How to Group Worksheets in Excel

When working with an Excel file, you may have to apply the same formula or insert the corresponding columns to all the sheets. Grouping feature in Microsoft Excel allows you to group worksheets, and then use the same formula to all the sheets by doing it for one sheet. Anything you change in the first sheet also changes across all the sheets. In this post, I will show how you can Group Worksheets in Excel, and save a lot of time.

How to Group Worksheets in Excel

1. Open an Excel file, and decide carefully the worksheets on which you want to apply the common changes.
2. Press Ctrl, and then use the mouse to select the sheets you want to group. This creates group worksheets in Excel.
3. The sheets which you select will be highlighted, while the others will be greyed.
4. Now make the desired changes in the sheets by doing it on any sheet.
5. To select all the sheets, use “Select All Sheets” options from the menu.
6. Once done, right-click on any of the grouped worksheets, and select ungroup.
7. Any changes you make henceforth on any of the sheets will not be copied.

When you have such sheets which should be grouped, but they cannot be put next to each other, you can use colors. First, select them using Ctrl, and then right-click on any of them. In the menu, you will have the option of Tab Color to apply color to all of them. It is particularly useful when you want to identify them out of tons of sheets quickly.

Where to use the Group Worksheets feature in Excel?

Before I show it to you, know that when you Group Worksheets that it will duplicate whatever you write in one sheet into another.  If you create a new column in any sheet, it will create columns at the exact location in other sheets.  The same goes for formula, any deletion, and addition. So the essence of using this feature is when you want to apply the same changes at the same location and for all the sheets.

The sheet below computes the average cost of each post, and average posts delivered by authors.

• I created sheets for individual authors.
• I then selected the sheets using the Group Worksheets feature.
• Post this, created a basic framework of all the labels that would be in all the sheets.
• Then grouping was removed, and then individual data was entered based on the authors.
• Once data entry was complete, create the group worksheets in Excel again, and then apply the standard formulas.

Excel WorkSheet Author 1

Excel WorkSheet Author 2

I applied the formula when sheet one was selected, and then it was automatically applied to all sheets instantly.

While it's a great feature, make sure to use it carefully. Any change you make in one sheet gets applied to all. Anything you remove is also removed.

I hope the post was easy to understand, and you were able to group Worksheets in Excel. It's a brilliant feature that can save a lot of time, make sure to use it.