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\<bookmark_value\>protecting;cells and sheets\</bookmark_value\>\<bookmark_value\>cells; protecting\</bookmark_value\>\<bookmark_value\>cell protection; enabling\</bookmark_value\>\<bookmark_value\>sheets; protecting\</bookmark_value\>\<bookmark_value\>documents; protecting\</bookmark_value\>\<bookmark_value\>cells; hiding for printing\</bookmark_value\>\<bookmark_value\>modifying; sheet protection\</bookmark_value\>\<bookmark_value\>changing; document protection\</bookmark_value\>\<bookmark_value\>hiding;formulas\</bookmark_value\>\<bookmark_value\>formulas;hiding\</bookmark_value\>

# Protecting Cells from Changes

In \<item type=\"productname\"\>LibreOffice\</item\> Calc you can protect sheets and the document as a whole. You can choose whether the cells are protected against accidental changes, whether the formulas can be viewed from within Calc, whether the cells are visible or whether the cells can be printed.

Protection can be provided by means of a password, but it does not have to be. If you have assigned a password, protection can only be removed once the correct password has been entered.

Note that the cell protection for cells with the \<emph\>Protected\</emph\> attribute is only effective when you protect the whole table. In the default condition, every cell has the \<emph\>Protected\</emph\> attribute. Therefore you must remove the attribute selectively for those cells where the user may make changes. You then protect the whole table and save the document.

These protection features are just switches to prevent accidential action. The features are not intended to provide any secure protection. For example, by exporting a sheet to another file format, a user may be able to surpass the protection features. There is only one secure protection: the password that you can apply when saving an OpenDocument file. A file that has been saved with a password can be opened only with the same password.

1. Select the cells that you want to specify the cell protection options for.

2. Choose \<item type=\"menuitem\"\>Format - Cells\</item\> and click the \<emph\>Cell Protection\</emph\> tab.

3. Select the protection options that you want. All options will be applied only after you protect the sheet from the Tools menu - see below.

   Select \<emph\>Protected\</emph\> to prevent changes to the contents and the format of a cell.

   Select \<emph\>Protected\</emph\> to prevent changes to the contents and the format of a cell.

   Select \<emph\>Hide formula\</emph\> to hide and to protect formulas from changes.

   Select \<emph\>Hide when printing\</emph\> to hide protected cells in the printed document. The cells are not hidden onscreen.

4. Click \<emph\>OK\</emph\>.

5. Apply the protection options.

   To protect the cells from being changed / viewed / printed according to your settings in the Format - Cells dialog, choose Tools - Protect Sheet.

   To protect the structure of the document, for example the count, names, and order of the sheets, from being changed, choose Tools - Protect Spreadsheet Structure.

6. (Optional) Enter a password.

   If you forget your password, you cannot deactivate the protection. If you only want to protect cells from accidental changes, set the sheet protection, but do not enter a password.

7. Click \<emph\>OK\</emph\>.

Related Topics

Unprotecting Cells

Protecting Content in LibreOffice

About Digital Signatures