Remove Metadata from Excel: what it does
An Excel workbook says who made it and where. Besides the author and the person who saved it last, Excel often stores the full folder path the file was last saved in, such as C:\Users\name\Documents\Payroll, which gives away your computer’s user name and how you organise your files. Comments and threaded comments carry names and sometimes sign-in IDs, the properties hold the company, manager and dates, and hidden sheets travel with the file even when nobody can see them. Drop your .xlsx files here to see what each one contains, then download clean copies. The properties, custom fields, preview picture and saved path are removed, names on comments become “Author”, and photos inside are cleaned. Cells, formulas, formatting, charts and sheets stay exactly as they are, and the files never leave your device. Word and PowerPoint files work here too.
How to use it
- Drop one or more .docx, .xlsx or .pptx files into the box, or tap to choose them.
- Read what each file reveals: names, company, dates, editing time, saved folder paths, comment names, hidden sheets and photo locations.
- Choose whether to keep the title, remove names from comments and changes, and clean photos inside. Open “All fields” for every value.
- Download each clean copy, or all of them as one ZIP. Text, cells, slides and formatting are not touched.
Tips
- Check the “Hidden sheets” line before you send a workbook: hidden sheets stay in the file, and anyone can unhide them in a few clicks.
- Legacy Excel notes often start with the author’s name in bold inside the note text itself. That text is content, so edit it in Excel if you need it gone.
- Sharing figures with a client? Copy the values into a new workbook instead of sending the working file, then clean that copy here.
- Old .xls files can’t be cleaned here. Open them in Excel and save as .xlsx first.
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove personal information from an Excel file?
Drop the .xlsx in the box and download the clean copy. The author, last saved by, company, manager, dates, custom fields, preview picture and saved folder path are removed, and names on comments become “Author”.
Does Excel save the folder path in the file?
Often, yes. Recent versions of Excel store the folder the workbook was last saved in, and that path usually includes the Windows user name. This tool shows it if it’s there and removes it from the clean copy.
Are formulas, charts or sheets changed?
No. Only metadata parts are edited. Cells, formulas, formatting, charts, pivot tables and sheets, including hidden ones, are copied unchanged.
Can it clean password-protected workbooks?
Not workbooks protected with a password to open: they are encrypted. Remove the password in Excel (File → Info → Protect Workbook) and try again. Sheet protection without an open password is fine.
Is my workbook uploaded?
No. It is cleaned by your browser on your device, and nothing is sent to our servers.