Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 8, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
Excel allows you to define macros that are executed whenever certain well-defined events occur in the Excel environment. One of those events is when a worksheet is activated. For instance, you could create a macro that defined a custom menu structure whenever a particular worksheet is displayed.
In order to create a macro that runs when a worksheet is activated, follow these steps:
Private Sub Worksheet_Activate() End Sub
Remember that a macro defined in this way is run every time the worksheet is activated, not just the first time. Think about how you use Excel; it is possible to activate a worksheet several dozen times during the course of a session.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (7221) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Running a Macro when a Worksheet is Activated.
Save Time and Supercharge Excel! Automate virtually any routine task and save yourself hours, days, maybe even weeks. Then, learn how to make Excel do things you thought were simply impossible! Mastering advanced Excel macros has never been easier. Check out Excel 2010 VBA and Macros today!
You can use the Zoom feature of Excel to magnify what Excel shows of your workbook, but it affects the entire screen. ...
Discover MoreYou can easily add a button to your worksheet that will allow you to run various macros. This tip shows how easy it is.
Discover MoreIf you have a series of values in a column, you might have a need to separate the values into even values and odd values. ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2020-07-19 08:33:02
Peter Atherton
Eddie D Faucheux
It is entered in the Worksheet Code. Right-click the sheet tab and pick View Code the code shound be triggered by the sheet Activevate event
Private Sub Worksheet_Activate()
myMacro
End Sub
2020-07-18 13:16:06
Eddie D Faucheux
In this new subroutine enter the macro you want executed whenever the worksheet is activated.
Where do you enter it?
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments