Version control for Excel
Updated: October 20, 2026
Most spreadsheet models end up as a folder of copies: Budget_v3.xlsx, Budget_FINAL.xlsx, Budget_FINAL_v7_JB.xlsx. Nobody is sure which one is current, what changed between them, or who changed it. Version control fixes that: one workbook, a history of saved versions, and a clear record of every change.
This guide explains what version control means for an Excel workbook, what Excel and Microsoft 365 already offer, and how SheetTrack adds the missing parts. SheetTrack is a free Excel add-in, coming soon to Microsoft AppSource.
What version control means for a spreadsheet
For a workbook, version control comes down to five things:
- Versions you save on purpose. Each one has a note that says why and a time, and, for a shared model, who saved it.
- Cell-level changes. You can see exactly which values and formulas changed, not just that the file is different.
- Comparison. You can compare the open workbook with the last version, or two versions with each other.
- A safe way back. Going back to an earlier version does not lose the current one.
- A record for reviewers. For shared models: who changed what, who reviewed it, and when.
What Excel already gives you
Excel and Microsoft 365 cover parts of this. Each option leaves a gap.
| Option | What it does | Where it falls short |
|---|---|---|
| Copies with new file names | Keeps old states as separate files | Nothing tells you what changed between copies, and the copies drift apart |
| Version history in OneDrive or SharePoint | Keeps earlier copies of a cloud file automatically. You can open one or restore it | Only for files in OneDrive or SharePoint. It does not list which cells changed, and the versions have no notes |
| Show Changes (Microsoft 365) | Lists recent edits to cells, with who made them and when | Only for files in OneDrive or SharePoint. It is a list of edits, not versions you can compare or restore, and it does not cover every kind of edit |
| Spreadsheet Compare | Compares two workbook files cell by cell | Only in Excel for Windows with Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise and equivalent editions (not on Business plans), and it needs two separate files |
| Track Changes (shared workbooks) | Logs edits in a shared workbook | A legacy feature, hidden by default, that does not work with co-authoring or with tables |
These tools are useful, and SheetTrack works alongside them. What they leave out is a history of deliberate versions, with notes, that you can compare cell by cell and restore from inside Excel, for any workbook, wherever it is saved.
How SheetTrack does it
SheetTrack adds a pane to Excel on Windows and the web.
- Start tracking. Open SheetTrack from the Home tab and, on the Changes tab, choose Start Tracking. This saves the first version.
- See what changed. As you work, Changes lists every cell whose value or formula changed since your last saved version, and sheets and named ranges added, removed or renamed. (For a very large workbook, the pane says it can't list them.)
- Save a version. Add a short note, such as "Raise growth to 16%", and choose Save version. The note and the time are kept with it, and, in shared history, who saved it. SheetTrack also saves versions by itself as you work (every 15 minutes, if something changed).
- Compare. Version History lists the versions. Compare shows what changed between versions, cell by cell.
- Go back. Expand a version and choose Go Back To This. SheetTrack asks you to confirm, keeps your current workbook as a version first (so you can undo it), then restores the earlier version's cell values, formulas and number formats, and its sheets, their names and their order.
Restore does not cover other formatting (fills, fonts, borders), charts, tables, named ranges or other workbook objects. Analyze and Compare never change your workbook.
Where the history is kept
- By default, on your computer, for any workbook, also one in OneDrive or SharePoint: in the add-in's storage on your device. You can back it up to a private folder in your OneDrive, or export it to a file.
- Shared with your team, if you choose: for a workbook in OneDrive or SharePoint, Share history with my team keeps it in a
.sheettrackfolder next to the workbook, in your own Microsoft 365 storage. Anyone who can open that folder can read every version.
SheetTrack keeps no copy of your workbooks and has no accounts of its own. A Microsoft account is needed only for shared history, Team features, backup and listing OneDrive's own versions. The privacy policy has the details.
Reviews and an audit log for teams
For a workbook in OneDrive or SharePoint whose history you share with your team, turn on Team in the pane to add two tabs:
- Reviews: request a review of a version, then record comments and approvals. Roles follow the workbook's Microsoft permissions: the owner is an Admin, people who can edit are Contributors, and people who can only view are Viewers. An Admin or Manager can make Contributors Managers, who review.
- Audit: a log of saved versions, review requests and approvals, which you can export as CSV or JSON.
Team records are signed and chained, so edits made outside SheetTrack can be detected. They are tamper-evident, not tamper-proof.
Good habits for versioning a model
- Keep one workbook. Save versions instead of copies, so there is one file to share and one history.
- Save at milestones, such as a new set of assumptions, a month-end close or a version sent to someone, and say why in the note.
- Check before you save. Run Analyze first to catch hardcoded numbers, broken references and circular references. See Excel model checks.
- Keep inputs in input cells. A changed assumption is then easy to spot in the change list instead of hiding inside a formula.
- Review before the model leaves the team. A second person reading the change list catches what the author no longer sees.
Questions
Short answers to two common ones: see what changed in a model since last month and see what a client changed in your model.
Does SheetTrack replace OneDrive version history?
No. OneDrive keeps its own copies of the file, and you can still use them. SheetTrack adds versions you save on purpose, with notes, a cell-by-cell list of changes, and restore from inside Excel. Since in the pane can also compare with one of OneDrive's own versions, and for a workbook whose history is shared, an Admin or Manager can restore one.
Does it work for workbooks that are not in OneDrive?
Yes. History for a workbook saved only on your computer stays on that computer, and you can back it up to your OneDrive or export it to a file. Reviews and the audit log need a workbook in OneDrive or SharePoint whose history is shared.
Does it track formatting or charts?
No. SheetTrack tracks cell values, formulas, sheets and named ranges. Going back to a version also restores the number formats of numbers, and which sheets exist, their names and their order.
Which versions of Excel does it support?
Excel on Windows and the web (Excel API 1.9 or later). On the web: current Edge, Chrome or Firefox. Excel for Mac and Safari once they have been tested. Not Excel on iPad.
What does it cost?
SheetTrack is free, with no ads. It is coming soon to Microsoft AppSource. Until then, try the demo on the home page, or choose Get notified at the top of this page for one email on launch day.