How to share and protect a Google Sheet
Quick answer
Click Share, add people or groups, choose Viewer / Commenter / Editor, then Send. For a link, set General access to Restricted or your organization / Anyone with the link.
To lock formulas: Data > Protect sheets and ranges, set permissions so only you can edit that range.
Requires edit access to change sharing. School/work accounts may limit "Anyone with the link".
Share and protect
Share with people
- Click Share (top right).
- Enter emails, choose Viewer, Commenter or Editor.
- Uncheck Notify if you do not want an email, then Share/Send.
Protect a range
- Select the cells with formulas.
- Data > Protect sheets and ranges.
- Set a description, Set permissions, restrict who can edit, Done.
Editor vs Commenter
Editors can change cells and sharing (unless you limit). Commenters can comment but not edit cells.
Stop sharing
Share dialog > remove a person, or set General access back to Restricted.
Frequently asked questions
Can viewers download?
By default often yes - Share > Settings (gear) can disable download/print/copy for viewers/commenters.
Protect whole sheet?
Protect sheets and ranges > Sheet tab.
Version history?
File > Version history > See version history to restore mistakes.
Sources checked: Google Docs Editors Help. Verified October 2026.