How to Remove Author Name from Excel Files Step by Step

What Author Metadata Is and Why It Matters

When you create an Excel file, the application automatically embeds your identity into the file's metadata. This happens silently in the background — you never see a prompt asking permission or confirming what information is being stored. The metadata includes your full name (as configured in your Office installation), your organization name, your Windows or macOS username, and in some cases your email address. Every time someone edits the file, their identity is added to the metadata as well, creating a cumulative record of everyone who has touched the document.

This information is stored in the file's XML properties and is accessible to anyone who receives the file. It takes only a right-click on Windows or a Get Info on Mac to see the author name. More technically inclined recipients can extract the full metadata payload by renaming the .xlsx file to .zip, extracting it, and reading the docProps/core.xml and docProps/app.xml files directly. Tools like MetaData Analyzer make this even simpler, revealing every piece of embedded information instantly.

Why does removing this information matter? Consider these scenarios: a freelance consultant sends a pricing spreadsheet to a client, and the author field reveals they created it by modifying a file originally authored by a competitor. A company shares a financial report externally, and the “Last Modified By” field exposes the name of an employee in a department that should not have been involved. A law firm sends a settlement calculation to opposing counsel, and the metadata reveals the name of the partner who drafted the initial figures, giving insight into the firm's internal decision-making structure. In every case, the author metadata reveals information that the sender did not intend to share.

Method 1: Remove Author via File Properties (Quick Method)

The fastest way to remove or change the author name is through Excel's built-in file properties panel. This method works in all modern versions of Excel and requires no technical knowledge. However, it only addresses the most visible author fields and may leave other metadata intact.

On Windows (Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2019, Excel 2021)

On Mac (Excel for Mac)

Method 2: Use Document Inspector (Recommended)

Excel's Document Inspector is the most thorough built-in tool for removing personal information from your files. It scans for author names across all metadata locations — not just the visible properties — and removes them in a single operation. This is the method Microsoft recommends, and it should be your default approach before sharing any file externally.

After running Document Inspector, you can also enable a setting to automatically remove personal information every time the file is saved going forward. Go to File → Info and check “Remove personal information from file properties on save.” This is especially useful for template files that will be reused and shared repeatedly.

Method 3: Remove Author via Windows File Explorer

You can remove author information without even opening Excel by using Windows File Explorer's built-in properties editor. This method is convenient when you need to clean multiple files quickly or when you don't have Excel installed.

This method works well for the main document properties but, like the quick method, does not remove author names from comments, tracked changes, or revision history. It also does not work on macOS — Mac users should use the Excel properties dialog or a scripted approach instead.

Method 4: Remove Author with a VBA Macro

If you need to remove author information from files regularly, a VBA macro can automate the process. This is particularly useful in enterprise environments where employees need to sanitize spreadsheets before sending them to external parties. The following macro removes all common author-related metadata from the active workbook.

Sub RemoveAuthorMetadata()
    Dim wb As Workbook
    Set wb = ActiveWorkbook

    ' Clear built-in document properties
    On Error Resume Next
    wb.BuiltinDocumentProperties("Author").Value = ""
    wb.BuiltinDocumentProperties("Last Author").Value = ""
    wb.BuiltinDocumentProperties("Company").Value = ""
    wb.BuiltinDocumentProperties("Manager").Value = ""
    wb.BuiltinDocumentProperties("Subject").Value = ""
    wb.BuiltinDocumentProperties("Keywords").Value = ""
    wb.BuiltinDocumentProperties("Comments").Value = ""
    wb.BuiltinDocumentProperties("Category").Value = ""
    On Error GoTo 0

    ' Remove custom document properties
    Dim i As Long
    For i = wb.CustomDocumentProperties.Count To 1 Step -1
        wb.CustomDocumentProperties(i).Delete
    Next i

    ' Remove all cell comments (which contain author names)
    Dim ws As Worksheet
    Dim cmt As Comment
    For Each ws In wb.Worksheets
        For Each cmt In ws.Comments
            cmt.Delete
        Next cmt
    Next ws

    ' Set the flag to remove personal info on save
    wb.RemovePersonalInformation = True

    ' Save the workbook
    wb.Save

    MsgBox "Author metadata has been removed.", vbInformation
End Sub

To use this macro, press Alt+F11 to open the VBA editor, insert a new module (Insert → Module), paste the code, and run it with F5. The macro clears all author-related document properties, removes custom properties, deletes cell comments (which embed the author's name), and enables the “Remove personal information on save” flag for future saves.

Sub RemoveAuthorFromFolder()
    Dim folderPath As String
    Dim fileName As String
    Dim wb As Workbook

    folderPath = "C:\FilesToClean\"
    fileName = Dir(folderPath & "*.xlsx")

    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    Do While fileName <> ""
        Set wb = Workbooks.Open(folderPath & fileName)

        On Error Resume Next
        wb.BuiltinDocumentProperties("Author").Value = ""
        wb.BuiltinDocumentProperties("Last Author").Value = ""
        wb.BuiltinDocumentProperties("Company").Value = ""
        wb.BuiltinDocumentProperties("Manager").Value = ""
        On Error GoTo 0

        wb.RemovePersonalInformation = True
        wb.Save
        wb.Close False

        fileName = Dir()
    Loop
    Application.ScreenUpdating = True

    MsgBox "All files processed.", vbInformation
End Sub

Method 5: Remove Author with Python (Cross-Platform)

For cross-platform automation or integration into CI/CD pipelines and document workflows, Python's openpyxl library provides full control over Excel metadata. This approach works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

import sys
from openpyxl import load_workbook
from pathlib import Path

def remove_author_metadata(file_path: str) -> dict:
    """Remove author and personal metadata from an Excel file.

    Returns a dict of fields that were cleared.
    """
    wb = load_workbook(file_path)
    props = wb.properties
    cleared = {}

    # Clear author-related properties
    fields_to_clear = [
        'creator', 'lastModifiedBy', 'company',
        'manager', 'subject', 'keywords',
        'description', 'category'
    ]

    for field in fields_to_clear:
        current_value = getattr(props, field, None)
        if current_value:
            cleared[field] = current_value
            setattr(props, field, '')

    # Remove all comments (contain author names)
    for sheet in wb.worksheets:
        for row in sheet.iter_rows():
            for cell in row:
                if cell.comment:
                    cleared.setdefault('comments', []).append(
                        f"{sheet.title}!{cell.coordinate}"
                    )
                    cell.comment = None

    wb.save(file_path)
    return cleared

if __name__ == '__main__':
    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
        result = remove_author_metadata(path)
        print(f"Cleaned: {path}")
        for key, value in result.items():
            print(f"  {key}: {value}")

Install the library with pip install openpyxl and run the script as python remove_author.py file1.xlsx file2.xlsx. The script clears all author-related properties and removes comments, printing a summary of what was removed from each file.

You can integrate this into automated workflows easily. For example, add it as a pre-commit hook in a Git repository to ensure no Excel files with author metadata are ever committed, or trigger it in a document management system whenever a file is moved to an “external sharing” folder.

Preventing Author Metadata from Being Set in the First Place

Rather than removing author metadata every time you share a file, you can configure Excel to minimize the personal information it embeds. While you cannot prevent all metadata from being created, you can significantly reduce what gets stored.

Verifying That Author Information Has Been Removed

After removing author metadata, always verify the result. Do not assume the removal was successful — check the file yourself or use a tool to confirm that no personal information remains.

Which Method Should You Use?

The best method depends on your situation. Here is a quick guide to help you choose.