ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor · Workbook workflows · Beginner
Inspect Workbook Information Before a Local Handoff in ONLYOFFICE
Read workbook properties without confusing the filename, document title, server fields or cell review comments.
Documentation-qualified; native field availability and save/reopen checks pending · Editorial standards
Quick answer
Inspect File → Info, but treat its fields as descriptive information, not proof that the workbook is correct, approved or free of private content. A document title is not its filename, and the file’s Comment property is not a cell discussion. These distinctions come from the official spreadsheet information reference.
Scope and evidence boundary
The File tab reference describes desktop and online interfaces and includes information/property inspection. The official FAQ confirms free desktop editing of local spreadsheets offline. This guide uses a local XLSX copy in the English desktop interface, not a hosted workbook.
The help pages are rolling documentation checked on 21 October 2026. No particular installed build, Windows/Linux/macOS interface, screenshot or native result was tested. In particular, the information reference mixes file properties with server-oriented fields. It does not establish that every listed field is visible or populated in a local desktop file. Record missing fields as unavailable in your installation; do not connect a cloud account to manufacture them.
Prepare a harmless inspection specimen
Use a new local workbook named handoff-inspection-practice.xlsx. Enter this fictional example on its first sheet:
| Cell | Entry |
|---|---|
| A1 | Item |
| B1 | Units |
| C1 | Unit price |
| D1 | Amount |
| A2 | Practice folders |
| B2 | 4 |
| C2 | 7 |
| D2 | =B2*C2 |
The independently calculated expected amount is 28. Save the practice workbook locally. This is a check for you to perform, not an observed application result.
Make a separate inspection note outside the workbook with four columns: field, observed value, interpretation, next action. Record your installed version, operating system and exact local filename there. Do not enter actual personal details just to fill empty metadata fields.
Read without changing authorship
- Open File, then Info. If that option is absent, record your version and stop the metadata procedure rather than substituting a similarly named cloud page.
- Inspect whichever properties are present. The reference lists Author, Title, Tags, Subject and Comment, plus custom properties. This exercise reads them only: do not edit authors, add custom fields or change your application identity.
- Record blank fields as blank. If the Title is empty while the file has a name, that is not a failed save. If they differ, record both instead of assuming either has been renamed.
- Keep Owner, Uploaded and Last Modified observations separate from file properties. The help defines Uploaded as a server-upload date; do not reinterpret it as the local file’s creation date. Missing server information is not evidence that the local workbook is damaged.
For example, your note might say: “Title: blank; filename: handoff-inspection-practice.xlsx; no title supplied; no change required for this exercise.” That is a sample observation format, not a prediction of what your installation will show.
Verify the inspection did not become an edit
Return to the sheet and inspect B2, C2 and the formula bar for D2. They should still be 4, 7 and =B2*C2, with expected result 28. If you accidentally entered text in a property field, do not certify the exercise as read-only. Close without saving that unintended change or restart with a fresh practice copy, then repeat the observations.
If your real task requires changing metadata, first define the intended field and a separate save/reopen acceptance check. This read-only tutorial does not verify property editing or round-trip preservation across XLSX, ODS, CSV or other applications.
What this check does not certify
An apparently clean Info screen does not establish that cells, hidden sheets, comments, external links or embedded objects contain no sensitive material. Nor is an Author field proof of identity or approval. This is a limited information check, not a complete privacy inspection or authenticity test.
Before a real handoff, compare the intended recipient’s requirements with the actual workbook and retain your original. Use the save/reopen compatibility exercise for file checks and the local comments exercise for discussions. Do not treat the Info Comment field as a substitute for an anchored review question.