How to Track Changes in Excel With Show Changes and Version History

You need to track changes in Excel so you can see who edited a cell, what changed, and when it happened. The promising approach is to combine Show Changes with Version History in a workbook stored on OneDrive or SharePoint.

Fix #1: Save the workbook to OneDrive or SharePoint

Excel’s current change tools depend on cloud storage. A workbook stored only on your PC won’t provide the same co-authoring history.

1. Open the workbook in Excel.
2. Select File > Save As.
3. Choose your OneDrive or SharePoint location.
4. Enter a file name and select Save.

The workbook should show Saved near its name after the upload finishes.

5. Select Share in the upper-right corner.
6. Enter each collaborator’s email address.
7. Confirm that recipients have permission to edit.
8. Select Send.

Recipients should receive a link to the same workbook. Edits made through that shared file can appear in Show Changes and Version History.

Fix #2: Review edits with Show Changes

Show Changes displays recent cell edits in a side pane. It can identify the editor, location, time, previous value, and replacement value when those details are available.

1. Open the cloud-stored workbook in Excel for Microsoft 365 or Excel for the web.
2. Select the Review tab.
3. Select Show Changes.

The Changes pane should open on the right.

4. Select an entry in the pane.
5. Check the editor’s name, affected cell, time, and recorded values.

Excel groups related edits when several cells were changed together. So far, this view works well for checking recent value or formula changes without searching the entire workbook.

Show Changes isn’t a complete formatting audit. Don’t expect it to record every font, color, row visibility, or layout adjustment.

Fix #3: Check changes for one cell, range, or worksheet

Filtering the history to a selected area makes a busy workbook much easier to review.

1. Select the cell, range, or worksheet you want to inspect.
2. Right-click the selection.
3. Select Show Changes.

The Changes pane should filter to edits associated with that selection.

4. Expand any grouped change to inspect its individual edits.
5. Select another range and repeat the process if needed.

If Show Changes is missing, confirm that the workbook is saved to OneDrive or SharePoint and opened in a current Microsoft 365 version of Excel or Excel for the web.

Fix #4: Restore an earlier version of the workbook

Use Version History when you need to recover an earlier saved state. This is safer than manually reversing dozens of edits.

1. Open the workbook from OneDrive or SharePoint.
2. Select the workbook name at the top of Excel.
3. Select Version History.

Depending on your Excel build, you can also find this option under File > Info > Version History.

A version list should appear with saved dates, times, and editor names.

4. Select an older version to open it.
5. Check its worksheets, formulas, and values before restoring anything.

6. Select Restore if that version contains the state you need.
7. Confirm the restoration when Excel asks.

The selected copy should become the current version. Version History still retains version records, giving you a recovery path if you chose the wrong one.

I’d check the affected cells carefully before restoring a large workbook. Restoring replaces the workbook’s current state, including valid edits made after that saved version.

Fix #5: Use legacy Track Changes for an older shared workbook

The classic Track Changes and Shared Workbook tools are legacy features. Use them only when an existing workflow requires highlighted edits, a history worksheet, or accept-and-reject controls.

Their labels may be hidden or unavailable in a current Excel build. If your installation exposes them, use the following workflow.

1. Open the workbook in the desktop version of Excel.
2. Select Review.
3. Select Track Changes > Highlight Changes.
4. Enable Track changes while editing. This also shares your workbook.

5. Use When, Who, and Where to limit which edits Excel tracks.
6. Enable Highlight changes on screen if you want edited cells marked in the worksheet.
7. Select OK.

Changed cells should display an indicator. Selecting one should reveal the recorded editor, time, old value, and new value.

To create a separate history sheet:

1. Select Review > Track Changes > Highlight Changes.
2. Enable List changes on a new sheet.
3. Select OK.

Excel should add a worksheet named History containing the recorded changes.

To approve or discard those changes:

1. Select Review > Track Changes > Accept/Reject Changes.
2. Choose the changes you want to review.
3. Select OK.
4. Select Accept or Reject for each edit.
5. Use Accept All or Reject All only after checking the full list.

Rejecting a cell edit restores its earlier value. Formulas that reference that cell will recalculate, so check dependent totals and reports afterward.

When the tracking history is incomplete

Show Changes focuses on supported edits in a cloud-backed, co-authored workbook. It doesn’t provide a complete record of every formatting adjustment or every change ever made.

Use Version History when an edit doesn’t appear in the pane. For regulated or cell-by-cell audit requirements, consider a dedicated workbook comparison or auditing tool that records the specific changes your process requires.

Conclusion

For a shared Microsoft 365 workbook, Show Changes plus Version History is the solid choice: one identifies recent cell edits, while the other can restore an earlier file. I’d recommend the legacy tools only when an established workbook depends on their history sheet or accept-and-reject workflow.