Share the Story of Your Spreadsheet, Not the File
An independent product, not affiliated with Microsoft.
You can show someone a spreadsheet's story without sending the spreadsheet: record the edits and the reasoning behind them into a .rewind file, then send that instead. The recipient replays it in a browser, watching each change appear with your note, while the live workbook stays on your machine.
How do people usually share a spreadsheet with someone else?
Most people either email the file, share a read-only OneDrive or SharePoint link, export a PDF, or record a screen-share video. Each one works for its actual purpose, but none of them let a reviewer see what changed and why without either handing over the whole workbook or losing the cell-level detail.
Emailing the file, or a full-access sharing link, gives the recipient the whole workbook: every formula, every hidden sheet, and any other data that happens to live in the same file. That is fine for a collaborator who is supposed to have all of it. It is not fine when the point is to show one thing without handing over everything else.
A read-only sharing link only removes the edit button. The recipient can still open every sheet, inspect every formula, and see anything else stored in the workbook. OneDrive version history can sit behind the same link, but it surfaces whole-file snapshots, not a narrated sequence of edits with reasons attached.
A PDF export is a static picture of one moment. It has no edit history, no formulas (values only, usually), and no way to show how the numbers got there. Useful for a final report, useless for a walkthrough.
A screen-recording video shows what happened on screen, but produces no structured data. There is no note pinned to a specific edit, no way to jump straight to the change that matters, and the file tends to be large. The recipient has to watch the whole thing to find the part they care about.
What is a .rewind file and how does it avoid sending the workbook?
A .rewind file is a separate companion file that a recording produces alongside the workbook, not a copy of the workbook itself. ExcelRewind is an Excel add-in (with a Google Sheets add-on) that records why the numbers in a spreadsheet change. It captures every cell edit with timing and a note explaining the reasoning, and saves them to a shareable, replayable .rewind companion file. It never modifies the original workbook and never uploads spreadsheet content1. Turn on recording in the task pane, work as usual, add a short note when a change needs explaining, and stop. The .rewind file saves next to the workbook; the .xlsx itself is never touched and never leaves your machine.
What does the recipient actually see when they replay a .rewind file?
They open it at viewer.excelrewind.com, no install and no account, and watch the recorded edits play back in order, each one with the note you attached. What they see is limited to what was recorded: the cells that changed during the session, their recorded values, and the starting baseline. It is a recording of a session, not a live connection to the workbook, so they cannot edit a cell, test a formula, or open a sheet that was never part of the recording.
Does this protect formulas and client data during a handoff?
Only the recorded edits and their notes go into the .rewind file, so anything outside the recording, a hidden calculation sheet, a different client's tab in the same workbook, formulas you never touched during the session, stays out of what you share. That makes it a reasonable fit for a client deliverable, a consulting handoff, or a model review where the reviewer needs to see the reasoning, not the whole file. See how FP&A teams use recordings for model review and handoff, and read how data is handled for the full picture. With end-to-end encryption enabled, described on the security page, the .rewind file itself is locked with a passphrase before you send it.
How does a .rewind recording compare to the usual ways of sharing a spreadsheet?
| Capability | Email / share the file | Read-only link | PDF export | Screen-recording video | .rewind recording |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recipient needs no install or account | No (needs Excel or a Microsoft account) | No (opens in the browser, but typically needs a Microsoft account) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shows a note explaining each edit | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Whole workbook (formulas, other sheets) stays private | No | No | Yes | Depends what's on screen | Yes |
| Recipient can edit the source file | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Shows edits in order with timing | No | No | No | Yes, but unstructured | Yes |
For a full change log with who, what, and when on a cloud-stored file, see what Excel's built-in Show Changes and Version History cover, and what they miss.
See a real recording replay in your browser. You don't need an account or an install.
Watch a live replayInstall the add-in or read what a .rewind file actually contains.
Frequently asked questions
Can I show someone my spreadsheet without giving them the file?
Yes. Record the session with ExcelRewind and send the resulting .rewind file instead of the workbook. The recipient replays it in a browser at viewer.excelrewind.com, no install and no account, and watches the recorded edits appear in order with your notes. They never receive the live .xlsx.
Is a read-only OneDrive or SharePoint link safe for a walkthrough?
A view-only link stops editing, but it does not hide much. The recipient can still read every formula and any other data in the shared workbook, and hiding a sheet is not a security control: anyone who obtains a copy of the file can unhide it. It shares the file, just with the edit button removed.
Why not just record a screen-share video instead?
A video works, but it carries no cell-level data. There is no note attached to a specific edit, no way to jump straight to the change that matters, and the file is large. A .rewind recording is structured: each edit is a discrete event with a timestamp and, if you added one, a note.
What can the recipient actually do with a .rewind recording?
They can watch the recorded edits play back in order and read the note on each one, plus the recorded starting values. They cannot edit cells, test formulas, or open sheets that were never part of the recording. It is a recording of a session, not live access to the workbook.
Does ExcelRewind upload my spreadsheet to share it?
No. Recording happens locally in the add-in and spreadsheet content is never uploaded. The .rewind file holds only the edits you made and the notes you added, and with end-to-end encryption enabled it is locked with a passphrase before you send it anywhere.
1 The one exception: a Kiosk/Exam mode submission uploads the finished exam recording to ExcelRewind's storage for instructor review, sealed to the organization's encryption key when one is enabled.
Last updated: July 2026.
ExcelRewind is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft and Excel are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Questions? [email protected].