Edit shared Microsoft Office documents in Dropbox
Updated Nov 14, 2023
You can now co-author Office Online documents with others.
- Log in to dropbox.com.
- Click the name of a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file that's saved in a shared folder.
- Click the “…” (ellipsis) next to the file’s name.
- Hover over Open and select Word for the web from the menu that appears.
- Ask the people you'd like to collaborate with to follow the same steps.
- The file will open in your web browser in Office Online; you can then edit it.
- When you're done editing, click Save and return to Dropbox.
Notes:
- At the top of the page you can see your name, and the names of other people who have the same file open.
- Changes you make will be saved automatically to your Dropbox.
- The co-authoring feature will only work if the person you'd like to collaborate with is a member of the shared folder in which the Office document is stored.
FAQs about editing shared Microsoft Office documents in Dropbox
Can I co-author documents on desktop or mobile?
No, co-authoring does not work on Office documents accessed from your desktop, or from Office mobile. To co-author an Office Online file, two things must be true:
- The Office file must have been accessed from dropbox.com
- The file must be saved in a shared folder
Additionally, all others must access the Office files from dropbox.com as well. The co-authoring feature will not work if one user is accessing from dropbox.com, while the other is accessing from desktop or mobile.
People who access the Office file through a shared folder must visit dropbox.com and follow the steps outlined earlier in this article.
Who can use the co-authoring feature?
- Dropbox Basic, Plus, Family and Professional: You need a Microsoft account to co-author their files online, but will not need an Office 365 license.
- Dropbox Business: You need an enterprise Microsoft account, and a license that allows editing in Office Online.
What file types will co-authoring work with?
- .xlsx
- .docx
- .pptx
How do I create new Office Online files from Dropbox?
- Log in to dropbox.com.
- Click Create.
- Hover over Document, Presentation, or Spreadsheet depending on the type of file you’d like to create.
- Click Word Document, PowerPoint Presentation, or Excel Workbook.
- Sign in to Office Online and create a new file.
Important notes on creating Office Online files from Dropbox:
- When you click Create and select a file type, you'll be redirected to Office Online.
- When you create a new file through Office Online, a link to this file is automatically saved to Dropbox for easy access.
- You must have an Office Online subscription to use this feature.
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