How to protect cell formatting but only allow data entry in Excel?

In many cases, you may need to protect the formatting of a range of cells and only allow data entry in Excel. This article provides three methods to achieve it.

Protect cell formatting but only allow data entry by protecting worksheet
Protect cell formatting but only allow data entry with VBA code
Protect cell formatting but only allow data entry with Kutools for Excel

Protect cell formatting but only allow data entry by protecting worksheet

For protecting cell formatting but only allow data entry, you need to unlock these cells firstly, and then protect the worksheet. Please do as follows.

1. Select the cells you need to protect their formatting but only allow data entry, then press Ctrl + 1 keys simultaneously to open the Format Cells dialog box.

2. In the Format Cells dialog box, uncheck the Locked box under the Protection tab, and then click the OK button. See screenshot:

3. Now go to click Review > Protect Sheet.

4. Please specify and conform your password in the Protect Sheet and Confirm Password dialog boxes. See screenshot:

Now the worksheet is protected, and the cell formatting is not changed. But the specified cells are allowed data entry only.

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Protect cell formatting but only allow data entry with VBA code

You can also run the following VBA script to protect cell formatting but only allow data entry in Excel. Please do as follows.

1. Press Alt + F11 keys at the same time to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

2. In the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window, double click ThisWorkbook on the Project pane, and then copy and paste the below VBA code into the ThisWorkbook (Code) window.

VBA code: Protect cell formatting but only allow data entry

Sub AllowDataEntryOnly()
    ActiveSheet.Protect Userinterfaceonly:=True, AllowFiltering:=True
    Range("C2:C20").Locked = False
        MsgBox "Only allow data entry in range C2:C20", vbInformation, "Kutools for Excel"
End Sub

Note: In the code, C2:C20 is the range which the cells you just allow data entry. Please change the range based on your needs.

3. Press the F5 key to run the code. In a popping up Kutools for Excel dialog box, click the OK button.

Now the worksheet is protected as well as the cell formatting. And only the specified cells are allowed data entry.

Protect cell formatting but only allow data entry with Kutools for Excel

You can easily unlock selected cells and protect worksheet with the Worksheet Design utility of Kutools for Excel.

1. Click Kutools Plus > Worksheet Design to activate the Design tab.

2. Select the cells you need to protect their formatting but only allow data entry, click Unlock Cells under the Design tab, and then click the OK button in the popping up Kutools for Excel dialog box. See screenshot:

3. Click the Protect Sheet button under the Design tab.

4. And then specify and conform your password in the Protect Sheet and Confirm Password dialog boxes. See screenshot:

Now the worksheet is protected. And the specified cells are allowed data entry only.

Related article:

• How to only allow changes to certain cells in Excel?