Think about spending hours making a Google Sheet to share together with your crew, solely to seek out {that a} crew member by accident deleted an necessary column, row, cell, or, even worse — a whole sheet.
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That may be irritating. Nonetheless, it is fully preventable when you lock cells in Google Sheets.
Because it seems, with just some clicks of a mouse, you may lock cells and whole sheets in Google Sheets — which means, you and your crew can work on the identical sheet with out hindering the subsequent particular person from finishing their assigned duties.
On this put up, we’ll go over tips on how to lock and unlock cells in Google Sheets.
Desk of Contents
The Advantages of Locking Cells in Google Sheets
Google Sheets permits customers to lock cells from modifying, which suggests you may shield your Sheet from any potential accidents, together with modifying and deletion.
You may also shield necessary knowledge and calculations, so you may relaxation simple understanding the formulation in your Sheet are right and correct.
The flexibility to lock cells in Google Sheets comes with a wide range of advantages.
Not solely are you able to lock cells from modifying, however you too can management which crew members can edit your doc — proper all the way down to the very cells these crew members are allowed to control.
That is extraordinarily useful if a number of crew members are engaged on the identical Sheet directly. You may also copy permissions from different sheets, when you have locked cells in different Sheets.
Let’s check out the steps to lock cells in Google Sheets.
Tips on how to Lock Particular Cells in Google Sheets
Locking particular cells in Google Sheets is a straightforward process. Right here’s tips on how to do it:
1. Proper-click on the cell you wish to lock.
After opening a brand new Google Sheet (or a Sheet you’ve got already been working in), right-click on the cell or cells you wish to lock.
2. Hover over “View extra cell actions.”
This selection is listed on the backside of the dropdown menu.
Relying on the place your cells are positioned within the Sheet, it’s possible you’ll have to scroll down till you see it. Once you see it, hover over the “View extra cell actions” to open up one other menu.
3. Choose “Shield vary.”
The subsequent menu provides you with a number of extra cell actions. Search for the motion labeled “Shield vary.” Select “Shield vary” to start assigning cells to a locked standing.
Alternatively, you may carry out the identical process by clicking on the Knowledge tab and selecting “Shield sheets and ranges.”
4. Select “Add a sheet or vary” from the aspect panel.
After clicking “Shield vary” from the dropdown menu or “Shield sheets and ranges” from the Knowledge tab, you’ll discover the open aspect panel on the appropriate of your display. Click on on “Add a sheet or vary.”
5. Select which cells to lock.
Subsequent, resolve which cells to lock from modifying. In the event you click on the cell you wish to lock, that cell’s info will probably be referenced within the vary part. If that you must lock a variety of cells, enter the vary into the sector.
6. Choose “Set permissions.”
Choose “Set permissions” to decide on who can edit the chosen cells. In the event you’re the one particular person allowed to edit the cell, be sure you select “solely you.”
You may also copy permissions from different sheets, when you have locked cells in different Sheets.
7. Choose “Carried out.”
When you’re completed locking cells from modifying, click on “Carried out” to avoid wasting your preferences. Now, these cells are locked from modifying till you unlock them and alter the settings.
Tips on how to Lock Cells and Give Enhancing Permission to Choose Customers
In the event you and your crew are working in a Google Sheet, think about giving modifying permissions to pick out customers. This can show you how to assign duties and higher handle your venture and maintain others from by accident deleting necessary work.
To lock cells and provides modifying permission to pick out customers, observe these steps.
1. Proper-click the chosen cells.
Select the cell or cells you wish to limit. Then, right-click to open up the dropdown menu.
2. Hover “View extra cell actions.”
Scroll or look to the underside of the dropdown menu and hover over “View extra cell actions.” This can open one other menu in your display.
3. Choose “Shield vary.”
To alter a cell’s modifying standing, select “Shield vary.” This motion will open a aspect panel menu.
4. Click on “Add a sheet or vary” from the aspect panel.
Within the aspect panel, click on “Add a sheet or vary.” Clicking this button will will let you enter which cells or sheets to lock.
5. Select which cells to lock.
Decide which cells your crew member must carry out their assigned process. Then, enter the vary of cells into the field.
6. Choose “Set permissions.”
When you’ve entered the specified cells within the field, you’ll have to set modifying restrictions. To limit entry to the vary of cells, click on “Set permissions.”
7. Select “Customized.”
From this display, you’ve got the choice to resolve who has permission to edit the vary of cells. So as to add a crew member or a number of crew members, click on “Customized.”
8. Assign editors to cells.
Now, you may resolve who wants modifying entry to the vary of cells you’ve got specified. Enter the e-mail addresses of your crew members to assign them as editors of the cells. This can give them modifying entry to designated cells inside the sheet.
Be sure you click on “Carried out” to avoid wasting the vary modifying permissions.
Tips on how to Lock an Complete Sheet
There could also be instances you’ll need to lock a whole sheet from modifying. Fortunately, it is a easy course of.
