◆ Excel · track

Change Management

Log every edit to the master feature register with user, timestamp, and reason so we can roll back bad changes and mai…

2heights
2tasks
1roles do it
See the prompt↓More track workflows

The same job, four prompts

do it · improve it · decide · become
AExecute — “help me do it”Log every edit to the master feature register with user, timestamp, and reason so we can roll…+
Log every edit to the master feature register with user, timestamp, and reason so we can roll back bad changes and maintain provenance; add a change row on EditLog each time the master is changed.
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.
BImprove — “do it better”Make the provenance usable for audits: ensure each log row captures previous values, editor…+
Make the provenance usable for audits: ensure each log row captures previous values, editor name, exact timestamp, and short reason; produce a rollback helper that shows the last three versions per FeatureID and a one-click copy to restore values for the registrar to approve.
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid
The tool
Tracking Changes

Track changes in an Excel workbook to see who made edits, what was changed, and when.

  1. 1

    Open your Excel workbook.

  2. 2

    Go to the Review tab.

  3. 3

    In the Changes group, select Track Changes.

    NoteIf Track Changes is greyed out, the file might not be in the .xls format or shared.

  4. 4

    Select Highlight Changes.

  5. 5

    In the Highlight Changes dialog box, check Track changes while editing. This also shares your workbook.

    CautionTracking changes requires sharing the workbook, which may limit other Excel features.

  6. 6

    Choose when to track changes (When), who made them (Who), and where (Where).

  7. 7

    Check Highlight changes on screen to see changes directly in the workbook.

  8. 8

    Click OK to enable tracking.

  9. 9

    To view changes, go to the Review tab and select Show Changes.

    Best practiceFor very large workbooks, saving local dated copies can be an alternative to real-time tracking.

  10. 10

    Changes will appear in a pane, with the most recent changes on top.

  11. 11

    Save the workbook to commit the tracked changes.

For changes over a longer period or if Track Changes is unavailable, use File > Info > Version History to preview and restore earlier versions.

The 'Track Changes' feature is primarily a user interface function and is not directly exposed through the Excel API for programmatic control.

Glossary

words on this page
Track ChangesA feature that records edits made to a workbook, showing who changed what and when.ExampleAs your team edits a budget, you see each change highlighted with the author's name.
FunctionA predefined formula that performs calculations using specific values in a particular order.ExampleUsing the SUM function quickly adds up a column of numbers.

The real tasks

1 of them
Log every edit to a master feature register with user, time, and reason so we can roll back bad changes and maintain provenance.

Who does this

1 roles
Cartographer

Questions people ask

honest answers

Because you rarely think 'I want the redaction tool'. You think 'I have to share this without leaking the client's details'. Start from the need, and the feature finds you.

Real. Every job here was drawn from what people in real roles were actually seen doing in Excel — not a feature checklist.

No. Each page gives you a ready prompt you can paste into an AI assistant, plus the plain steps to do it yourself. Start with either — the goal is the finished job, not the tool.