Cannot Add Worksheets to a Workbook

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 22, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365


Uma has a workbook that contains six worksheets. She would like to add at least two more worksheets, but for some reason the plus sign to the right of the worksheet names (the tabs at the bottom of the program window) is grayed out. Uma wonders what would cause the plus sign to be unavailable.

The most likely cause of this behavior is that the workbook's structure has been protected. You can check if this is the case by displaying the File tab of the ribbon and then clicking Info at the left side of the screen. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Info for the current workbook.

If the Protect Workbook area shows as yellow, then the workbook's structure has been protected. This means you won't be able to do rather routine tasks, such as adding or deleting worksheets. You can try to unprotect the workbook by clicking the Review tab of the ribbon. In the Protect group, the Protect Workbook tool should be shaded to show it is selected (the workbook is protected). Click the tool and the protection is removed. If you see the Unprotect Workbook dialog box (See Figure 2.) , then that means you need to enter the password used to protect the workbook.

Figure 2. Unprotecting a workbook that uses a password.

Once you unprotect a workbook, then you should either save the workbook or select a different worksheet in the workbook. That will get Excel's attention so that it realizes you just unprotected the workbook. It is at that point that the plus sign next to the worksheet tabs will be available.

If, at some point, you want to reprotect the workbook, simply follow the steps in this tip.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11287) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Saving Your Web Page

Want to save your document as a Web page? It's easy to do in Word; almost as easy as saving your document normally.

Discover More

Exfoliation

Exfoliation—the removal of dead cells from the topmost layer of your skin—is all the rage at spas and ...

Discover More

Using Search Text in the Replacement

When you use the Find and Replace tool in Word, you may want to include what you searched for in the replacement text. ...

Discover More

Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2013 For Dummies today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Changing a Workbook Password

Excel allows you to apply protection to your workbooks. If you want to later change the passwords associated with that ...

Discover More

Locking Worksheet Tab Order

When you develop a workbook for others to use, you may want to make sure that those users cannot change the order in ...

Discover More

Protecting a Workbook from Opening in Other Programs

When working with sensitive information, you always need to be concerned that your data doesn't fall into unwanted hands. ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 0 + 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

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.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.