To lock a whole sheet, you may right-click on any cell inside the doc to open the dropdown menu. You’ll take the identical steps to lock a whole sheet as you probably did with locking only one cell.
Right here’s tips on how to do it:
1. Proper-click on any cell.
Proper-click on any cell in your Google Sheet to open a drop-down menu. To lock a whole sheet, it doesn’t matter which cell you utilize to do that.
2. Hover over “View extra cell actions.”
Select the “View extra cell actions” possibility on the backside of the dropdown menu. You do not want to click on. Simply hover over it to open one other menu.
3. Choose “Shield vary.”
Click on “Shield vary” to open the permissions aspect panel. Alternatively, you may attain the “Protected sheets and ranges” aspect panel by clicking on the Knowledge tab and choosing “Shield sheets and ranges.”
4. Select “Add a sheet or vary” from the aspect panel.
Click on “Add a sheet or vary” to start locking a whole sheet.
5. Click on on “Sheet.”
Click on on the “Sheet” button to lock a whole sheet. When you’re within the Sheet tab, choose which Sheet you wish to lock.
ou have the choice to exclude sure cells from being locked. In the event you want sure cells open for modifying, click on the field for “Besides sure cells” and specify the vary.
6. Choose “Set permissions.”
Earlier than you may lock your Sheet, that you must set modifying permissions. Choose “Set permissions” to decide on who can edit the locked Sheet. If you’re the one particular person allowed to edit the sheet, be sure you select “Solely you.”
When you’ve decided who has modifying permissions in your Sheet, both simply you or members of your crew, make sure you hit “Carried out” to avoid wasting the permissions. Now your Sheet is locked and can’t be edited with out permission.
Tips on how to Present a Warning however Permit Enhancing of Locked Cells
In the event you’re engaged on a doc concurrently with crew members and also you don’t need your cells to be modified, you may permit customers to obtain a warning earlier than accepting their edits.
To indicate a warning, observe these steps:
1. Proper-click on the cells you wish to lock.
In your Google Sheet, right-click on the cells you wish to lock. You possibly can set a warning for a whole Sheet by following this course of as properly.
2. Hover over “View extra cell actions.”
Scroll to the underside of the menu and hover over “View extra cell actions.”
3. Choose “Shield vary.”
To set an modifying warning on sure cells or your Sheet, click on “Shield vary” to assign cells or a Sheet to a warning standing.
4. Select “Add a sheet or vary” from the aspect panel.
On the appropriate of your display, you will notice an open aspect panel menu. Click on “Add a sheet or vary.”
5. Select which cells or sheet to set an modifying warning.
You possibly can set an modifying warning for a variety of cells or a whole sheet. Within the aspect panel, decide which cells or sheets want a warning and ensure the data referenced within the field matches your required cells or sheet.
6. Choose “Set permissions.”
After you’ve got verified which cells or sheets ought to have an modifying warning, click on “Set permissions” to go to the modifying choice display.
7. Select “Present a warning when modifying this vary.”
Choose “Present a warning when modifying this vary,” then hit “Carried out” to avoid wasting your modifying permissions.
If a consumer tries to make modifications within the semi-locked cell or Sheet, they’ll obtain a warning message as a heads-up. Customers should both click on “Cancel” or “Okay” to make modifications or revert to the unique doc.
Tips on how to Unlock Cells
Locking a cell or a Sheet is extraordinarily useful in sustaining the integrity of your knowledge. However, there will probably be instances when you’ll need to unlock a cell to replace or change the data inside it.
Now that you just perceive tips on how to lock cells, let’s check out tips on how to unlock them.
1. Proper-click on the cells you wish to unlock.
In your Google Sheet, right-click on the cell that you must unlock. This motion opens a dropdown menu.
2. Hover over “View extra cell actions.”
Search for the “View extra cell actions” possibility within the drop-down menu. This selection is positioned on the backside of the dropdown menu. Once you discover it, hover your mouse over the motion.
3. Choose “Shield vary.”
Like locking a cell, you’ll nonetheless have to click on on the “Shield vary” possibility. This can open a aspect panel menu the place you may select to unlock the cell.
4. Click on on the locked cell.
Within the aspect panel menu, you will notice a listing of locked cells inside your Sheet. Click on on the cell or cell vary that you just want to unlock.
5. Click on the garbage can icon.
Subsequent, click on on the garbage can icon to the aspect of the outline field.
6. Choose “Take away.”
A warning display will pop up asking if you wish to take away the protected vary. If you’re certain you wish to unlock the cell, click on the “Take away” button.
When you click on the button, your cell is free to be edited by anybody with modifying permission for the doc.
Locking Cells in Google Sheets
And there you’ve got it! Be sure you take a while to set modifying preferences and assign sure cells or sheets to your crew.
When you’ve achieved that, you and your crew can confidently work on the identical Google Sheet with out worrying somebody will by accident edit or delete necessary info.
