Change Default Excel Template in Office 365

Are you tired of starting every new Excel workbook with the same default template? Office 365 allows you to change the default Excel template to suit your needs and preferences. Let's dive into how you can customize your Excel experience.

Before we begin, it's important to note that changing the default template in Office 365 will affect all new workbooks created on your account. If you're part of an organization, this change might also impact other users who share the same settings.

Understanding Excel Templates

Excel templates are pre-formatted workbooks that you can use as a starting point for your new workbooks. They can include formulas, charts, tables, and other elements that can save you time and effort.

Office 365 comes with a variety of built-in templates, but you can also create and use your own custom templates. Changing the default template ensures that every new workbook you create is already set up with your preferred layout and formatting.

Locating the Default Template

Before you can change the default template, you need to know where to find it. In Office 365, the default template is stored in your user profile folder.

To locate the default template, follow these steps: 1. Open File Explorer and navigate to your user profile folder (usually located at C:\Users\YourUsername). 2. Look for the 'AppData' folder and open it. 3. Inside 'AppData', open the 'Roaming' folder. 4. Find and open the 'Microsoft' folder. 5. Navigate to 'Templates' (or 'Templates (2)' if you have Office 2019 or earlier). 6. You'll find the default Excel template file, 'Book.xltx', in this folder.

Changing the Default Template

Now that you've located the default template, you can replace it with your desired template. Here's how to do it:

1. Open the 'Templates' folder (or 'Templates (2)') as described above. 2. Rename the 'Book.xltx' file to something like 'Book_Backup.xltx'. This will prevent any accidental loss of the original default template. 3. Copy your desired template file (it should be a .xltx or .xltm file) and paste it into the 'Templates' folder. 4. Rename your template file to 'Book.xltx'. This will make it the new default template. 5. Close the 'Templates' folder and open a new Excel workbook. You should now see your new default template in action.

Creating and Using Custom Templates

While Office 365 offers a variety of built-in templates, you might want to create your own custom template to better suit your needs. Creating a custom template is easy and can save you a lot of time in the long run.

To create a custom template, follow these steps: 1. Open an existing workbook that you want to use as a template. 2. Customize the workbook with your desired formatting, formulas, charts, and other elements. 3. Go to the 'File' menu and select 'Save As'. 4. In the 'Save As' dialog box, navigate to the 'Templates' folder (or 'Templates (2)'). 5. In the 'File Format' dropdown menu, select 'Excel Template (*.xltx)' or 'Excel Macro-Enabled Template (*.xltm)'. 6. Enter a name for your template and click 'Save'. Your custom template is now ready to use as your default template or any other template you want to apply.

Applying a Custom Template to an Existing Workbook

If you've already started working on a workbook and want to apply a custom template to it, you can do so easily. Here's how:

1. Open the workbook you want to apply the template to. 2. Go to the 'File' menu and select 'Info'. 3. Click on 'Apply Template' in the 'Related Actions' section. 4. In the 'Apply Template' dialog box, select your desired template from the list. 5. Click 'Apply' to apply the template to your workbook. The formatting and other elements from the template will now be applied to your workbook.

And there you have it! You've now learned how to change the default Excel template in Office 365 and how to create and use custom templates. Happy templating!