SharePoint Document Issues

How to Make Shared Excel Files Open as Read-Only in SharePoint

Nimra Malik Oct 20, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to ensure a shared Excel workbook opens as read-only for others when someone is already editing it, preventing simultaneous changes.

How to Make Shared Excel Files Open as Read-Only in SharePoint

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Multiple users are accessing the same shared Excel file stored in a SharePoint document library, which leads to overlapping edits.
Observed behavior: The read-only prompt does not appear consistently when another user already has the Excel workbook open, allowing multiple users to edit the file simultaneously.

Before you start

Ensure you have the appropriate permissions in your SharePoint document library to check out files, and verify that all users are accessing the centralized file rather than local offline copies.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the SharePoint Check Out Feature

Checking out the file explicitly locks the document for editing by you alone. It becomes strictly read-only for all other users until you check it back in.

When files are stored in SharePoint, modern co-authoring is often enabled by default, which bypasses the old read-only prompt. To enforce a strict single-editor environment, you must use the Check Out feature.

Access the SharePoint Library

Open your web browser and navigate to the specific SharePoint document library where the shared Excel workbook is located.

Locate and Check Out the File

Hover over the Excel file, click the three-dot menu (Show actions) next to the file name, select 'More', and then click 'Check out'. A small arrow icon will appear on the file type icon indicating it is locked by you.

Edit the Excel Workbook

Open the file in Excel Desktop or Excel for the Web and make your necessary edits. Other users who try to open the file during this time will only be able to view it in read-only mode.

Check the File Back In

Once you have finished editing and saving, return to the SharePoint library, click the three-dot menu again, select 'More', and click 'Check in'. You can optionally leave a comment about the changes you made.

Check Out from Excel Desktop: If you have the file open in the Excel desktop application, you can also check it out by navigating to File > Info > Manage Workbook and selecting the 'Check Out' option.

Solution 2

Enable the 'Read-Only Recommended' Option

You can configure the workbook to proactively ask users to open it in read-only mode, regardless of where it is stored.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Manage Spreadsheets Seamlessly with WPS Office

If managing document locks and syncing conflicts in Microsoft Office feels overly complex, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides an intuitive, lightweight spreadsheet editor that is fully compatible with Microsoft Excel formats and offers easy-to-manage file collaboration.

1. Download and Install WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website to download the free suite and follow the simple installation wizard.
2. Open Your Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and open any existing Excel files directly—no format conversion required.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls) formats without formatting loss.Lightweight architecture ensures fast installation and incredibly smooth loading times.Familiar tabbed user interface makes the transition from MS Office completely seamless.Built-in WPS Cloud allows straightforward file sharing and permission management.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SharePoint allow simultaneous editing by default?

SharePoint and OneDrive use a feature called 'Co-authoring' which is enabled by default for modern Microsoft 365 environments. This is designed to let multiple people work together in real-time without locking each other out. To bypass this and restrict editing to one person at a time, you must use the Check Out feature.

What happens if someone forgets to check in a SharePoint document?

If a user leaves a document checked out, it remains locked and read-only for all other users indefinitely. To fix this, a SharePoint site administrator can navigate to the library settings and manually select 'Discard Check Out' to unlock the file.

Can I enforce mandatory check-out for the entire SharePoint library?

Yes. A SharePoint administrator can go to 'Library Settings' > 'Versioning Settings' and select 'Yes' under 'Require documents to be checked out before they can be edited'. This will force all files in that specific library to be checked out before any user can modify them.

Document & File Issues