How to Check Edit History in Excel Online: Easy Guide

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When collaborating on spreadsheets, knowing how to check edit history in Excel Online is essential. Tracking changes lets you see who made edits, what was changed, and when the changes happened. This is especially helpful when working in teams using Microsoft 365, OneDrive, or SharePoint.

In this article, you’ll learn the exact steps to view the edit history in Excel Online, how to use the Show Changes feature, and how to access Version History for complete visibility of your file’s revisions.

Why Check Edit History in Excel Online?

Excel Online is widely used for collaborative work. With multiple users editing the same file, it can be difficult to keep track of modifications. Being able to check the edit history offers several benefits:

• Accountability: See who made which changes and when.
• Error recovery: Restore previous values if mistakes happen.
• Transparency: Maintain a clear record of edits for auditing or review.
• Collaboration: Smooth teamwork with real-time insights into spreadsheet activity.

Prerequisites: Where Your File Needs to Be

Before you start, ensure your Excel workbook is saved in a cloud location supported by Microsoft:

Note: If your file is saved on your local computer or an unsupported platform, these features won’t be available.

How to Use the “Show Changes” Feature

Opening the Workbook

1. Open your Excel file in Excel Online by accessing it from your OneDrive or SharePoint account.
2. Confirm you are editing the document in the browser (Excel Online), not in the desktop application.

Navigating to Show Changes

1. Go to the Review tab in the Excel Online ribbon.
2. Click on Show Changes.

This opens the Show Changes pane on the right side of your screen.

Understanding the Show Changes Pane

The Show Changes pane provides a detailed list of recent edits made to the workbook, including:

• Who made the change (user name or email)
• When the change was made (date and time)
• What was changed (cell, range, or sheet)
• Previous value and new value

This feature allows you to filter the changes by:

• Sheet (view edits on a specific worksheet)
• Cell or range (focus on particular data points)

Important: The Show Changes pane displays edits made within the last 60 days. If you need to review older changes, use the Version History feature.

How to Use Version History in Excel Online

If you want a broader look at changes—especially edits older than 60 days—use the Version History feature.

Accessing Version History

1. In your Excel Online file, go to the File tab in the top left corner.
2. Click on Info.
3. Select Version History from the menu.

A list of previous versions of the workbook will appear.

What You Can Do with Version History

• Preview any version: Click a version to view it in detail. You can see how the file looked at that time, including all data and formatting.
• Restore a previous version: If you need to revert changes, select Restore next to the version you want. This will make the selected version the current one, but you won’t lose the latest copy—Excel keeps all versions available.
• View timestamps and editors: Each version shows when it was saved and which user made the changes.

Key Points to Remember About Edit History in Excel Online

1. Edits May Not Always Be Tracked

• Unsupported features: Some changes, like those made with Excel desktop features not available in Excel Online, may not appear in the history.
• Outdated versions: If someone edited the file in an older version of Excel or without being signed in, their edits may not show.
• Disabled tracking: The file owner can restrict access to edit history.

2. Only Cloud-Stored Files Support These Features

For both Show Changes and Version History to work, your file must be stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. Local files or those stored in unsupported locations will not have these options.

Benefits of Using Edit History for Collaboration

Using the edit history and Version History functions in Excel Online helps teams work more efficiently by:

• Ensuring accuracy: Easily identify and correct mistakes.
• Promoting collaboration: Multiple users can work confidently, knowing changes are tracked.
• Improving data integrity: Every update is recorded for accountability.

Troubleshooting: When You Can’t See Edit History

If you don’t see the expected changes:

• Check where the file is stored—it must be in OneDrive or SharePoint.
• Confirm you’re using Excel Online—desktop or mobile apps may not support this feature fully.
• Ask the owner if the feature is enabled and if everyone is editing in a supported environment.
• Remember the time limit—the Show Changes feature only lists edits from the past 60 days.

Best Practices for Managing Excel Online Edit History

• Encourage all team members to use Excel Online for real-time collaboration and full tracking.
• Save files in OneDrive or SharePoint to unlock full history features.
• Regularly check the Show Changes pane to catch issues early.
• Use Version History before making major edits—so you can quickly revert if needed.

Final Thoughts

Checking edit history in Excel Online is simple and powerful when you use the Show Changes and Version History features. By following the steps above and saving your files in the right locations, you can always keep track of what’s changed in your workbooks, maintain accuracy, and foster better collaboration within your team.

Vaishvi Desai

Vaishvi Desai is the founder of Excelsamurai and a passionate Excel enthusiast with years of experience in data analysis and spreadsheet management. With a mission to help others harness the power of Excel, Vaishvi shares her expertise through concise, easy-to-follow tutorials on shortcuts, formulas, Pivot Tables, and VBA.