How to View Protected Ranges in Google Sheets

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In this article, you will learn how to highlight protected ranges in Google Sheets.

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This function is beneficial when an owner of a worksheet visually informs other editors which part of the sheet is not editable from their ends.

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How to show protected ranges in Google Sheets

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• Go to “View” → “Show” → “Protected ranges”. Click “Protected ranges”.

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• Done

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The following two pictures show the change before and after turning the function. The first screenshot is taken before we reveal the protected content.

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In the sheet, the range of C4:E8 is protected by an owner, but other editors who are not allowed to edit the section don’t know which part is locked.

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The second one below is taken after we check “Protected ranges” in the menu. You can see a diagonal stripe over the protected range in this case. 

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This function reduces the stress of editors by clearly showing where is editable or not and editors can focus their works on the editable area in Google Sheets.

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How do I turn off range protection in Google Sheets?

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Do you want to know how to protect worksheets or a certain range of cells in a worksheet? Check this article: How to Lock Cells in Google Sheets

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How do I unhide tabs in Google Sheets?

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If you are interested in hiding or unhiding worksheets in Google Sheets, check this article: How to Hide a Tab in Google Sheets

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When are locking cells and sheets beneficial?

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Here is an example where cell protection is beneficial for an owner of a sheet. Imagine there is an accountant who prepares a financial report for a client in Google Sheets and shares it with the client to ask for their input. However, he doesn’t want his client to edit a particular part of the spreadsheet.

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In this case, the accountant can achieve the ideal setting by locking specific cells or entire sheets except for certain cells. 

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