Why Diagonal Excel Borders Are Not Displaying in Teams or Excel for the Web
Question details
The user needs to understand why diagonal cell borders are visible in Excel desktop but disappear when the workbook is opened in Microsoft Teams or Excel for the web.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Teams, Excel for the web, WPS Office Spreadsheets
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- A workbook formatted with diagonal cell borders is shared to Teams or opened in Excel for the web.
- Observed behavior
- The diagonal borders do not appear in Teams or Excel for the web, although they display in the Excel desktop app.
Confirm that diagonal borders are applied in the Excel desktop app and note which web environment hides them. Keep the original .xlsx file available so you can open it in a desktop spreadsheet application.
Open the Workbook in WPS Office Spreadsheets or Excel Desktop
Use this solution when you need the diagonal borders to appear exactly as formatted.
Microsoft Teams opens workbooks in Excel for the web, which does not render diagonal cell borders. A desktop spreadsheet app such as WPS Office Spreadsheets or Excel desktop preserves this formatting.
In Microsoft Teams, close the web preview, select the workbook, and choose Open in Desktop App. In WPS Office, click Spreadsheets, then Open, and select the .xlsx file.
Select the formatted cell or range, go to Home > Borders, and confirm the diagonal border style is visible and applied.
Submit a Feature Request to Microsoft for Excel for the Web
Use this if you must work in Excel for the web and want Microsoft to add diagonal border support.
View Diagonal Excel Borders in WPS Office Spreadsheets
Open the affected workbook in WPS Office Spreadsheets to display and edit diagonal borders without relying on Excel for the web. WPS Office is free, lightweight, and fully compatible with Microsoft Excel .xlsx files, so you can keep the same worksheet formatting.
- 1. Launch WPS Office Spreadsheets: Open WPS Office on your computer, click Spreadsheets, and then click Open to browse to the affected Excel workbook.
- 2. Open the Excel workbook: Select the .xlsx file that contains diagonal borders and click Open. WPS Spreadsheets renders the diagonal cell borders.
- 3. Check or edit the border style: Click the target cell or range, go to the Home tab, open the Borders drop-down, and select a diagonal border style to verify or adjust it.
- 4. Save the workbook: Press Ctrl+S or click Menu > Save As, choose Excel Workbook (.xlsx), and save the file to preserve compatibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do diagonal borders disappear when I open an Excel file in Teams?
Microsoft Teams uses Excel for the web as its workbook viewer, and Excel for the web does not support diagonal cell borders. Open the file in Excel desktop or WPS Office Spreadsheets instead.
Does Excel for the web support diagonal borders?
No, diagonal cell borders are not currently supported in Excel for the web. Use a desktop spreadsheet application to view and edit them.
Can WPS Office open an Excel workbook with diagonal borders?
Yes. WPS Office Spreadsheets supports .xlsx and .xls files and displays diagonal border formatting when you open the workbook locally.
Will saving my workbook in WPS Office remove the diagonal borders?
No. When you save as Excel Workbook (.xlsx), the diagonal border formatting is preserved for Excel desktop and WPS Office.
How can I request diagonal border support in Excel for the web?
In Excel for the web, go to Help > Feedback, select the suggestion option, and submit a short description of the missing diagonal border feature.
