This guide shows you how to see edit history in Google Sheets, for the whole file or for a single cell, and what to check when Show edit history doesn’t appear. To restore, name, copy, or delete an earlier version of the file, see our guide to Google Sheets version history<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”what-google-sheets-history-shows-you” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Google Sheets saves each edit with the name of the person who made it and the time. That record is most useful when several people collaborate on the same spreadsheet<\/a>. You can go back to a specific data input you want to check, and if your data updates automatically, you can pick a date and see what changed on it.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at an example of how the edit history feature can be used. Here\u2019s a snapshot of a file that a sales manager uses to store sales information all the way from Jan 2015 till the current month. This data is updated every month. In order to look at data updates from a specific month, we can use the edit history feature.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/View-history.png” alt=”Google Sheets edit history” title_text=”View history” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_id=”how-to-see-who-made-changes-in-google-sh” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n There are three ways to open the edit history of a file: the menu option, the keyboard combination, and the Last edit icon.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n You can view a history of your changes to a Google Sheets file using the menu option. To do this, simply navigate to File<\/b> > Version History<\/b> > See version history<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/google-sheets-edit-history-file-menu.webp” alt=”Google Sheets edit history \u2014 File menu open on Version history, with See version history and its Ctrl+Alt+Shift+H shortcut” title_text=”File menu open on Version history, with See version history and its Ctrl+Alt+Shift+H shortcut” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n As an alternative (and perhaps the quicker option) to access the edit history of your Google Sheets file, you can use the following keyboard combination:<\/p>\n Ctrl + Alt + Shift + H or, for Mac, Cmd + Option + Shift + H<\/b><\/p>\n This will take you straight to the sidebar where you can access past versions the same as above.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n At the top right of the spreadsheet, click Last edit<\/b> to open the version history. If you only want to know who changed the file last and when, hover over the icon instead. A blue dot on it means someone has edited the file since you last opened it.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n From here, a sidebar should appear on the right side of your screen listing all of the available versions of your file. Each version is clearly labeled with the date, time, and editor of the changes from when it was last saved.<\/p>\n Google Sheets groups edits made close together into one version. To see them one at a time:<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 1.<\/strong> To view specific edits within a version, click on the dropdown arrow next to the version name.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/google-sheets-edit-history-version-list.webp” alt=”Google Sheets edit history \u2014 Version history panel with the arrow next to the current April 4 version” title_text=”Version history panel with the arrow next to the current April 4 version” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> Browse through the edits and click on the one you would like to view. As soon as you click on the version, Google Sheets will show that specific edit.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/google-sheets-edit-history-select-edit.webp” alt=”Google Sheets edit history \u2014 2:33 PM edit selected under an expanded version, with Restore this version at the top” title_text=”2:33 PM edit selected under an expanded version, with Restore this version at the top” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Google Sheets highlights the cells that changed. It also hides rows nobody changed, so the edits are easier to spot. To see every row, click Show unmodified rows<\/b> at the bottom right.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n To go back to one of these versions, select it and click Restore this version<\/b>. Restoring clears the cell-by-cell edit history for every change made before the restore, so check any cell history you need first.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”how-to-see-who-edited-a-cell-in-google-s” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n The version history panel covers the whole file. To check one cell, use Show edit history. It lists the edits made to that cell, with who made each one and when.<\/p>\n 1.<\/strong> Right-click on a cell you would like to see the edit history on and select “Show edit history” from the dropdown menu.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/google-sheets-show-edit-history-menu.webp” alt=”Show edit history in Google Sheets \u2014 right-click menu on cell B3 with the Show edit history option” title_text=”Right-click menu on cell B3 with the Show edit history option” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> Select the right and left arrows to move back and forth between edits made to the cell. Note how the \u201cEdit history\u201d box provides information on the user, the date, the time, and the type of edit that was made.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/google-sheets-show-edit-history-box.webp” alt=”Show edit history in Google Sheets \u2014 Edit history box on cell B3 with the editor, the date and the added value $384.71M” title_text=”Edit history box on cell B3 with the editor, the date and the added value $384.71M” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Viewing the edit history of a specific cell gives you more context on your data and helps you decide whether you need to make any changes.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”why-show-edit-history-is-not-showing” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n If Show edit history is missing, or the history you see looks incomplete, one of these is usually the reason:<\/p>\n If you own the file, you decide who can see its history:<\/p>\n 1.