# Good way to publish or "host" simple Excel spreadsheet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 29, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-publish-or-host-simple-excel-spreadsheet/929200 "2020-12-29T22:58:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-publish-or-host-simple-excel-spreadsheet/929200/1 "2020-12-29T22:58:37Z")
I have a very simple spreadsheet that I would like to put somewhere so that other people can see it if I give them the link. They should not be able to edit it, and I should be able to update it without a lot of hassle. (If it matters, it’s a list of fountain pens for sale, and the updating would consist of me marking a pen as Sold, and possibly adding new pens, or adding fields as requested by potential customers.) I thought about converting it into a Google Sheet, but I have what may be an irrational fear of Google such that I don’t trust them and don’t want to encourage use of its applications. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-publish-or-host-simple-excel-spreadsheet/929200/2 "2020-12-29T23:09:01Z")
Would you feel any better about any other file sharing site? Myself, I consider Dropbox a lot worse than Google. If you don’t trust Google Sheet, then Google Drive is probably out. MS Onedrive is good for up to 5GB for free, you can look into that. Enjoy trusting Microsoft more than Google. So if you don’t trust Google, try Dropbox is my recommendation, but my real recommendation is get over fear of Google and join the collective. I mean, use this free and easy to use tool. Last check though with Google Drive you can share Excel so you don’t even need to use Google Sheets at least. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-publish-or-host-simple-excel-spreadsheet/929200/3 "2020-12-29T23:16:13Z")
Google Sheets is probably the best way, but I think Microsoft may let you do that with Excel as well, at least Office 365. The other way would be to share an image on some image sharing site and update the image as necessary (I don’t know if you’d end up getting a new URL every time, though). ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-publish-or-host-simple-excel-spreadsheet/929200/4 "2020-12-29T23:43:12Z")
Looking at both Google Drive and Dropbox, they both seem to require me to provide a list of users who will have access to the spreadsheet. (Is that correct?) That’s not how I need it to work. I need to be able to give the link to the spreadsheet to different people ad hoc, as they express interest in seeing it. Rather like sharing a photo on Imgur or something. But an image isn’t going to work either, the sheet has 90 lines and about 15 columns at present, and could end up with more. It needs to be the spreadsheet, but in a form they can’t edit. Or I could convert it to a table in Word instead, if that makes it any easier. Does such a thing exist? ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-publish-or-host-simple-excel-spreadsheet/929200/5 "2020-12-30T00:17:01Z")
In Google Sheets, go to the “share” button. One of the options is link-share. You can set that to only people in your organization, or anyone with link. You can also make that link “view only” or give editing access. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-publish-or-host-simple-excel-spreadsheet/929200/6 "2020-12-30T00:42:51Z")
Yes, thanks, I see that now. I guess I’ll go that way, then, it does seem easier. Resistance is futile. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-publish-or-host-simple-excel-spreadsheet/929200/7 "2020-12-30T00:58:58Z")
I have another question about this. I have uploaded and shared the sheet on Google Drive so that anyone with the link can view it. When I open the link separately, it says “edit with” at the top so that I can open and edit the sheet. Is that because Google knows that it’s me? I’m ready to share this but I want to be sure no-one else can edit it. I don’t have any alter-ego logins I can use to test this. Should I stop worrying and start to love Google? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-publish-or-host-simple-excel-spreadsheet/929200/8 "2020-12-30T07:53:49Z")
Open the document and click on the share button. At the bottom it should say _Anyone on the internet with this link can view_ If it says anyone can edit, change the option. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-publish-or-host-simple-excel-spreadsheet/929200/9 "2020-12-30T08:05:01Z")
Alternatively, start the browser of your choice in incognito/private mode, and then navigate to the share link; you should now see the document as others with the link would see it. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-publish-or-host-simple-excel-spreadsheet/929200/10 "2020-12-30T13:32:32Z")
I do this with Dropbox all the time. > [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Looking at both Google Drive and Dropbox, they both seem to require me to provide a list of users who will have access to the spreadsheet. No. Dropbox has options, one of which is to make it available to anyone who has the link. You can set it for read-only or editable. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > Myself, I consider Dropbox a lot worse than Google. Why? Should I be worried that I am using Dropbox? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-publish-or-host-simple-excel-spreadsheet/929200/11 "2020-12-31T00:56:11Z")
I just didn’t like my experience with them. You use them for something and they try to sell you services and just generally left me wondering how honest they really are. This was 3 years back, but I’ve avoided them since.