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

Sharing an Excel file for editing means giving someone else permission to open it, make changes, and save those changes back to you — or to a shared location where you both see the same version. The method you pick depends on whether you're working with one person or many, whether you want to track who changed what, and whether you need the file to stay in one place or live in the cloud.

The three main routes are email (simplest for one or two people), cloud storage like OneDrive or Google Drive (best if multiple people edit at once), and shared workbooks within Excel itself (older but still useful for specific setups). Each has a different workflow and different limits on how many people can edit at the same time.

Key Takeaways

  • Email works for one-off sharing but creates multiple versions of the file — the person you send it to edits their copy, not yours, so you have to manually merge changes.
  • OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox let multiple people edit the same file at once and keep one version everyone sees, but require a cloud account and internet access.
  • Excel's built-in Share Workbook feature (Tools > Share Workbook on Mac, or Review > Share Workbook on older Windows versions) lets people edit simultaneously on a network, but newer Excel versions have moved this to cloud-based sharing.
  • You must give people permission to edit, not just view — sharing a file read-only means they can see it but cannot change anything.
  • Track Changes (Review tab > Track Changes) records who made each edit and when, which is useful when you need to see or undo specific changes.

Sharing via email: straightforward but creates separate copies

Emailing the file is the easiest method if you're sending to one or two people and you don't mind managing multiple versions. You attach the Excel file to an email, the person downloads it, makes changes, and sends it back to you. The catch is that they're editing their own copy, not the original — if you both edit at the same time, you'll end up with two different files and have to manually decide which changes to keep.

This works fine for quick feedback or one-time edits. Open your email client, click Attach or the paperclip icon, find the Excel file on your computer, and send it. The person who receives it can open it in Excel, Google Sheets, or even Numbers on a Mac, make their changes, and reply with the updated file. You can then open their version and copy any changes into your master file if needed.

The downside shows up fast if three people are editing the same spreadsheet. Person A sends you version 1, Person B sends you version 2, and Person C sends you version 3 — all based on the original. You now have to figure out which changes from each version to keep, which is error-prone and time-consuming.

OneDrive and Google Drive: everyone edits the same file at once

If you want multiple people to edit the same file and see each other's changes in real time, move the file to OneDrive (Microsoft's cloud storage) or Google Drive. Both let you open the file, make changes, and have those changes appear when ready for anyone else who has the file open. There's only one version, so no merging needed.

To share via OneDrive: Save the file to your OneDrive folder (or move it there), right-click the file, click Share, and enter the email addresses of the people you want to give access to. Choose whether they can edit or only view. They'll get a link and can open the file in Excel online or the desktop app. Any changes they make sync automatically.

To share via Google Drive: Upload the file to Google Drive (or drag it there from your computer), right-click it, click Share, and enter email addresses. Set permissions to Editor so they can change it. They open it in Google Sheets (Google's spreadsheet app, which reads Excel files) and edits appear for everyone when ready. If you need the file back in Excel format, read it as .xlsx when you're done.

Both services require an internet connection and a free account. OneDrive comes with Windows and Outlook; Google Drive is free with a Gmail account. The trade-off is that you lose some Excel features in the online versions — complex formulas, macros, and certain formatting may not work the same way.

Dropbox and other cloud storage: simpler permissions, slower sync

Dropbox works similarly to OneDrive but with a different permission system. Save the file to your Dropbox folder, right-click it, click Share, and send a link to the people you want to edit it. They click the link, and if they have a Dropbox account, they can open it in Excel or Dropbox's online viewer and edit it. Changes sync to the cloud, but not quite as when ready as OneDrive or Google Drive — there's usually a slight delay.

Dropbox is useful if you're already using it for file storage and don't want to manage multiple cloud services. The downside is that it doesn't have the same real-time collaboration features as OneDrive or Google Drive, so if two people edit the same cell at the same time, Dropbox may create a conflicted copy instead of merging the changes.

Using Excel's Track Changes to see who edited what

If you need to know exactly who changed what and when, use Track Changes before you share the file. Open the file in Excel, go to the Review tab, click Track Changes, and click Highlight Changes. Check the box next to "Track changes while editing" and click OK. Now every edit anyone makes will be marked with a colored border and a comment showing the person's name and the time of the change.

When you get the file back, you can review each change and accept or reject it. Go to Review > Track Changes > Accept/Reject Changes, and Excel will walk you through each edit one by one. This is especially useful in work settings where you need an audit trail or when you're collaborating with people you want to double-check.

Track Changes works best with email sharing or shared network folders, because cloud services like OneDrive already show you who made changes in their version history. If you're using OneDrive, you can see the edit history by clicking the clock icon at the top of the file — no need to turn on Track Changes separately.

Shared workbooks on a network: for offices with shared drives

If your workplace has a shared network drive (sometimes called a network folder or shared drive), you can save the Excel file there and turn on sharing so multiple people can edit it at once. This is an older method that predates cloud storage, but it still works in offices that don't use OneDrive or Google Drive.

Save the file to the shared network folder. In Excel, go to the Review tab (or Tools on Mac), click Share Workbook, and check the box that says "Allow changes by multiple users at the same time." Click OK. Now anyone on the network who opens that file can edit it, and their changes will merge with everyone else's. Excel keeps a change history so you can see who edited what.

The limitation is that this only works if everyone is on the same network — it doesn't work over the internet. If your office has moved to cloud storage, your IT department probably prefers OneDrive or Google Drive instead, because they're easier to manage and work from anywhere.

Permissions: the difference between edit and view access

When you share a file, you choose what permission level to give each person. Edit access means they can open the file, change anything, and save it. View access (sometimes called read-only or viewer) means they can open and read it but cannot make changes or save a modified version. Some services also offer comment-only access, which lets people add notes without changing the actual data.

Always double-check the permission before you share. If you accidentally give someone view-only access when they need to edit, they'll be frustrated. If you give edit access to someone you meant to give view-only access to, they might accidentally change something important. Most services let you change permissions later — just go back to the share settings and update it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if two people edit the same cell at the same time?

In OneDrive and Google Drive, Excel locks the cell for the second person until the first person finishes and saves. In Dropbox, it may create a conflicted copy with both versions. On a shared network drive with Track Changes on, Excel records both changes and you choose which one to keep. Email sharing doesn't prevent this — you just end up with two different files.

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

Yes. Google Drive opens Excel files in Google Sheets without needing Excel. OneDrive opens them in Excel Online, which is free and works in any web browser. You can also export the file as a PDF or CSV if the person only needs to read it, not edit it. Some older Excel features won't work in the online versions, so test it first if the file has complex formulas or macros.

How do I stop sharing a file after I've shared it?

In OneDrive and Google Drive, go to the share settings and remove the person's email address or change their permission to None. On a shared network drive, go to Review > Share Workbook and uncheck "Allow changes by multiple users." If you shared via email, you can't unsend the file, but you can ask the person to delete their copy or change the original file so the old copy becomes outdated.

Will my formulas and formatting stay the same when I share the file?

Most formulas and formatting survive sharing, but some advanced features may not work in online versions. Macros (automated scripts) don't work in Google Sheets or Excel Online. Conditional formatting usually works but may look slightly different. Test the file in the platform you're using before you share it with others, especially if it has complex features.

What's the difference between sharing and collaborating?

Sharing means giving someone access to the file. Collaborating means working on it together at the same time and seeing each other's changes when ready. Email sharing is just sharing — you're not collaborating. OneDrive, Google Drive, and shared network drives all support true collaboration because changes appear for everyone in real time.