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: Embedding Your Phone Number in a Workbook.

Embedding Your Phone Number in a Workbook

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 28, 2026)

Excel is used quite extensively in corporate environments. It is often desirable to know exactly who created a workbook, particularly if it has been months since a workbook was last reviewed. Excel keeps track of non-workbook data that can be used to help identify an author. One piece of data that could be very helpful is the phone number of the workbook's author. To specify a phone number, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Properties from the File menu. Excel displays the workbook's Properties dialog box.
  2. Make sure the Custom tab is selected. (See Figure 1.)

    3. Figure 1. The Custom tab of the Properties dialog box.

  3. In the list of properties at the top of the dialog box (listed in the Name control), choose Telephone Number.
  4. In the Value box, enter the phone number you want associated with the workbook.
  5. Click on Add.
  6. Click on OK.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3296) 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: Embedding Your Phone Number in a Workbook.

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. ...

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