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How to allow sorting and Filter locked cells in protected sheets?

Author Sun Last modified

In general, the protected sheet cannot be edited, but in some cases, you may want to allow the other users to do sorting or filtering in the protect sheets, how can you handle it?

Allow sorting and filtering in a protected sheet

Allow sorting and filtering in a protected sheet

To allow sorting and filter in a protected sheet, you need these steps:

1. Select a range you will allow users to sorting and filtering, click Data > Filter to add the Filtering icons to the headings of the range. See screenshot：
a screenshot of enabling Filter for a selected range

2. Then keep the range selected and click Review > Allow Users to Edit Ranges. See screenshot:
a screenshot of clicking the Allow Users to Edit Ranges button

3. In the Allow Users to Edit Ranges dialog, click New to display the New Range dialog, give the range a name. See screenshot:

a screenshot of clicking the New button in the Allow Users to Edit Ranges dialog box a screenshot of an arrow a screenshot of setting the new range

4. Click OK to go back to Allow Users to Edit Ranges dialog, and then click Protect Sheet. See screenshot:
a screenshot of clicking the Protect Sheet button in the Allow Users to Edit Ranges dialog box

5. In the Protect Sheet dialog, type the password in the Password to unprotect sheet text box, and in Allow all users of this worksheet to list to check Sort and Use AutoFilter options. See screenshot:
a screenshot of specifying password and checking the Sort and Use AutoFilter options

6. Click OK, and retype the password in the textbox in the Confirm Password dialog. Click OK to finish the sheet protecting. See screenshot:
a screenshot of reconfirming the password

Then the users can sort and filter in this protected sheet

Tip. If there are multiple sheets needed to protect and allow users to sort and filter, you can apply Protect Worksheet utility of Kutools for Excel to protect multiple sheets at one time.please go to free try Kutools for Excel first, and then go to apply the operation according below steps.

1. After finish the first three steps to allow users to edit ranges in the specified sheets, click Kutools Plus > Protect Worksheets > Protect Worksheets.

2. In the Protect Worksheet dialog, select the sheets you want to protect, click Ok to display the next dialog, type and reenter the password, and check Sort and Use AutoFilter in Allow all users of this worksheet to list.
a screenshot of selecting the worksheets you will protect and specifying password

3. Click Ok. Now a dialog box pops out and shows how many sheets have been protected as below screenshot shown. Please click the OK button to close it.
a screenshot showing the number of protected worksheets

Now all specified sheets have been protected but allowed to sort and filter.

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