How to protect a range in Google Sheets
Learn how to protect a range in Google Sheets to stop accidental edits, control permissions, and keep shared data accurate.
Quick answer
To protect a range, select the cells, then click Data > Protected sheets and ranges. Click Add a sheet or range, enter a description, confirm the range, then click Set permissions. Choose to restrict editing to yourself or specific people, and click Done to lock the range from unauthorized edits.
Steps at a glance
- Select the range of cells you want to protect.
- Open the Data menu and click Protected sheets and ranges.
- Click Add a sheet or range in the side panel.
- Enter an optional description for the protected range.
- Click Set permissions to choose who can edit.
- Select who can edit or restrict it to yourself.
- Click Done to save the protection settings.
Summary
Protecting a range in Google Sheets lets you lock specific cells so collaborators can view but not edit them, without restricting the rest of the spreadsheet. It's a practical way to safeguard formulas, headers, or reference data while still allowing teamwork on the rest of the file.
Step-by-step guide
Step 1
Select the range you want to lock
Click and drag to highlight the cells you want to protect. This can be a single column, a block of cells, or an entire row that contains formulas or reference values you don't want changed.
Step 2
Open the Protected sheets and ranges panel
Click Data in the top menu, then select Protected sheets and ranges. A side panel opens on the right where you can manage all protection settings for the spreadsheet.
Step 3
Add a new protected range
Click Add a sheet or range. Confirm the cell reference shown matches your selection, or manually type the range using the small grid icon next to the Range field. Add a short description, like "Formula column," so collaborators understand why it's locked.
Step 4
Set permissions for the range
Click Set permissions to decide who can edit the protected cells. Choose "Only you" to restrict editing to yourself, or select "Custom" to pick specific people from your contacts or shared list.
Step 5
Choose a warning or restriction level
If you want to allow edits but flag them, select "Show a warning when editing this range" instead of a hard restriction. This is useful when you're managing permissions and sharing access with a large team and want flexibility.
Step 6
Save your protection settings
Click Done to apply the protection. The range now displays a light shaded overlay or lock icon when someone without edit access tries to change it, whether they're working from a desktop browser or the mobile app.
Step 7
Review or edit protected ranges anytime
Reopen Data > Protected sheets and ranges to see a list of all protected areas. Click any entry to adjust the range, description, or permissions, or click the trash icon to remove protection entirely.
Why this matters
You're sharing a budget or project tracker with a team, and one wrong edit to a formula or key column could throw off everyone's numbers. Protecting that range lets people update their own data while keeping critical cells locked and accurate.
Frequently asked questions
Does protecting a range stop people from viewing the data?
No. A protected range still allows anyone with view access to see the content. It only restricts editing, so it works alongside your existing sharing and permissions settings.
Can I protect more than one range at a time?
Yes. Repeat the Add a sheet or range steps for each additional range you want to lock. Every protected range appears in the same side panel list for easy management.
Is protecting a range the same as locking cells?
They're closely related. Protecting a range is the feature Google Sheets uses to lock cells from editing; see the guide on /guides/google-sheets/lock-cells for a focused walkthrough of that exact workflow.
How do I let some editors bypass the protection?
In the Set permissions dialog, choose Custom and add specific people to the allowed editors list. Everyone else with edit access to the sheet will be blocked or warned, depending on your setting.
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