Lock a Row or Column in Google Sheets
Google Sheets How to Lock a Row, Locking rows and columns in Google Sheets can help prevent others from editing or deleting data.[1]It can also help you keep tabs on headers and rows when working with large sets of data.
The first thing you need to do is decide which cell or range of cells you want to protect. You can either enter a range of cells manually or select specific cells.
How to Lock a Single Cell
Locking a row or column in Google Sheets is a useful function to prevent people from changing or deleting data that’s important to you. It can also help avoid accidental data wipes, as well as protect important formulas that calculate or contain valuable information.[2]
To lock a single cell in Google Sheets, start by selecting the cells that you want to protect. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + A or clicking the Select All button. Once you’ve selected the cells, press Ctrl + 1 to open the Format Cells dialog (or right-click them and choose Format Cells from the context menu).
Next, switch to the Protection tab and check the Locked checkbox. After that, click OK.[3]
Another way to lock a row or column is by using a formula. This is especially useful if you have many rows or columns and need to scroll down and up to find specific data values.
However, this method can be a bit tedious and requires VBA code. Luckily, Excel includes a feature that allows you to quickly lock certain cells without needing to create complicated formulas or VBA code.[4]
You can use this function to quickly lock a range of cells, or even all the cells in a worksheet. This is particularly handy when you have a large spreadsheet that you’re working with and need to scroll down continuously to find specific values.
If you want to allow someone else to edit locked cells, you can easily do this by opening the side pane. Under the Restrict who can edit ranges option, enter the name or email address of the person you want to add permissions to. [5]
Learning Lock a Row in Google Sheets
Learning how to lock a row in Google Sheets can help you work more efficiently and make it easier to manage large amounts of data. It also can help prevent human error and keep the correct rows and columns visible at all times.
You can protect a range of cells, rows or columns by selecting them and clicking the Protect Range option in the Protected sheets and ranges side pane.[6] Then, you can set permissions so that only you or other specified users can edit the range.
How to Lock a Single Cell
Locking cells is a helpful feature in Google Sheets for protecting data from accidental editing or deletion. [7]It’s especially useful in collaborative spreadsheets where you may want to protect certain formulas or important values.
A locked cell is one that can only be edited by the sheet’s owner or users with permission to edit the sheet. This can help prevent accidental changes or deletions that could cause a disaster for your spreadsheet, as well as keep sensitive data safe from other users.
To lock a single cell, choose a row or column that you’d like to protect. Right-click that row or column and select the Protect tab from the context menu.[8]
You’ll be prompted to enter a password and confirm it. Then, click OK. If you’d like to give editing permissions to other users, you can also do that by entering their names in the “Add editors” window that opens and selecting a permission type from the drop-down list.[9]
If you’d rather not use a password to lock your sheets, you can also select ranges within the sheet that you want to allow users to edit. In the “Range editing permissions” window, select the cells or ranges you want to keep unlocked and click Only you below the Restrict who can edit this range option.[10]
Leaving the ‘Select locked cells’ or ‘Select unlocked cells’ options checked will make the entire sheet read-only, so that users can only click on cells in protected ranges but cannot edit them. [11]This can be useful for spreadsheets where a specific value must be displayed in each cell, or to avoid displaying the contents of a locked cell to anyone who doesn’t have permission to edit the worksheet.
In addition to locking cells and ranges, you can give editing permission to other users of your choice or leave a warning that a certain value is protected. [12]This can be useful for spreadsheets that contain a lot of sensitive information, or when you need to share data between different teams.
You can also protect your cells by highlighting all of the cells that contain formulas and then formatting them to be protected.[13] This can be helpful if you have a lot of formulas and you don’t want to waste time manually searching for them.
