How to Remove the Last Modified By Property in Excel 365
Question details
The user wants to remove the 'Last modified by' or 'Last saved by' property from an Excel workbook to protect their personal information.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel 365
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Sharing or distributing an Excel workbook without revealing personal authoring or modification tracking details.
- Observed behavior
- Excel automatically saves the 'Last modified by' property as part of standard document properties.
Ensure you have saved all recent changes to your workbook, as modifying and removing internal document properties cannot always be undone. If you need to keep a record of authorship for yourself, create a backup copy before proceeding.
Remove Personal Information Using Excel Document Inspector
This is the most reliable method for stripping author and modification details from inside the Excel application.
Excel's built-in Document Inspector allows you to find and permanently remove hidden metadata, including the 'Last modified by' property, before sharing the file.
Launch Excel 365 and open the workbook containing the properties you want to remove.
Click on the 'File' tab in the top-left corner of the Excel ribbon, then select 'Info' from the left-hand menu.
Click the 'Check for Issues' button next to Inspect Workbook, and select 'Inspect Document' from the drop-down menu.
In the Document Inspector dialog, ensure the box for 'Document Properties and Personal Information' is checked. Click 'Inspect', and once finished, click 'Remove All' next to the properties section. Click 'Close' and save your file.
Remove File Properties via Windows File Explorer
Quickly remove personal metadata directly from your file system without having to open the Excel application.
Easily Manage Document Properties with WPS Office
WPS Office offers seamless compatibility with Microsoft Excel files and allows you to effortlessly manage or remove personal metadata to protect your privacy before sharing workbooks.
- 1. Open your spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open your .xlsx file directly.
- 2. Access Document Properties: Click the 'Menu' button located at the top-left corner, and select 'Document Properties'.
- 3. Clear Summary Data: Navigate to the 'Summary' tab to delete sensitive author and modifier information, then click OK and save.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will removing the 'Last Modified By' property alter my spreadsheet's formatting or data?
No. Removing document properties and personal information only clears hidden metadata such as author names, save history, and creation dates. It does not affect any of the actual cell data, formulas, or formatting within your workbook.
Can I configure Excel to never save personal information automatically?
Yes. You can prevent Excel from saving personal information in future saves by going to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Privacy Options. Under Document-specific settings, check the box that says 'Remove personal information from file properties on save'.
Why can't I remove properties from an Excel file saved on OneDrive or SharePoint?
When collaborating in real-time on cloud platforms like OneDrive or SharePoint, modification tracking is often required by the system for version history and co-authoring. To distribute a completely anonymous version, you should download a local copy to your computer, strip the properties using File Explorer or Document Inspector, and share that local file.
