What does Save As do?

Saves a copy with a new name, place, or format

You want to keep March's budget and start April's. What do you do?

Save As a new file named for April

Managing Workbooks

By the Syncfusion DevTutorials team · Last updated October 20, 2026

Create, open, and save workbooks, know when to use Save As, and choose between XLSX, XLS, CSV, and PDF.

Building a spreadsheet is only half the job. You also need to start a new workbook, find it again later, and keep it safe. In this lesson, you'll create, open, and save workbooks, learn when to use Save As, and see which file format to pick.

Open the Excel sandbox and follow along.

Create workbooks

Every workbook starts as a blank workbook: one empty worksheet with cell A1 selected.

In the sandbox:

Open the File menu and choose New.
A blank workbook appears, ready for data.

In Excel:

Open Excel and click Blank workbook on the start screen.
Already working in a workbook? Press Ctrl + N for a new one.

The start screen in Excel also offers templates: ready-made workbooks for budgets, calendars, invoices, and more.

Open workbooks

Opening loads a workbook you saved earlier.

In the sandbox:

Open the File menu and choose Open.
Pick an Excel file (.xlsx, .xls) or a CSV file from your computer.

In Excel:

Press Ctrl + O, or go to File > Open.
Choose a file from Recent, or click Browse to look through your folders.
You can also double-click an .xlsx file in your folders to open it.

The Recent list in Excel remembers the workbooks you used last. It's the quickest way back to yesterday's work.

Save

Saving writes the workbook to a file, so you can close Excel and come back later.

In the sandbox:

Save draft in the sandbox header keeps the workbook for this lesson, in your browser.
Save in the sandbox header downloads the workbook as an .xlsx file.

In Excel:

Press Ctrl + S.
The first time, choose a folder and type a file name, then click Save.
After that, Ctrl + S saves straight to the same file.

If the file is stored in OneDrive, AutoSave keeps it up to date as you work.

Save As

Save As saves a copy with a new name, in a new place, or in a new format. The original stays exactly as it was.

Use Save As to:

Keep last month's version and start a new one, like Budget_March.xlsx and Budget_April.xlsx.
Save in a different folder.
Save in a different format, such as CSV or PDF.

In the sandbox: open the File menu, choose Save As, and pick a format. The copy downloads to your computer.

In Excel: press F12, or go to File > Save As, then choose a folder, a name, and a format.

Save updates the file you're working on. Save As creates a new file and leaves the old one alone. After a Save As, you're working in the new copy.

File formats

Format	Extension	Use it when
Excel Workbook	`.xlsx`	You want to keep working on it. This is the default.
Excel 97-2003 Workbook	`.xls`	Someone has a very old version of Excel
CSV (comma-separated values)	`.csv`	You need plain data for another program, like a database or an online form
PDF	`.pdf`	You're sharing a finished report that must look the same everywhere

A CSV file keeps only the values on one sheet: no formatting, no formulas, no charts, and no other sheets. Always keep an .xlsx copy as well. You'll learn more about formats and sharing in the next lesson.

Common mistakes

Mistake	What happens	How to fix it
Never saving	All your work is lost	Save early, then press Ctrl + S often
Using Save when you meant Save As	Last month's file is replaced	Use Save As first whenever you want to keep the original
Saving only as CSV	Formulas, formatting, and other sheets are lost	Save again as `.xlsx` from your workbook before closing
Editing the old copy after a Save As	Changes go into the wrong file	Check the file name before you continue
Opening a CSV and expecting formatting	It's plain data	Format it, then save it as `.xlsx`

Exercise

Do each task in the Excel sandbox, then press Check or Mark as done.

What to remember

New (Ctrl + N) starts a blank workbook; Open (Ctrl + O) loads a saved one.
Save (Ctrl + S) updates the current file; the first save asks for a name and folder.
Save As (F12) makes a new copy with a new name, place, or format.
In the sandbox, Save draft keeps your work for the lesson, Save downloads an .xlsx, and File > Save As picks a format.
Use .xlsx for working files, CSV for plain data, and PDF for finished reports.

In the next lesson, you'll learn about rows, columns, cell addresses, and how to select cells and ranges.