Restore an older version of an Excel file online

Short answer: open the file in your browser, go to File, then Version History, pick a version and select Restore. This works only for files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint in Microsoft 365.

Requirement

Microsoft's page says: "Version history in Microsoft 365 only works for files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint in Microsoft 365." A file on your own drive has no version history in this sense.

Restore a version in the browser

Open the file in your browser.
Go to File, then Version History.
Select a version to open it. Check that it is the one you want.
To bring it back, select Restore.

Exact names may differ on your screen.

Restore from the folder

Microsoft's Excel page gives another route:

Go to the folder where the Excel file is stored.
Right-click the file name and choose Version history. In OneDrive, if that option is missing, select OneDrive, then Version history.
A panel lists the saved versions with dates and times.
Select a version older than the latest one.
Open the three-dot menu or arrow beside it and select Restore to "replace the current version with the selected one."

What restoring does

It discards later work. Microsoft warns that "any updates made after that version will be lost." Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: before you restore, open the version you want and copy any rows you need from the newer one into a separate file. Then restore.

How many versions are kept

Personal Microsoft account: Microsoft says: "If you sign in with a personal Microsoft account, you can retrieve the last 25 versions."
Work or school account: the number depends on the library configuration. Microsoft's versioning page says that for Microsoft 365 customers, versioning is on by default and "it will automatically save the last 500 versions of a document." Libraries allow "a range of 100-50000 major versions." Microsoft says anyone with permission to manage the list or library can change this in library settings.

If you cannot see the versions

Confirm the file is in OneDrive or SharePoint.
Confirm you are signed in with the account that owns or can open the file.
Ask the person who manages the library to check its versioning settings.

Lists have a separate history. See "SharePoint list version history not showing".

When to get help

You can build all of this yourself in Microsoft 365. If you would rather have it built and tested for your team, I do that. A tracker like this is a fixed price: $5,000 for one, built in 2 weeks. See "What a SharePoint tracker costs to build". Bring one example of the problem to a free call.

Tell me what's still manual

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FAQ

Where is version history in Excel Online?

Open the file, then go to File, then Version History.

How many versions does Excel keep?

Microsoft says a personal account can retrieve the last 25. A work account depends on the library configuration.

Does restoring an older version delete my newer changes?

Microsoft warns that any updates made after that version will be lost.

Why is version history missing for my Excel file?

Microsoft says it only works for files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint in Microsoft 365.

Can I view an older version without restoring it?

Yes. Selecting a version opens it so you can look first.