Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Running a Macro when a Worksheet is Activated.

Running a Macro when a Worksheet is Activated

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 6, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

Excel allows you to define macros that are executed whenever certain well-defined events occur in the Excel environment. One of those events is when a worksheet is activated. For instance, you could create a macro that defined a custom menu structure whenever a particular worksheet is displayed.

In order to create a macro that runs when a worksheet is activated, follow these steps:

  1. Display the VBA Editor by pressing Alt+F11.
  2. In the Project window, at the left side of the Editor, double-click on the name of the worksheet that you want to affect. (You may need to first open the VBAProject folder, and then open the Microsoft Excel Objects folder under it.) The code window for the worksheet should appear.
  3. In the code window, use the right pull-down list (there are two pull-down lists just below the title bar of the code window) to select the Activate option. The following code should appear in the code window:
     Private Sub Worksheet_Activate()

     End Sub
  1. In this new subroutine enter the macro you want executed whenever the worksheet is activated.
  2. Close the VBA Editor.

Remember that a macro defined in this way is run every time the worksheet is activated, not just the first time. Think about how you use Excel; it is possible to activate a worksheet several dozen times during the course of a session.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the ExcelTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2564) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Running a Macro when a Worksheet is Activated.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Getting Rid of Hyperlinks in Footnotes

When you add hyperlinks to a document, Word makes them active, meaning you can click them to open the target of the ...

Discover More

Typing Check Marks into Excel

Need to enter a check mark into a cell? There are a number of ways you can get the desired character, depending on the ...

Discover More

Determining the Week of the Year

If you are working with dates in a macro, you may need to determine which week of the year a date falls within. This can ...

Discover More

Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Viewing Two Worksheets At Once

If you need to work on two worksheets in the same workbook at the same time, Excel makes this rather easy to do. All you ...

Discover More

Saving Versions

If you need to save your Excel data at different benchmarks, you might want to use some sort of "versioning" system. Such ...

Discover More

Setting the Number of Default Worksheets

Excel allows the user to determine how many default worksheets are in a new workbook.

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is one less than 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.