How to Protect/Lock Cells from Editing in Google Sheets?

Google sheets can be shared with multiple users and those users can edit the cells of the sheet anytime. Sometimes there are a few important cells that should remain the same. However, some users may edit those cells by mistake or intentionally due to which it can cause an issue. It is better to keep those cells protected or locked for other users, so they will be unable to edit those cells. In this article, we will teach you about how you can protect/lock cells from editing in Google sheets.

Protecting Cells from Editing in Google Sheets

Google sheets provide the protection feature through which users can protect the data on the sheet. A user can select some of the cells or select the whole column/row to protect. The protect range option can be found by right-clicking on the sheet or by going into the Data menu. It also provides the option for allowing some users to still edit the protected cells. Follow the below steps to try to protect the cells in Google sheets:

1. Open the web browser and go to a Google Sheets web page. Log in to your account if you are not already logged in.

   

2. Create a new Blank sheet or use one of the existing ones. Click on one of the cells, hold shift and click on the last cell to select all the cells. Now right-click on it and choose the Protect Range option.
   Note: You can also hold Ctrl to select multiple different cells in the spreadsheet. For Protect Range option you can also click the Data menu and choose the Protected sheets and ranges option.

   

3. A side window will appear, where you can provide the description for the protected cells. After providing the description, click on the Set Permissions button.

   

4. You can select Only me option or select the Custom option to add some other users who will also be able to edit these cells other than you. Click on the Done button after selecting the settings.

   

5. It will show that the cells are now protected and nobody will be able to edit them other than the ones who are allowed to in the settings.

   

6. The users with no permission will get a message when they try to edit the protected cells: