. If you want to restrict it to specific people, choose Specific people instead, and the system will ask for email addresses — this works the same as the share button in Excel online.

A shareable link is useful when you're sending the file to someone outside your organization, or when you want to post it somewhere public (like a shared channel in Teams). The file stays in one place, so there's no confusion about which version is current.

Emailing the file as an attachment

Open your email, start a new message, and use the Attach button to add the Excel file from your computer. Type the recipient's email address and send. They read the file and can open it in Excel on their computer.

This method works when the file is small (under 25 MB for most email services) and when only one or two people need it. The problem appears when more than one person edits the file — you end up with multiple versions floating around. Person A makes changes and emails it back to you. Person B makes different changes to the original and emails their version back. Now you have two edited files and have to manually combine the changes, which is slow and error-prone.

Email attachments are best for one-time sharing or when you're sending a file that nobody else will edit. If you need ongoing collaboration, use a link instead.

Using a shared folder on your network or cloud storage

If your workplace uses a shared network drive (sometimes called a file server), you can save the Excel file there and give people the folder path. They open the folder, find the file, and open it. Everyone works on the same file in the same location, so there's never confusion about which version is current.

The same principle works with cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. Create a folder, move the Excel file into it, and share the folder with the people who need access. They can open the file directly from the folder and edit it. Changes save automatically.

Shared folders work best when the same group of people needs to edit the same file regularly — a budget spreadsheet that the finance team updates every month, or a project tracker that a team uses all year. The file lives in one place, and everyone always has the latest version.

Controlling what people can do with your file

When you share through Excel online, OneDrive, or SharePoint, you choose between Can edit and Can view before you send the link. Can view means people can open the file and read it, but they cannot change anything — useful for sharing a report or a finished budget. Can edit means they can change numbers, add rows, modify formulas, and save their changes back to the file.

If you need more control, some systems let you set an expiration date on the link (the link stops working after a certain date) or require people to sign in with their work account before they can view the file. These options are usually in the same menu where you set Can edit or Can view.

If you email the file as an attachment, you have less control. Once someone downloads it, they can edit it, save a copy, or send it to someone else. If you need to prevent editing, you can password-protect the file in Excel (go to File > Info > Protect Workbook > Encrypt with Password), but this only stops casual editing — it's not a security measure.

What happens when multiple people edit at the same time

If you're using Excel online or a file stored on OneDrive or SharePoint, multiple people can edit the same file at the same time. You'll see a small icon or notification showing who else is in the file and which cells they're working on. Excel merges the changes automatically — if Person A edits cell B2 and Person B edits cell C5, both changes save without conflict.

If two people try to edit the exact same cell at the same time, Excel shows a notification asking one of them to review the other person's change before saving. This rarely causes problems in practice because it's uncommon for two people to edit the identical cell in the same second.

If you're using an older version of Excel on your computer or a file stored on a shared network drive, simultaneous editing doesn't work the same way. The first person to save their changes wins, and the second person has to choose between keeping their changes (which overwrites the first person's work) or discarding them. This is why shared links or OneDrive are better for collaboration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I share an Excel file with someone who doesn't have Microsoft Office?

Yes. If you share through a link (OneDrive, SharePoint, or Excel online), they can open it in their web browser without installing anything. If you email the file, they can open it in Google Sheets, LibreOffice, or any other spreadsheet program that reads Excel files. Some formatting or advanced features might not display perfectly in non-Microsoft programs, but the data and basic formulas will work.

What's the difference between sharing and giving someone access to a folder?

Sharing a file sends a link to specific people for that one file. Sharing a folder gives people access to everything in that folder, including files you add later. Use file sharing for one-off documents. Use folder sharing when multiple people need to work with several related files over time.

If I share a file with someone, can they see my editing history?

No. They see the current version of the file. If you want them to see what changed, you can use the Track Changes feature in Excel (go to Review > Track Changes) to mark edits with your name and the date. Otherwise, they only see the final result.

What if I want to stop sharing a file with someone?

If you shared through a link, you can change the link settings to remove access — go back to the share menu and change the permission from Can edit or Can view to Specific people, then remove their name from the list. If you shared a folder, remove them from the folder's access list. If you emailed the file, they keep the copy on their computer — you cannot revoke access to an attachment once it's sent.

Can I see who edited what in a shared Excel file?

If you're using Excel online or OneDrive, you can see the version history — go to File > Version History to see who made changes and when. You can restore an older version if needed. For files on a shared network drive, version history depends on whether your IT department set it up. Ask your IT team or check the folder properties.