How to Customize Excel?

Customizing Excel allows you to tailor the software's appearance, behavior, and functionality to better suit your personal workflow and preferences, enhancing efficiency and user experience.

Global Excel Settings: The `File > Options` Hub

To begin customizing Excel, you primarily start by accessing the File > Options menu. This central hub opens the Excel Options dialog box, your primary control center for personalizing many aspects of Excel's behavior and appearance. Here, you can explore various categories like General, Formulas, and Advanced, enabling you to adjust settings to suit your specific needs.

For instance, you can easily set a default file location for saving documents, change the default font for new workbooks, or even customize the number of sheets that appear in a new workbook.

Key Customization Areas in Excel Options

The File > Options dialog box offers extensive control over Excel. Here's a breakdown of some key categories and what you can customize within them:

Category	What You Can Customize	Practical Examples
General	User interface options, startup preferences, default settings.	Set default font and font size, specify the number of sheets in new workbooks, personalize user name, optimize UI for specific display types.
Formulas	Calculation behavior, error checking rules, formula handling.	Choose automatic or manual calculation, enable/disable R1C1 reference style, set error checking options.
Proofing	AutoCorrect options, spelling and grammar settings, custom dictionaries.	Manage AutoCorrect entries, customize ignored words/domains, create custom dictionaries.
Save	Default file saving location, AutoRecover settings, file format.	Set the default local file location, adjust AutoRecover save interval, choose default save file format.
Language	Display language for the interface and authoring/editing languages.	Change Excel's display language, add or remove editing languages.
Advanced	Comprehensive options for editing, display, printing, charts, and general Excel behavior.	Enable/disable fill handle, show/hide gridlines and row/column headers, set default print quality, manage compatibility options.
Customize Ribbon	Add, remove, or reorder tabs, groups, and commands on the Ribbon.	Create custom tabs with your most used commands, remove seldom-used default tabs.
Quick Access Toolbar	Add frequently used commands to a persistent toolbar.	Add "Paste Values," "Sort," or "Save As" for one-click access.
Add-ins	Manage and activate Excel add-ins (e.g., Solver, Analysis ToolPak).	Enable or disable built-in and third-party Excel add-ins.
Trust Center	Security and privacy settings for macros, ActiveX controls, and trusted locations.	Adjust macro security levels, define trusted folders for safe workbook execution.

Step-by-Step Customization in `File > Options`

Go to File > Options.
In the left pane, select the desired category (e.g., General, Advanced, Customize Ribbon).
In the right pane, adjust the settings according to your preferences.
Click OK to apply the changes.

Examples of common customizations:

Changing the Default Font: Navigate to General and under "When creating new workbooks," select your preferred font and size from the dropdown menus.
Setting a Default Save Location: Go to Save and specify your desired folder in the "Default local file location" field.
Customizing the Number of Sheets in a New Workbook: In General, locate "When creating new workbooks" and enter the desired number in the "Include this many sheets" box.

Personalizing Your Workflow: Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar

Beyond the general settings, you can tailor your interaction with Excel by customizing the Ribbon and the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT).

Customizing the Excel Ribbon

The Ribbon organizes commands into logical tabs and groups. You can tailor it to display only the tools you need, making your workspace less cluttered and more efficient.

Access Customization: Right-click anywhere on the Ribbon and select Customize the Ribbon... or go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon.
Add/Remove Tabs & Groups: In the dialog box, check or uncheck main tabs on the right side. You can also create New Tabs and New Groups within them.
Add Commands: Select commands from the left-hand list and add them to your custom groups on the right. Choose "All Commands" or "Commands Not in the Ribbon" to find specific tools.
Reorder Tabs/Groups: Use the up and down arrows to change the display order.

For more detailed guidance, refer to Microsoft Support on customizing the Ribbon.

Optimizing the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT)

The QAT is a customizable toolbar located above or below the Ribbon, providing one-click access to your most frequently used commands, regardless of which Ribbon tab is currently active.

Add Commands:
- Click the down arrow on the right of the QAT and select More Commands... (or File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar).
- From the dialog, choose commands from the left and Add >> them to the right.
- Alternatively, right-click any command on the Ribbon and select Add to Quick Access Toolbar.
Reorder/Remove: Use the More Commands dialog to reorder commands with the up/down arrows or Remove << them.

Learn more about customizing the Quick Access Toolbar.

Advanced Customization for Specific Needs

For users with specialized requirements, Excel offers further customization options.

Managing Excel Add-ins

Add-ins extend Excel's native capabilities by introducing new functions, tools, or automation features. Many are built-in (like Solver or Analysis ToolPak), while others are third-party applications.

Go to File > Options > Add-ins.
In the Manage dropdown at the bottom, select Excel Add-ins and click Go....
In the Add-ins dialog box, check the boxes next to the add-ins you wish to enable and click OK.

Creating Custom Templates

If you frequently start new workbooks with specific formatting, formulas, or macros, creating a custom template can save significant time.

Set up a workbook exactly how you want your new workbooks to appear (e.g., specific fonts, cell styles, headers/footers, pre-filled data, macros).
Go to File > Save As > Browse.
In the Save as type dropdown, choose Excel Template (*.xltx).
Save the file in the default custom templates folder (usually C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Custom Office Templates).
To create a new workbook using your template, go to File > New, then select Personal to see your custom templates.

Find out more about creating and using Excel templates.

Worksheet and Workbook Display Options

You can also make quick visual adjustments to individual worksheets or entire workbooks.

Show/Hide Gridlines: On the View tab, in the Show group, check or uncheck Gridlines.
Show/Hide Headings (Row/Column): Also on the View tab, in the Show group, check or uncheck Headings.
Zoom Level: Use the slider in the bottom-right corner of the Excel window or the Zoom group on the View tab.
Workbook Themes & Colors: On the Page Layout tab, explore the Themes group to change the overall look and feel of your workbook.