Excel Sheet Protections Turning Off Automatically

Hi @DG, 

Good day to you! Welcome to Microsoft Q&A. 

Thanks for raising this issue, I understand how important it is to keep your Excel sheets protected, especially when multiple users are accessing them. 

From what you've described, it sounds like the protection is being removed when the file is edited in the Excel Web App. This behavior can occur because the web version of Excel has limited support for certain protection features, and in some cases, it may silently remove protection if unsupported actions are performed. 

To help maintain the integrity of your protected sheets, here are a few suggestions you can follow: 

1. Split Workbooks: Break large workbooks into smaller files to reduce complexity and risk. 
2. Use the Desktop App for Editing: The desktop version of Excel offers full support for sheet protection and is more reliable for scenarios where protection is critical. 
3. Workbook-Level Protection: Use “Protect Workbook” (not just “Protect Sheet”) and restrict permissions. 
4. Review SharePoint Permissions: If the file is stored on SharePoint, you might want to restrict editing permissions and allow only specific users to make changes. 
5. Enable Version History: This can help you track changes and restore previous versions if needed. 

If it still persists, you will have to create a support ticket in Microsoft 365 admin center. To resolve this, Microsoft’s support team will need to step in. A technical support engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation, verify the backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem. If the issue requires further attention, they can escalate it to a specialized team for deeper analysis.   

  Here’s what your IT Admin should do next:       

1. Submit a Service Request: The IT Admin should create a service request with Microsoft support to get advanced technical assistance and diagnostics. For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin. For additional assistance, use this link to find the appropriate contact number: Global Customer Service phone numbers - Microsoft Support    
2. Find Your IT Admin: If you’re unsure who the IT Admin is within your organization, you can find guidance on locating them here: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support.    
3. Contact a Reseller (if applicable): If your Office 365 subscriptions are managed through a federated partner or reseller and the IT Admin cannot open a service request, they should contact the reseller’s support provider. The reseller can assist with initiating the request and coordinating with the Office 365 support team.     

Note: If you’re an end-user, please coordinate with your Office 365 Global Administrator to handle these steps.       

Apologies for redirecting you to the related development team support as the moderators in this community have limited resources to check the backend information, and to get the fast and better assistance we requested for it.   

Thank you very much for your valuable time and your cooperation

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Thank you for the quick response. These are more or less the suggestions I've seen elsewhere, and they seem woefully inadequate in response to the problem. It sounds like this is just a known issue that is not being addressed.

I don't mean to be rude, and I deleted a longer response, but none of these suggestions really address the problem. I've filed feedback with Microsoft and opened tickets, and Microsoft has never shown interest in solutions, only these similar suggested "workarounds" to avoid the problem not being addressed.

And again, a workaround to avoid a problem only works so far as everyone follows it correctly, and completely fails to address the question of "what if someone does it intentionally?"

To point #2 in your post, say we're using the desktop app and everyone is trained, does there exist a setting that will not allow someone to open the file in the web app intentionally?

Does anyone know if there are third party add-ins that would possibly solve this shortcoming from Microsoft?

Hi @DG,

Thank you for your candid feedback. I genuinely appreciate the time you’ve taken to explain your concerns clearly and constructively. 

You're absolutely right to expect more than just workarounds, especially when the issue at hand can compromise the integrity of your data. The fact that sheet protection can be silently disabled in the web version of Excel without any administrative control or audit trail, it is a significant gap, particularly in collaborative environments where trust and control are critical. 

To your question: unfortunately, there’s currently no built-in setting in Microsoft 365 that allows you to block users from opening a file in the Excel Web App while still allowing access in the desktop version. The best workaround available today is to manage access through SharePoint or OneDrive permissions, for example, limiting editing rights or requiring users to download the file before making changes. But as you rightly pointed out, these are only effective if everyone follows the rules, and they don’t prevent intentional misuse. If you still need to block access to people from opening files in Office online, you can apply Conditional Access in your organization. Here's how to do it:  

1. Sign in to [Microsoft Entra admin center] 
2. On the left pane, select Conditional Access 

1. Click Create new policy 

1. Select users who will be applied the policy 

1. Select target resources as follow: 

1. Select conditions as follow: 

1. Select grant as follow:  

1. Select On to enable policy 

As for third-party solutions, while I’m not aware of any add-ins that specifically enforce sheet protection across platforms, some enterprise document management systems offer more granular control over file access and editing behavior. These might be worth exploring if your organization requires stricter enforcement. 

I completely agree that this is an area where Microsoft could and should do more. Since our support agent only provided you with workarounds, and did not help the issue resolve, I would recommend submitting your feedback via the [Microsoft Feedback Portal](https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback or directly through any Microsoft 365 app by going to Help > Feedback or File > Feedback. While our community team can’t directly implement feature changes, your feedback is invaluable and here’s how you can ensure it reaches the right team:     

How to Submit Your Suggestion to Microsoft:    

1. Visit the Microsoft Feedback Portal:     

• Go to: Microsoft 365 Feedback Hub →Send Feedback→ Describe your proposal in detail      

2. Upvote & collaborate:     

• Check existing suggestions and upvote similar ones. The more votes an idea gets, the higher its priority!     

Why Your Voice Matters:     

• The product team reviews all feedback submitted here directly.     
• Popular ideas appear on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap if approved.     
• Your suggestion could help millions of users in the future!     

Please know that you have our full attention and support as a trusted partner who truly cares about the continuity and quality of your experience. 

Thanks again for raising this, your input is valuable not just for Microsoft, but for others in the community facing similar challenges. 

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