Excel’s Custom Views feature lets you save named worksheet display and print setups, then apply them again when you need them. Set up the worksheet first, then use View > Workbook Views > Custom Views > Add. Check for one important restriction before you start: if the workbook contains an Excel table on any sheet, Custom Views are unavailable throughout that workbook.
What a Custom View saves
A Custom View captures selected worksheet display settings, including hidden rows and columns, the selected cell, filters, and window settings. It can also include print settings such as page setup, margins, headers and footers, sheet settings, and a specific print area. You can create multiple named views for a worksheet and show a saved view when you want to return to that setup. Microsoft Support explains the settings and workflow.
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Check the workbook restriction first
If any worksheet in the workbook contains an Excel table, Custom Views are disabled for the entire workbook. This applies even if the table is on a different sheet from the one you want to save a view for. Microsoft’s documentation does not give a workaround for this restriction, so check the workbook before arranging your settings.
Create and apply a Custom View
- Prepare the worksheet. Set the rows or columns you want hidden, select the desired cell, apply filters, and adjust any relevant window or print settings. Include a print area if you want the view to preserve one.
- Add the view. Choose View > Workbook Views > Custom Views > Add, enter a name, select the settings you want included, and confirm.
- Show it later. Choose View > Workbook Views > Custom Views, select the saved view, and choose Show.
A view is tied to the worksheet that was active when you created it; showing it displays that worksheet. Custom Views are listed by Microsoft for Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, Excel 2021, Excel 2019, and Excel 2016. The cited Custom Views support page does not establish Mac availability, so do not assume its listed Windows workflow applies to Mac.
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Custom Views or Sheet Views?
These are different features. Use Custom Views to save and switch between named display and print setups. Sheet Views are intended for collaborative sorting and filtering so users can work with their own view without disrupting one another. Microsoft says Sheet Views require a workbook stored in OneDrive or SharePoint; a local copy makes their options unavailable. Other people sharing the workbook can see created Sheet Views in the menu. See Microsoft’s Sheet Views documentation for availability and behavior details.
There is also a collaboration caveat: in desktop Excel, sorts and filters made while working in a Sheet View may appear in the Default view for all users when the document is saved; the Sheet Views themselves are not affected. This is separate from Custom Views’ purpose of preserving reusable worksheet setups.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When a template is a better fit
Custom Views are for returning to named setups within a workbook. If instead you want future workbooks or worksheets to start with standard formatting, print areas, calculation settings, or window options, an Excel template may fit better. Microsoft describes these reusable starting points in Customize how Excel starts.
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