<\/strong> Open your Google Sheets file and click on the \u201cShare\u201d button in the top-right corner.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/google-sheets-edit-history-share-button.webp” alt=”Google Sheets edit history \u2014 APRIL Balance spreadsheet with the Share button at the top right” title_text=”APRIL Balance spreadsheet with the Share button at the top right” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> Next to the person’s name, choose “Editor” so they can see the file’s history. Choose “Viewer” or “Commenter” to keep them out of it, or select “Remove” to take away their access to the spreadsheet altogether.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”conclusion” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n And there you have it! The edit history feature on Google Sheets is a fantastic tool that allows you to track, identify and manage all of the past versions of your spreadsheet files. This is particularly beneficial to those dealing with spreadsheets that require automatic updates of data frequently.<\/p>\n Edit history is the place to find out who changed something. If you’d rather keep a dated record of your values to chart or compare later, learn how to track changes in Google Sheets, and record your values historically<\/a> with Sheetgo, an AI-powered data automation platform. Its Append feature adds a new copy of your data to a history sheet on the schedule you set. To hear about edits as they happen, get notified when someone edits your Google Sheets file<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Google Sheets keeps a history of the changes people make to a spreadsheet, and you can read it in two ways. Edit history tells you who changed a cell, when, and what the change was. Version history keeps earlier versions of the whole file.This guide shows you how to see edit history in Google Sheets, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":35749,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"On Google Sheets, we usually deal with a lot of information. Very often we may want to tread back to an earlier version, probably because that worked well for us. Or worse, we may have accidentally deleted critical information without our knowledge. Fortunately, the developers of this cloud-based spreadsheets program thought about it and they got our back. They have built in a capability with which we can view the history of changes in Google Sheets. In this post, we quickly explain how we can do that.\nWhat Google Sheets history shows you<\/h2>\n
How to see who made changes in Google Sheets<\/h2>\n
1. Using the menu option<\/h3>\n
2. Using the keyboard combination<\/h3>\n
3. Using the Last edit icon<\/h3>\n
See who changed what in each version<\/h3>\n
How to see who edited a cell in Google Sheets<\/h2>\n
Why Show edit history is not showing<\/h2>\n
\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
View history of changes in Google Sheets<\/h4>\nHere\u2019s the snapshot of a file that Fred (sales manager) uses to store sales information all the way from Jan 2015 till the current month. Given the dynamic nature of the information, it keeps changing with time.\n\n
![\"View](\"https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/View-history-of-changes-in-Google-Sheets-Demonstration-1.png\")
\n\nWe have two ways to view the history of changes \u2013 the menu option or the keyboard combination.\nUsing the menu option<\/h4>\nWe can view the history of changes in Google Sheets by navigating to File > Version history > See version history<\/strong>.\n\n
![\"View](\"https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/View-history-of-changes-in-Google-Sheets-Demonstration-2.png\")
\n\nDoing so will pull up a sidebar on which we see the entire list of revisions available, with the current version selected. Please note that checking the \u2018Show changes\u2019 checkbox to true highlights the changes made to the previous version. In this example, cell A3 is highlighted, because we changed the first name from Emilio to Emili.\n\n![\"View](\"https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/View-history-of-changes-in-Google-Sheets-Demonstration-3.png\")
\nUsing the keyboard combination<\/h4>\nWe can invoke the version history sidebar alternatively using a simple keyboard combination Ctrl + Alt + Shift + H<\/strong> (or Cmd + Alt + Shift + H<\/strong> for Mac). With this approach, we essentially get the same result as above.\n\nWe can switch between versions by selecting the version of our choice on the list of revisions.\n
Naming the versions<\/h4>\nWe notice that each version is, by default, named after the time stamp the version is last saved. If there were a larger number of versions, choosing between the versions can become cumbersome. Instead, if we had names mentioned against these revisions, it would be a lot easier.\n\nGoogle Sheets has built this provision into the application. We can name both the current and previous versions. Naming the current version can be directly done with the menu option File > Version history > Name current version.<\/strong>\n\nOn the other hand, we can name any (including the current) version of the Version history sidebar. We can do so by clicking on the local \u2018More actions<\/strong>\u2018 menu option of the respective version, and then choosing \u2018Name this version<\/strong>\u2018.\n\n
![\"View](\"https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/View-history-of-changes-in-Google-Sheets-Demonstration-4.png\")
\nMaking copies<\/h4>\nGoogle Sheets also offers this cool feature where we can make a copy from a previous version, without interfering the current version. We can do so again from the More actions menu of the corresponding version as shown in the screenshot above.\n\nPlease feel to leave your questions or feedback in the comments section below.","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[39,28],"class_list":["post-5952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-google-sheets-features","tag-connections-t","tag-spreadsheets"],"acf":[],"permalink_manager":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5952"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5952\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}