How to share an Excel file so multiple users can edit it at once

Step 1: save it in the cloud, in a modern format

Co-authoring only works on files stored in OneDrive, SharePoint or Teams (Teams keeps channel files in SharePoint). A workbook on your desktop or an ordinary network drive can still only be edited by one person at a time, which is where "locked for editing" messages come from.

Go to File > Save As, choose OneDrive or a SharePoint site, and keep the type as Excel Workbook (*.xlsx), or .xlsm if it has macros. Old .xls files and .csv files can't be co-authored. When the file is in the cloud, the AutoSave switch in the top-left corner turns on.

Step 2: share a link with edit rights

Click Share in the top-right corner of Excel. You can type names or email addresses to invite people, or choose Copy link and paste it into a chat or email. Before you send it, open the link settings and check two things: who the link works for (people in your organisation, specific people, or anyone with the link, if your organisation allows it) and whether it's Can edit or Can view.

For a team tracker like the sample task list, Specific people with Can edit is a sensible default. Anyone links are convenient but work for whoever the link is forwarded to.

1. Click Share in the top-right corner.
2. Add people by name or email, or choose Copy link.
3. Open the link settings, pick who it works for and set Can edit.
4. Send it. People should open the link, not a downloaded copy.

Step 3: working together without tripping over each other

When others are in the file, their pictures or initials appear near the top-right, and the cells they've selected get a coloured outline. Changes appear within a few seconds. If two people type in the same cell, the last change to reach the file wins, so agree who owns which rows or sheets; an Owner column like the one in the sample makes that obvious.

Sorting or filtering normally changes the view for everyone. In Excel for Microsoft 365, View > Sheet View > New gives you a private view where you can sort and filter without disturbing anyone; Exit returns you to the shared view. For questions, use Review > New Comment and type @ plus a name to tag a colleague, who gets an email notification.

Step 4: see who changed what, and undo it

Review > Show Changes (Excel for Microsoft 365 and the web) opens a pane listing recent edits with who made them, when, and the old value. Select a range first to see changes only there.

To go back further, File > Info > Version History lists saved versions. Open one to compare, copy back what you need, or click Restore to roll the whole workbook back. Undo (Ctrl+Z) only undoes your own changes, not your colleagues'.

What stops co-authoring

If people get a read-only copy or a locked message instead, check these. The file is .xls or .csv: save it as .xlsx. Someone opened an email attachment or a downloaded copy: that's a separate file, so send a link instead. The workbook still has the legacy Shared Workbook feature switched on: turn it off before co-authoring (it's hidden in new versions; add Share Workbook (Legacy) to the ribbon to reach it). Someone uses Excel 2019 or older, which can't co-author: they can use Excel for the web instead.

Some features are limited while several people are editing, and a few files, such as ones with sensitivity labels that restrict editing, may have extra rules set by your organisation. If one person needs to make big structural changes, such as rebuilding a sheet, ask everyone to close the file for a few minutes.