Collaborating on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Documents in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams allows you and your colleagues to open, view, edit, and co-author Office documents (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) directly within Teams — no need to leave the app or send email attachments.

Where Documents Are Stored

• Files shared in channel conversations are stored in the associated SharePoint site.
• Files shared in chats (1:1 or group) are stored in the sender's OneDrive.
• All files are accessible under the Files tab in a channel or chat.

Opening and Editing a Document

1. Go to the Teams or Chat tab.
2. Click on the Files tab within the channel or chat.
3. Select the document (Word, Excel, or PowerPoint).
4. The file will open directly in Teams in a preview/edit mode.

You can choose: - Edit – to work directly in Teams - Open in Browser – to use Office Online - Open in Desktop App – if you prefer using the full version of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint

Real-Time Co-Authoring

• When you edit a document in Teams, multiple users can work at the same time.
• You’ll see the names and cursors of other users currently editing.
• Changes are saved automatically in real time — no need to press Save.

Adding Comments and Suggestions

• In Word and Excel, you can add comments by right-clicking a cell or paragraph and selecting New Comment.
• You can use @mentions to tag a specific team member inside a comment.

Version History

If a mistake is made or content is changed accidentally:

1. Click the ellipsis (⋯) next to the document name.
2. Select Open in SharePoint (for channel files) or Open in OneDrive (for chat files).

3. Choose Version history to restore or view earlier versions of the file.

   

Tips for Effective Collaboration

• Use folders inside the Files tab to organize documents by topic or project.
• Avoid downloading and re-uploading files — instead, edit in-place.
• Use @mentions in comments to assign parts of the document to specific people.
• Set up a tab in the channel for quick access to important documents.

Permissions and Access

• Team members can view or edit files based on their team permissions.
• You can manage file permissions from SharePoint or OneDrive if needed.
• External guests (if allowed by your organization) can collaborate if given appropriate access.