How to Use and Create Excel Templates

A template is a ready-made workbook you can start from, so you don’t have to build everything yourself. Excel comes with many free templates, and you can save your own.

Use a built-in template

1. On the File tab, click New.

2. Click a template you like, or search for one. Here, we choose Household monthly budget.

   

3. Click Create.

   

Result: Excel opens a new workbook based on the template. Change it however you like.

Save your own template

Whether you built a workbook from scratch or changed a free template, you can save it as your own template. Each time you use it, Excel opens a fresh copy, and the template itself stays unchanged.

1. Create or customize the workbook. Here, a budget overview based on a free design.

2. Click File > Save As > Browse, and under Save as type, choose Excel Template (*.xltx).

   

   Excel switches to your templates folder automatically. Usually that’s C:\Users\[your name]\Documents\Custom Office Templates.

3. Type a name, such as Excel Mine monthly budget, and click Save.

To create a workbook from your template:

1. On the File tab, click New.

2. Click Personal.

3. Click your template.

   

Result: Excel opens a new workbook based on your template. Your original template stays as it was.

The next lessons show how to build useful templates of your own, starting with a cash budget.