How to Fix Unknown Guest Names Appearing in Shared Excel Workbooks
Question details
Users are noticing unfamiliar guest names appearing in restricted, shared Excel workbooks, raising privacy and security concerns.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Co-authoring or viewing a private, shared Excel spreadsheet with colleagues.
- Observed behavior
- Randomly generated guest names (such as Citrus, Crabwood, or Cogwell) appear as active users in the workbook, even though file access was strictly limited to specific coworkers.
Before proceeding, ensure that you are the owner of the workbook and have administrative rights to manage file sharing and access permissions.
Verify File Access and Revoke Unknown Links
First, rule out actual unauthorized access by managing the file's direct sharing settings and removing public links.
It is crucial to verify whether the guest users are uninvited individuals accessing via a public link, or simply your authorized coworkers experiencing an identity display issue.
Open the affected Excel workbook and click the 'Share' button in the top right corner of the application.
Select 'Manage Access' from the drop-down menu to view a list of all individuals and links that currently have permission to open the file.
Look for any active 'Anyone with the link' settings. Click the trash can or delete icon next to these links to restrict public access.
Examine the list of users with direct access and remove any individuals who no longer require permission to edit or view the workbook.
Resolve the Display Bug with Microsoft Support
If the unidentified guests are clearly your colleagues based on the cells they are editing, the issue stems from Microsoft 365's user ID resolution.
Try WPS Office for Secure and Reliable Spreadsheet Collaboration
If Microsoft Excel's random guest name generation is causing confusion for your team, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a highly compatible, secure, and lightweight environment for managing and sharing your spreadsheets without persistent identity resolution glitches.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install WPS Office for free on your preferred device.
- 2. Open your workbooks: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your existing .xlsx files directly without losing any formatting or data.
- 3. Share securely: Use the Share feature in the top right corner to invite your coworkers via secure links, ensuring accurate user identification during collaboration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Microsoft Excel use names like 'Citrus' or 'Cogwell'?
When Excel's co-authoring feature cannot immediately resolve a user's Microsoft account ID or email, it temporarily assigns randomly generated names (often animal, plant, or arbitrary words) to differentiate active users in the document.
Does seeing an unknown guest mean my Excel file was hacked?
Not necessarily. If your sharing permissions are set to strictly invite-only and you see your coworkers editing cells under these guest names, it is simply a display bug within Microsoft 365's user resolution, not a security breach.
How do I remove a guest from my shared workbook?
To remove a guest, you must revoke their access. Go to Share > Manage Access, and either stop sharing the file entirely, remove specific users from the list, or delete any active anonymous sharing links.
Can I prevent Excel from showing random guest names?
You cannot disable this naming convention directly, but ensuring all users are properly logged into their Microsoft 365 accounts and opening the file directly from their personalized email invitation can help Excel identify them correctly.
