Chapter 8: Customizing the Excel User Interface
8
Customizing the Ribbon
The Ribbon is Excel’s primary user interface component. It consists of tabs along the
top. When you click a tab, it displays a set of relevant commands, and the commands are
arranged in groups.Why you may want to customize the Ribbon
Most users have no need to customize the Ribbon. If you find that you tend to use the
same command over and over, though—and you’re constantly clicking tabs to access these
commands—you might benefit from customizing the Ribbon in such a way that the com-
mands you need are on the same tab.What can be customized
You can customize tabs on the Ribbon by■ (^) Adding new custom tabs
■ (^) Deleting custom tabs
■ (^) Changing the order of the tabs
■ (^) Changing the name of tabs
■ (^) Hiding built-in tabs
You can customize groups on the Ribbon by
■ (^) Adding new custom groups
■ (^) Adding commands to custom groups
■ (^) Removing commands from custom groups
■ (^) Removing groups from tabs
■ (^) Moving a group to a different tab
■ (^) Changing the order of the groups within a tab
■ (^) Changing the name of a group
Those are fairly comprehensive lists of customization options, but there are some actions
that you can’t do:
■ (^) Remove built-in tabs (but you can hide them)
■ (^) Remove specific commands from built-in groups (but you can remove entire groups)
■ (^) Change the order of commands in a built-in group
Unfortunately, you can’t use VBA macros to customize the Ribbon (or Quick Access toolbar). However, developers
can write RibbonX code and store it in workbook files. When the file is opened, the Ribbon is modified to display new
commands. Writing RibbonX code is relatively complicated and beyond the scope of this book.