How to Change the Default Save Type in Excel for Mac

To change the default save type in Excel for Mac, click Excel in the menu bar, choose Preferences, click Compatibility under Sharing and Privacy, and pick a format from the Save files in this format menu. Every new workbook then saves in that format unless you choose a different one in the Save As dialog.

The steps come from Microsoft’s Change the file format for saving workbooks in Excel for Mac article. The rest of this guide explains what the setting does and does not change, which format to choose, how to override it for one file, and what to check if the setting is missing or does not seem to work.

Before you start

• Where this applies: the desktop Excel app for Mac. Excel for Windows has the same setting in a different place, covered near the end.
• What a default save type is: the file format Excel selects for you the first time you save a new workbook. It is sometimes called the default file format.
• What it does not do: it does not convert workbooks you already have, and it does not stop you from picking another format for a single file.
• What you need: Excel installed and open on your Mac.

How to change the default save type in Excel for Mac

Read this first: Microsoft warns that some features and formatting might not be available if you save a workbook in the format of an earlier version of Excel or of another spreadsheet program. If you choose an older format as your default, that limit applies to every new workbook you save.

1. Open Excel on your Mac.
2. Click Excel in the menu bar at the top of the screen, next to the Apple menu.
3. Choose Preferences. The Excel Preferences window opens with rows of icons. Microsoft’s instructions call this item Preferences; if your copy of Excel labels it differently, pick the equivalent item in the Excel menu.
4. Under Sharing and Privacy, click Compatibility.
5. Open the Save files in this format menu and select the format you want, such as Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (.xlsm) or Excel 97-2004 Workbook (.xls).
6. Close the Preferences window. There is no separate Save button for the setting.

Result: Microsoft says that after you specify the default file format, all new workbooks are saved in the selected format unless you specify a different one in the Save As dialog box.

How to confirm the change worked

1. Create a new blank workbook, for example by pressing Command+N.
2. Type something in a cell, then click File > Save As.
3. Look at the File Format list in the Save As dialog. It should already show the format you chose.
4. Click Cancel if you only wanted to check, or Save to keep the file.

Test with a brand new workbook. A workbook you opened from an existing file is not a new workbook, so it is not a reliable test of the default.

Which format should you pick?

Microsoft’s File formats supported in Excel for Mac page describes each format. These are the ones most people consider as a default:

Format	Keeps VBA macros?	What Microsoft says about it
Excel Workbook (.xlsx)	No	The default XML-based workbook format for Excel on Mac and Windows.
Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (.xlsm)	Yes	The XML-based workbook format that preserves VBA macro code.
Excel Binary Workbook (.xlsb)	Yes	Stores data in binary format and takes less time to save.
Excel 97-2004 Workbook (.xls)	Yes	Compatible with Excel 98 through Excel 2004 for Mac and Excel 97 through Excel 2003 for Windows.
CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (.csv)	No	Exports only the data on the active sheet. Cell properties, formulas, graphics, and other formatting are not preserved.
OpenDocument Spreadsheet (.ods)	Not stated	Saves the workbook in the XML-based OpenDocument format.

A macro is a small recorded or written program, stored in the workbook, that automates a task. VBA is the language Excel macros are written in.

• Leave it on .xlsx if you do not use macros and the people you share with have a current version of Excel. This suits most people.
• Choose .xlsm if most of your workbooks contain macros. Microsoft gives this as its own example of a reason to change the default.
• Choose .xls only if you routinely share files with someone on a very old version of Excel. That is the situation Microsoft’s Mac article describes.
• Avoid CSV or other text formats as an everyday default. They keep the data on one sheet and drop formulas and formatting, so use Save As for those when you need them.

How to save one file in a different format

You do not have to change the default to save a single workbook differently. Microsoft’s Save a file in Office for Mac article lists these steps:

1. Open the workbook and click File > Save As.
2. If you want a different file name, type it in the Save As box.
3. Open the File Format list and select the format you want.
4. Click Save.

