You have created a beautiful bid sheet template and locked cells or defined input format with data validation - only to find that the structure has been corrupted by copy-pasting or changing input settings. The file becomes unusable and has to be manually corrected, so you can analyze it.
To avoid a situation like this, follow the steps below to lock your sheets completely.
How to lock Excel sheet so only certain cells may be selected and altered
Press CTRL + A to select all cells in a tab and right click and select Format Cells
Choose the tab Protection and make sure that the tickbox Locked is activated. It should be displayed as a tick symbol ✅
Now select all the cells the supplier should be able to select and enter content. Right click and choose Format Cells again. In the tab Protection, you should untick Locked now.
In the Excel menu bar, navigate to Review and click on Protect Sheet.
Ensure that the tickbox Select locked cells is not activated and set and confirm a password. Click on OK to enforce the protection.
We recommend to activate Select unlocked cells, Sort, and Use Auto Filter to allow your suppliers to navigate the bid sheet easier.
Your worksheet is now protected and cannot be copied!