Invite others to collaborate on a spreadsheet in Numbers for iCloud

Before you begin, make sure you meet the iCloud and minimum system requirements for collaboration.

1. Do one of the following:

   • With the spreadsheet open: Click the Collaboration button in the toolbar.

     

   • In the spreadsheet manager: Select a spreadsheet, then click the Collaboration button in the toolbar.

2. Click Share Options.

3. Click the “Who can access” pop-up menu, then choose an option:

   

   • Only people you invite: Only people you invite and who sign in to their Apple Account can open the spreadsheet. People don’t need to have an Apple Account before you invite them; however, they need to create one before they can open your shared spreadsheet.

     If you invite someone using an email address or phone number that isn’t associated with their Apple Account, they won’t be able to accept the invitation until they add the email address or phone number to their Apple Account. Instructions are provided when they tap or click the link in the invitation.

   • Anyone with the link: Anyone can tap or click the link to open the spreadsheet. To protect the spreadsheet with a password, click Add Password, then follow the instructions.

     Note: If you’ve already added a password to this spreadsheet, you can click Change Password to change or remove the password.

4. Click the Permission pop-up menu, then choose an option:

   

   • Can make changes: People can edit, print, and download the shared spreadsheet.

   • View only: People can view, print, and download the shared spreadsheet, but not edit it.

   If you set the access to “Only people you invite” (in the previous step), you can change individual permission settings after you share the spreadsheet.

5. If you don’t want participants to be able to invite others, deselect the checkbox next to “Anyone can add more people.”

   This checkbox is visible only if you set the access to “Only people you invite” in step 3 above, and the permission to “Can make changes” in step 4 above.

6. Choose a method for sending the link:

   

   Note: If you have web-only iCloud access, you can’t email the link; you can only copy it.

   • Email: Click the Email button, click Share, then type one or more email addresses in the address field. Compose your message, then click Send.

   • Share the link in another way: Click Copy Link, then do any of the following:

     • If the spreadsheet’s access is set to “Only people you invite”: Enter the email addresses or phone numbers for the people you want to invite, then click Share. Click Copy Link, then paste it in whichever app you want to use to share it (for example, a text message or chat).

     • If the spreadsheet’s access is set to “Anyone with the link”: Click Share, copy the link that appears, then paste it in whichever app you want to use to share it (for example, a text message or chat).

   Important: When you click Share, a link to the spreadsheet (which includes its title) is created on iCloud.com. If the title or content of the spreadsheet is confidential, be sure to ask recipients not to forward the link to anyone else.

After you share a spreadsheet, a checkmark appears on the Collaboration button to indicate the spreadsheet is shared.

If you’re the owner of a spreadsheet whose access is set to “Only people you invite,” or if the owner of a shared spreadsheet gives you permission to add more people, you can invite more people to join the spreadsheet using their Apple Account.

1. Do one of the following:

   • With the spreadsheet open: Click the Collaboration button in the toolbar, then click Add People.

   • In the spreadsheet manager: Select the spreadsheet, click the Collaboration button in the toolbar, then click Add People.

   

2. Click the Permission pop-up menu, then set the editing permission for the new participants.

   This setting affects only the new people you’re about to invite; it doesn’t change the permission of those you’ve already invited.

   Note: If you don’t want the newly added people to be able to invite others, deselect the “Anyone can add more people” checkbox below the Permission pop-up menu.

3. Choose a method for sending the invitation:

   • Email: Click Email, click Share, enter the email addresses or phone numbers for the people you want to invite, then click Send.

   • Share the link in another way: Click Copy Link, enter the email addresses or phone numbers for the people you want to invite, then click Share. Click Copy Link, then paste it in whichever app you want to use to share it (for example, a text message or chat).

   Note: If you have web-only iCloud access, you can’t email the link; you can only copy it.

If your spreadsheet access is set to “Anyone with the link,” you can invite more people to collaborate on the spreadsheet by sending them a link that doesn’t require an Apple Account to view the spreadsheet.

1. Do one of the following:

   • With the spreadsheet open: Click the Collaboration button in the toolbar, then click Send Link.

     

   • In the spreadsheet manager: Select the spreadsheet, click the Collaboration button in the toolbar, then click Send Link.

2. Choose a method for sending the link:

   • Email: Click Email, click Continue, then compose and send the email message.

   • Share the link in another way: Click Copy Link, then click Continue. Click Copy Link, then paste it in whichever app you want to use to share it (for example, a text message or chat).

   Note: If you have web-only iCloud access, you can’t email the link; you can only copy it.

If you’re the owner of a shared spreadsheet, or if you’re collaborating on a spreadsheet whose access is set to “Anyone with the link,” you may want to find the shared spreadsheet link so you can, for example, save it where you can easily access it, or to see what information it contains.

1. View the spreadsheet’s collaboration details by doing one of the following:

   • With the spreadsheet open: Click the Collaboration button in the toolbar.

   • In the spreadsheet manager: Select the spreadsheet, click the Collaboration button in the toolbar.

2. To view the link, do one of the following:

   • If you’re the owner and the spreadsheet access is set to “Only people you invite”: Click Share Options, then click Copy Link.

   • If the spreadsheet access is set to “Anyone with the link”: Click Send Link, click Copy Link, then click Continue.

   The link appears. To save it in a more accessible place or to more easily see the entire link, click Copy Link (below the link), then paste it elsewhere.