If you’re like millions of other users, you use Excel spreadsheets to plan your budget, track sales or expenses, and organize all kinds of data. You can also use Excel to work with private or confidential information.
If you have data in a spreadsheet that you don’t want anyone else to see, you can password protect that Excel file. I’ve found that requiring people to enter a password to access an Excel file keeps your personal information private – while still allowing you and anyone else with the password reasonable access.
Let’s see how you can protect your Excel files with a password.
How to password protect an Excel file
In my decade-long use of Excel, I have used spreadsheets to keep all kinds of personal and business information.
If I don’t want to share that information with others, all I need to do is password protect the document – and then share the password only with those who need access.
For example, I’ve worked at several businesses that use Excel to store confidential employee information – Social Security numbers, salaries, and so on.
You don’t want random employees to access this private information, so the best approach for the human resources (HR) department is to password protect that particular file.
HR can share that password with key management who needs to view the data but use password protection to keep the data away from the prying eyes of other employees.
Here’s how to do it:
Protect Password on Windows
Step 1: Open the document
From within Excel, open an existing spreadsheet or create a new spreadsheet.
Step 2: Click on File
From within the spreadsheet, click file on the menu bar.
Step 3: Click on Information
Click on next page Information In the left column.
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Step 4: Add Security
Click protect workbook Button to display the drop-down menu.
Step 5: Encrypt the Document
choose Encrypt with password. This displays the Encrypt Document dialog box.
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Step 6: Create Password
Enter the desired password in it Password field, then click Ok, The longer and more complex the password, the better. Try not to enter common words or phrases that others can easily guess.
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Step 7: Confirm Password
Excel now prompts you to confirm the password. Re-enter password in Enter the password again field and click Ok again.
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Protect Password on Mac
Step 1: Open the document
From within Excel, open an existing spreadsheet or create a new spreadsheet.
Step 2: Click on File
From within the spreadsheet, click file On the top menu bar.
Step 3: Click on Password
Next, click Password… In the dropdown menu.
Step 4: Create Password
Enter the desired password in it Password field, then click Ok, You can create two different passwords, one for opening the file and another for modifying it. Remember that passwords are case-sensitive.
The longer and more complex the password, the better. Try not to enter common words or phrases that others can easily guess.
Step 5: Confirm Password
Excel now prompts you to confirm the password. Re-enter password in Enter the password again field and click Ok again. Note their warning that if the password is lost or forgotten, it cannot be recovered.
Step 6: Press Save
Press save To save the password in your document. The next time you open the file, you will be asked to provide the password before it can open.
Reopening a Protected File
Moving forward, every time you try to open the file, Excel will prompt you for the password. When prompted, enter the password you created. If you enter the wrong password, you will not be able to open the file.
You can share your password with others if needed. For example, if you create a password protected file that your entire team at work needs to access, share the password with other members of your team. Each member can access the spreadsheet using that password.
I’ve found that the most common problem with password protecting Excel files is forgetting the password. You probably want to write down the password and keep it in a safe place. I like to have passwords emailed to me, which I can store in folders in my email program.
I’ve found that password protecting an Excel file is a good way to keep personal information private. This is easy to do and it prevents others from seeing the information you want to keep private.
If you share your spreadsheet, Excel also lets you lock specific cells so that others can’t change the data you’ve entered. To know how, read our companion article, Having problems with shared Excel sheets? Learn how to lock a cell, I know you will find it useful.
When to use password protect
I’ve found Excel’s password protection quite useful when dealing with sensitive data. Here are four scenarios where you might want to use password protection.
working with confidential information
Password protection is essential if you are working with confidential information that cannot be shared with others. This usually happens with work-related information that you don’t want competitors or the general public to see, such as plans for new products or services.
Security of your personal data
There are lots of bits and pieces of personal information that I need stored somewhere and I don’t want other people to be able to access them. I’m talking about bank account and credit card numbers, email addresses, financial information, and so on. This type of personal information is easily stored in Excel spreadsheets, which you can protect through password protection.
Storing Other Passwords
If you’re like me, you have unique usernames and passwords for dozens, if not hundreds, of apps, services, and websites — and you can’t possibly remember them all. I store all my passwords in an Excel spreadsheet and then protect that spreadsheet with a single password.
When I can’t remember how to log in to a given website, all I have to do is open that password-protected Excel file, and the information I need is right there.
making gift lists
This is one I use all the time, especially during the holiday season. I keep a master spreadsheet of all the gifts purchased for family members and then password protect it to hide it from prying eyes. I don’t want my wife or kids to see what I bought for them and have the surprise spoiled!
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Password protecting your files can help you keep information private. This is especially helpful if your team works with proprietary information and data. Now, you can keep your work private with just a few simple steps.
