How to Make an Excel Spreadsheet

Creating a new workbook is one of the most basic commands you need to know in Excel. You can create a new, blank workbook or create a new workbook based on a variety of pre-designed templates.

Create a Blank Workbook

Most of the time you’ll want to create a blank workbook.

1. Click the File tab.
   
2. Click New.
3. Select Blank workbook.
   

Press Ctrl + N to quickly create a new blank workbook.

A new, blank workbook is created, and you can start entering data.

Create a Workbook from a Template

If you need help getting started with a common document, such as an invoice, expense report, or calendar, you can use one of Excel’s templates instead of starting from scratch.

1. Click the File tab.
   
2. Click New.
3. Find the template you want by:
   • Searching for the type of template you want, using keywords that describe it, such as “calendar” or “invoice”.
   • Clicking a suggested search, located below the search field.
   • Selecting the template you want, if it already appears on the page.
   
4. Select a template style.
   

Excel will create a new workbook, based on the template you select.

5. Click Create.
   

A new workbook is created from the template, and you can start populating it with your own data.