To prevent other users from accidentally or deliberately changing, moving, or deleting data in a worksheet, you can lock the cells on your Excel worksheet and then protect the sheet with a password. Say you own the team status report worksheet, where you want team members to add data in specific cells only and not be able to modify anything else. With worksheet protection, you can make only certain parts of the sheet editable and users will not be able to modify data in any other region in the sheet.

Choose Cell Elements you Want to Lock

Here’s what you can lock in an unprotected sheet:

(1) Ranges: You can enable users to work in specific ranges within a protected sheet. 

(2) Formulas: If you don’t want other users to see your formulas, you can hide them from being seen in cells or the Formula bar. 

You will need to complete the below settings before proceeding to lock your worksheet.

(1) Unlock any cells that needs to be editable

1.  In your Excel file, select the worksheet tab that you want to protect.

2. Select the cells that others can edit.

3. [Right-click] and select [Format Cells] and then go to the [Protection] tab and uncheck [Locked].

(2) Prevent a Formula from displaying in the formula bar

1. Select the range of cells whose formulas you want to hide. You can also select nonadjacent ranges or the entire sheet.

2. [Right-click] and select [Format Cells] and then go to the [Protection] tab and select [Hidden].

(3) Protect the worksheet

1. On the [Review] tab, click [Protect Sheet]

2. Insert your desired password to protect your sheet, reenter to confirm, and then click [OK]. 

3. An error message will appear if you attempt to edit cells that are not unlocked previously.

4. To unprotect your sheet, click [Unprotect Sheet] and enter your password again.