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2. How To View Your Edit History in Google Sheets in 5 Steps

How To View Your Edit History in Google Sheets in 5 Steps

When using Google Sheets, you may need to recover information or determine who made an edit to a spreadsheet. The view edit history feature within Google Sheets allows you to track changes and review edits. If you frequently work with spreadsheets, learning more about edit history and how to view it can be beneficial. In this article, we explain what edit history is, detail why it's important, provide the steps you can follow to view it and review helpful tips for using Google Sheets.

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What is the edit history in Google Sheets?

The edit history in Google Sheets is a feature that allows you to see previous versions of the file you're using. Google Sheets is a cloud-based spreadsheet application that can integrate well with other Google products. The edit history feature allows you to see specific details about the edits and inputs for the sheet, which can be useful in a variety of settings.

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Why is it useful to view the edit history in Google Sheets?

Depending on your work and the number of people you collaborate with, understanding edits and details of version history may be beneficial. These are some reasons it can be useful to view the edit history in Google Sheets:

• Restore previous versions: If an aspect of the project you're working on changes or there's an error in data input, you can restore previous versions of the sheet without manually fixing the mistakes. This can save time and make errors less costly for time and energy.

• Determine who made edits: Knowing which user added or changed each cell in a spreadsheet can help you understand how the data works together. For example, knowing that a user from the accounting department added a figure may help you understand the purpose of that cell.

• View time-based inputs: Viewing the edit history is also useful for quickly assessing information added based on time. For example, if a spreadsheet you use updates monthly, you can view the version history to assess the data for a specific month or quarter.

• Make copies of other versions: If you want to save a separate copy of a different version for the data it includes, you can do so through the version history window.

• Ensure information is accurate: Assessing the edits to a spreadsheet, understanding who added each figure and comparing the information to that from previous versions allows you to ensure the information within the sheet is accurate.

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How to view edit history in Google Sheets

There are different methods for reviewing the version history in a Google Sheets file, and you can choose the one that works best for you depending on your work. You can follow these steps to view the edit history in Google Sheets:

1. Select the last edit statement

The simplest way to open the edit history in Google Sheets is by clicking on the last edit statement at the top of the screen. This statement usually appears to the right of the help tab. It includes the date or time that the file was last changed and is underlined. By clicking on this statement, you can open the window that shows information about the previous edits.

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2. Click on the File tab

If the last edit statement doesn't appear in your file, you can open the edit history through another method. To do this, locate the File tab at the top left of the page. It's usually beneath the title of the sheet and to the left of the Edit tab. When you click on the File tab, a menu of options appears, including Share, New, Open and Import.

3. Hover over version history

In the options menu for the File tab, there's an option called Version history. This option appears with a small arrow pointing to the right side of the page. By hovering over this option, you reveal another set of options.

4. Select the See version history option

Within the options for Version history, there's an option that reads See version history. Selecting this option allows you to open the Version history window. This window usually opens on the right side of the page and includes a list of various edits to the sheet. When you open the window, the page displays the name of each edit at the top left so you know which version appears on the screen. Default titles for each edit are usually the date and time they saved, but you can change the title of each version.

5. Expand detailed versions

Within the Version history window, you have the option to expand details for each version if you want to. This can show you exactly at what time and date each edit occurred. When you click on the details within each version history, the application shows you specifically where changes occurred by highlighting the cells in blue.

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Tips for using Google Sheets

Google Sheets offers many useful features, and by using them, you can work more efficiently and promote more effective collaboration. These are some helpful tips you can use to optimize your Google Sheets experience:

• Rename your versions to track them: By clicking on the name of each version history, you can edit the name for each edit of the file. Default names for each version are usually the time and date they saved.

• Monitor behavior in classroom settings: If you're a teacher or other administrator, you can monitor collaboration and measure the contribution of each person to a Google Sheet by reviewing the version history.

• Use a shortcut to open Edit history: Rather than clicking on the last edit statement or opening the file options, you can use the shortcut CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+H to open the version history.

• Right-click on cells to show Edit history: If you want to see the edits for a specific cell, you can do so by right-clicking on the cell and selecting the Show edit history option. This can allow you to focus on a single cell rather than the version history for the entire sheet.

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