Result: only that file uses the new format. Your default stays the same.

Two details from Microsoft are worth knowing. The formats listed in the Save As dialog vary with the type of sheet that is active. And when you save to a different format, in most cases Excel converts only the active sheet, so to convert the other sheets you switch to each one and save it separately.

What changing the default does and does not affect

• New workbooks: affected. They save in the format you selected.
• Existing files: not converted. A file keeps its format until you save it in another one with Save As.
• Macros: .xlsx cannot store VBA macro code. If your default is .xlsx and a workbook contains macros, save that workbook as .xlsm or .xlsb instead.
• AutoSave: Microsoft lists a file being in an older format such as .xls among the reasons AutoSave is turned off. AutoSave is the Microsoft 365 feature that saves changes automatically while you work on a file stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. See Microsoft’s What is AutoSave? page for the full list.
• Other Office apps: this setting is inside Excel’s own preferences. Word and PowerPoint have their own preference windows.

How to change it back

Repeat the steps above and select Excel Workbook (.xlsx) in the Save files in this format menu. Microsoft identifies .xlsx as the default workbook format, so choosing it returns Excel to its original behavior. Workbooks you already saved in another format stay in that format; open each one and use File > Save As if you want an .xlsx copy.

Troubleshooting

You cannot find the Compatibility option

Make sure you opened Preferences from the Excel menu, not from the Apple menu, which opens the Mac’s own settings. In the Excel Preferences window, look in the Sharing and Privacy group. The Save icon in the same window is a different pane; Microsoft documents the default format menu under Compatibility.

A file still saves in the old format

Check whether the file is a new workbook. The setting covers new workbooks, so a file that was opened in another format, or one that was created from a template, may keep its own format. Use File > Save As and choose the format you want for that file.

Save As is missing from the File menu

Microsoft notes that when you open a file stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, the File menu shows Save a Copy in place of Save As. Use Save a Copy to create a version in another format.

The format you want is not in the menu

The Save files in this format menu shows only the formats Excel offers as a default. If the one you need is not listed, keep your current default and choose that format in Save As when you need it.

The setting does not stick

Quit Excel, reopen it, and check the Compatibility pane again. On a Mac managed by a school or employer, Office settings may be controlled by the organization; in that case ask your IT administrator. Microsoft’s articles do not describe a fix for this, so treat these as general checks.

Frequently asked questions

Does changing the default save type convert my existing Excel files?

No. The default save type in Excel for Mac applies to new workbooks. Existing files keep their current format until you save them in a different one with File > Save As.

Can I still save a single workbook in another format?

Yes. Microsoft says new workbooks use the default format unless you specify a different format in the Save As dialog box, so you can override the default for any one file.

What is the default save type in Excel for Mac?

Excel Workbook (.xlsx). Microsoft describes it as the default, XML-based workbook format for Excel on both Mac and Windows.

Which default should I use if my workbooks have macros?

Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (.xlsm) or Excel Binary Workbook (.xlsb). Both preserve VBA macro code, while .xlsx cannot store it. If you need the Developer tab to work with macros, see how to enable the Developer tab in Excel for Mac.

Is there a Compatibility Report in Excel for Mac?

Microsoft documents a Compatibility Report for Office for Mac 2011 and notes that in Microsoft 365 for Mac or newer versions of Office the feature may be different or unavailable. Do not rely on it being in your version; open the saved file and check it instead.

Is there the same setting in Excel for Windows?

Yes, in a different place. Microsoft’s Windows instructions say to select File > Options, open the Save category, and use the Save files in this format list under Save Workbooks.

Next step

Set the default, then save one new test workbook to confirm the File Format list shows your choice. If someone sends you a workbook you cannot open, see how to open an XLSX file. For another Mac-specific Excel setting, see how to hide zero values in Excel for Mac.