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How to receive an email notification when a recipient opens your Excel attachment?

Author Xiaoyang Last modified

When sending important information in an Excel file attachment, it can be helpful to know if the recipient has opened the file. With VBA, you can create a code that triggers an automatic email notification to be sent to you as soon as the recipient opens the workbook. This guide will show you how to set up this functionality in Excel, allowing you to receive confirmation whenever the attached file is accessed.

Trigger an email notification when an Excel attachment is opened using VBA code

arrow blue right bubble Trigger an email notification when an Excel attachment is opened using VBA code

Note: This method is only available when you use Outlook as your mail program.

Before sending this Excel file, you should create a code as follows:

1. Hold down the ALT + F11 keys to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

2. Then double click ThisWorkbook under the VBAProject section to open a blank module, and then copy and paste the following code into the module:

VBA code: Send an email when the Excel file is opened:

Private Sub Workbook_Open()
'Updateby Extendoffice
    Dim olkObj As Object
    Dim olkEm As Object
    Dim strbody As String
    Set olkObj = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")
    Set olkEm = olkObj.CreateItem(0)
    strbody = "Hi there" & vbNewLine & vbNewLine & _
              ThisWorkbook.Name & vbNewLine & _
              "was opened by" & vbNewLine & _
              Environ("username")
    On Error Resume Next
    With olkEm
        .To = ""
        .CC = ""
        .BCC = ""
        .Subject = "File opened"
        .Body = strbody
        .Send
    End With
    On Error GoTo 0
    Set olkEm = Nothing
    Set olkObj = Nothing
End Sub

Screenshot of the pasted code in the VBA window in Excel

Note: In the above code, you should change the email address to your own address which you want to receive the prompt email, and change the subject to your need.

3. Then save this workbook as Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook file format, see screenshot:

Screenshot showing how to save the workbook as an Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook

4. And then send a message with this file attachment to the recipients you need, when the recipients downloading and opening this Excel file and activating the code, an prompt email will be automatically sent to you and tells you that the file was opened by who as following screenshot shown:

Screenshot showing an email received when the file is opened by a recipient

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