How to Make a Google Sheet View-Only Without Requiring Sign-In

Sharing spreadsheets online is essential for modern collaboration, but not every document should be editable. If you are distributing a public price list, a schedule, or a final report, you likely want people to read the data without accidentally modifying your formulas. Furthermore, you may need to share this document with people who do not have a Google account.

Google Sheets makes it incredibly easy to publish a document as a view-only webpage. This ensures your data remains secure while remaining easily accessible to anyone with the link, regardless of whether they are signed into Google.

Using the “Publish to Web” Feature

The standard “Share” button in Google Sheets is typically used for collaborating with specific individuals. For broad, public, view-only access, the “Publish to web” feature is a much better choice. It strips away the complex Google Sheets interface and displays your data as a clean, fast-loading HTML page.

1. Open your document in Google Sheets.
2. Click on File in the top menu bar.
3. Navigate down to Share, and then select Publish to web from the sub-menu.
4. A popup window will appear. Under the Link tab, you will see a dropdown menu that says “Entire document” by default. You can choose to publish the whole file, or restrict it to a specific sheet (tab).
5. In the second dropdown, leave it set to Web page.
6. Click the large green Publish button.
7. Google Sheets will ask for confirmation. Click OK.

Managing the Published Link

Once you click OK, Google will generate a unique URL for your spreadsheet. You can copy this link and send it via email, post it on social media, or link to it from your website.

Anyone who clicks this link will see a static, read-only version of your data. They cannot change cells, view hidden sheets (if you only published specific tabs), or see your revision history.

How to Stop Sharing the Document

If you eventually need to take the spreadsheet offline and revoke public access, you must explicitly stop publishing it.

1. Open the original Google Sheets document.
2. Click File, then Share, and select Publish to web.
3. At the bottom of the popup window, click on the Published content and settings section to expand it.
4. Click the Stop publishing button.
5. Confirm your choice when prompted. The public link will instantly stop working for anyone who tries to visit it.