Excel Templates

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Microsoft® Excel templates differ from Microsoft® Word templates in that when you create a new workbook based on a template, your workbook is really a copy of that template. In Word, creating a document based on a template loads two Microsoft® Visual Basic® for Applications (VBA) projects — one for the template and one for the document.

Use an Excel template when you want to distribute a custom spreadsheet application that has an Excel user interface component. For example, you might create a reporting template that is formatted in a standardized fashion, with embedded graphics, so any reports users create with the template have the same look.

To create a new Excel template, create a new workbook and add the elements you want to include in the template, such as code, custom dialog boxes, custom worksheet and chart layouts, toolbars, and recorded macros. Save the template file in the C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates folder with the .xlt extension; if user profiles are being used, save the template in the C:\Windows\Profiles\UserName\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates folder.

Excel includes sample templates that you can install to familiarize yourself with how templates work and to get ideas for creating your own templates.

See also

Creating Templates | Word Templates | PowerPoint Templates | Access Templates