Excel workbook protection is often confused with sheet protection, but they serve different purposes. Workbook protection locks the structure of your Excel file – preventing users from adding, deleting, moving, or hiding sheets.

This guide explains everything about Excel workbook protection: what it protects, when to use it, and how to remove it when you've forgotten the password.

What it protects

Structure: insert/delete/move sheets, hide/unhide.
Windows (optional): window size and positions.

Step‑by‑step enablement

Review → Protect Workbook → Check “Structure” (and “Windows” if needed).
Set a password if applicable.
Document which structural changes are frozen and why.
Validate users can still edit the expected sheets.

When to use vs avoid

Use when layout is part of the deliverable (dashboards, models).
Avoid if it blocks frequent team tasks; instead, define permissions and ranges.

Removing workbook protection

Review → Unprotect Workbook. If the structure password is forgotten, leverage the editing‑protection removal tool.

Relation to encryption

It does not protect confidentiality. For sensitive content, use encryption (password to open).