How to Change Worksheet Views in Excel

Microsoft Excel is more than just a grid of rows and columns—it is a powerful workspace designed to adapt to different tasks, audiences, and stages of work. One of the most underutilized yet highly valuable features in Excel is worksheet views. Worksheet views allow users to change how data is displayed without altering the underlying data itself. Whether you are entering data, analyzing trends, preparing a report, or printing a worksheet, Excel provides different views to optimize your workflow.

In this article, we will explore how to change worksheet views in Excel, explain each available view in detail, and discuss when and why to use them. By the end, you will have a solid understanding of how worksheet views can improve productivity, reduce errors, and make collaboration easier.

Understanding Worksheet Views in Excel

A worksheet view controls how a worksheet appears on your screen, not how the data is stored. Views affect elements such as:

• Page boundaries
• Headers and footers
• Rulers and margins
• Gridline appearance
• Zoom and layout

Changing views does not modify formulas, values, or formatting. Instead, it changes your perspective of the worksheet, helping you work more efficiently depending on the task at hand.

Excel offers several built-in worksheet views, each designed for a specific purpose:

1. Normal View
2. Page Layout View
3. Page Break Preview
4. Custom Views (Classic Excel feature)
5. Sheet View (for collaboration in modern Excel)

Where to Find Worksheet View Options

Before diving into individual views, it’s important to know where to access them.

Using the View Tab

1. Open your Excel workbook.
2. Click the View tab on the Ribbon.
3. Locate the Workbook Views group.

Here, you will see buttons for:

• Normal
• Page Layout
• Page Break Preview

Using the Status Bar

At the bottom-right corner of the Excel window, you will find three small icons:

• Normal View
• Page Layout View
• Page Break Preview

Clicking any of these icons instantly switches the worksheet view.

Normal View: The Default Workspace

What Is Normal View?

Normal View is Excel’s default worksheet view and the one most users spend the majority of their time in. It displays a simple grid of cells optimized for data entry, editing, and analysis.

Key Characteristics

• Shows rows and columns without page boundaries
• Ideal for entering formulas and data
• Fastest and least resource-intensive view
• Gridlines are clearly visible

When to Use Normal View

• Creating or editing spreadsheets
• Performing calculations
• Cleaning and organizing data
• Applying formulas and functions

Normal View is best suited for everyday tasks where printing layout and pagination are not a concern.

How to Switch to Normal View

• Go to View → Normal, or
• Click the Normal View icon on the status bar

Page Layout View: Designing for Print

What Is Page Layout View?

Page Layout View shows your worksheet exactly as it will appear when printed. This view bridges the gap between on-screen editing and final output, making it ideal for formatting and presentation.

Key Characteristics

• Displays page margins and boundaries
• Shows headers and footers
• Includes rulers for precise alignment
• Reflects paper size and orientation

Why Page Layout View Matters

When preparing reports, invoices, or dashboards for printing or PDF export, Page Layout View helps ensure that everything fits neatly on the page.

Common Use Cases

• Adding headers and footers (page numbers, titles, dates)
• Adjusting margins and column widths
• Aligning charts and tables
• Ensuring content does not spill onto unwanted pages

How to Switch to Page Layout View

• Go to View → Page Layout, or
• Click the Page Layout icon on the status bar

Page Break Preview: Controlling Pagination

What Is Page Break Preview?

Page Break Preview displays how a worksheet is divided into printable pages and allows you to adjust page breaks manually.

Key Characteristics

• Shows pages as numbered sections
• Blue lines indicate page breaks
• Shaded areas represent non-printing regions
• Allows drag-and-drop page break adjustment

Why Use Page Break Preview?

Sometimes Excel automatically inserts page breaks in inconvenient places, splitting tables or charts across pages. Page Break Preview gives you precise control over pagination.

Common Use Cases

• Adjusting print areas
• Preventing tables from being split across pages
• Optimizing page count for printing
• Reviewing large worksheets before printing

How to Adjust Page Breaks

1. Switch to Page Break Preview.
2. Click and drag the blue page break lines.
3. Release the mouse to apply the new page break.

How to Switch to Page Break Preview

• Go to View → Page Break Preview, or
• Click the Page Break Preview icon on the status bar

Custom Views: Saving Layout Preferences

Note: Custom Views are available in desktop versions of Excel but are limited or unavailable in some cloud-based scenarios.

What Are Custom Views?

Custom Views allow you to save specific display and print settings and quickly switch between them. Each custom view can store:

• Hidden rows and columns
• Filter settings
• Print options
• Zoom level

Why Use Custom Views?

Custom Views are especially useful when:

• Different users need different layouts
• You frequently switch between analysis and reporting formats
• You want to present the same data in multiple ways

Example Scenarios

• One view for management summaries
• Another view for detailed analysis
• A print-ready view with specific margins

How to Create a Custom View

1. Set up your worksheet as desired.
2. Go to View → Custom Views.
3. Click Add.
4. Name the view and click OK.

How to Switch Between Custom Views

• Go to View → Custom Views
• Select the desired view
• Click Show

Sheet View: Working with Others Without Conflict

What Is Sheet View?

Sheet View is a modern Excel feature designed for collaboration, particularly in shared workbooks. It allows multiple users to view and filter the same worksheet differently without interfering with one another.

Key Characteristics

• Personal filters and sorts
• No impact on other users’ views
• Automatically saved per user
• Ideal for shared files in OneDrive or SharePoint

Why Sheet View Is Important

In collaborative environments, changing filters can disrupt others’ work. Sheet View solves this problem by isolating view changes per user.

How to Create a Sheet View

1. Open a shared workbook.
2. Go to View → Sheet View.
3. Click New.
4. Apply filters or sorting as needed.

Your view is saved automatically and does not affect others.

Switching Between Views Efficiently

Keyboard Shortcuts and Quick Access

While Excel does not offer direct keyboard shortcuts for all views, you can:

• Use the status bar icons for fast switching
• Add view commands to the Quick Access Toolbar
• Customize the Ribbon for quicker access

Tips for Power Users

• Use Normal View for speed
• Switch to Page Layout View before final formatting
• Review pagination with Page Break Preview
• Save frequently used layouts with Custom Views

Common Mistakes When Using Worksheet Views

1. Confusing views with formatting changes Views do not alter data or formatting.

2. Forgetting to return to Normal View Page Layout and Page Break Preview can feel slower for large datasets.

3. Overlooking Sheet View in shared files Many users still struggle with filters overriding each other.

4. Ignoring print previews Failing to check layout before printing often results in wasted pages.

Best Practices for Using Worksheet Views

• Choose the view that matches your current task
• Always check Page Layout before printing
• Use Sheet View when collaborating
• Save time with Custom Views for recurring layouts
• Combine views with zoom and freeze panes for better usability

Conclusion

Changing worksheet views in Excel is a simple yet powerful way to improve efficiency, accuracy, and collaboration. Each view—Normal, Page Layout, Page Break Preview, Custom Views, and Sheet View—serves a specific purpose and helps you interact with your data more effectively.

By understanding when and how to use each worksheet view, you can move seamlessly from data entry to analysis to presentation without frustration. Whether you are an Excel beginner or an experienced user, mastering worksheet views is an essential step toward becoming more confident and productive in Excel.

As part of your Excel learning journey, experimenting with different views will help you discover workflows that best suit your needs—and ultimately make Excel work for you, not against you.