◆ Excel · track

Version Control

Track revision numbers and which drafter made each change: create a register sheet that lists revision number, date, d…

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”Track revision numbers and which drafter made each change: create a register sheet that lists…+
Track revision numbers and which drafter made each change: create a register sheet that lists revision number, date, drafter name and summary, name the range for cross-sheet links and protect the sheet so the permit reviewer can see a reliable history.
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.
BImprove — “do it better”Produce a permit-ready revision register — implement a data-entry form that appends revision…+
Produce a permit-ready revision register — implement a data-entry form that appends revision number, drafter and timestamp, link the current revision cell across drawing sheets, protect earlier entries, and add a clear change-summary column so the reviewer can understand each revision at a glance.
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
Keep track of revision numbers and which drafter made each change so the permit reviewer can see the history.

Who does this

1 roles
Architectural Drafter

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.