How do I view edit history in Google Sheets?

• Home
• Search
• Newsletter
• Start a Blog!
• Services We Recommend
• Forum
• Login
• Donate

When you or someone youre sharing with makes many changes to a spreadsheet in Google Sheets, its handy to review previous versions. You might need to restore one or perhaps copy one for different use. But luckily, if you want to view changes to a certain cell, you dont have to scour the document version history to see them.

You might want to find out who changed a formula, how long ago you added something, or even if a blank cell previously held data. Heres how easy it is to view the edit history for a cell in Google Sheets.

Edit History for a Cell in Google Sheets

Head to the Google Sheets website, sign in, and open the workbook and spreadsheet you want to use. Next, select the cell, right-click, and pick Show Edit History from the shortcut menu.

Youll then see a small window pop open with the edit history. Use the arrows on the top right to move through the individual changes. The edits display in order with your most recent change first. Use the left arrow to see the previous changes and the right arrow to see those that are next.

Each entry shows the user, date, time, and change that was made. This allows you to pinpoint actions in a cell, whether by you or someone else.

At this time, you cannot perform any actions on the edits you see in the history. Maybe this is something Google will add down the road. But for now, at least you can see what happened to the data in a cell, when it took place, and who made the edit which can all be super helpful.

Do More in Google Sheets

For additional tips and how-tos for your spreadsheets, check out these Google Sheets tutorials.

• How to Insert and Format the Current Date and Time in Google Sheets
• Your Guide to Sharing Documents in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides
• How to Create and Use Filter Views in Google Sheets
• Google Sheets Fill Down Tips and Tricks
• How to Insert and Customize Sparklines in Google Sheets

Track Down a Change in Google Sheets

When new features pop up in an application you use all the time, its always a nice surprise. The ability to see the edit history for a particular cell in Google Sheets is one of those somewhat hidden features that youll hopefully now use.