Symphony
← Back to Symphony
Resources

Everything you need to work with Symphony.

Articles from the team, documentation, product videos, and setup guides — for admins, contributors, and everyone in between.

From the team

Articles & writing

All articles →
How-to6 min read

How to share an Excel file with multiple users.

Co-authoring, Shared Workbook, email — how each works, and where each breaks.
How-to5 min read

Excel version history: what it captures, what it misses.

Where to find it, what it records, and why 'who changed this' has no answer.
How-to7 min read

How to merge Excel files into one.

Move or Copy, Power Query, VBA — and the question to ask first: once, or every week?
Explainer6 min read

Excel as a database: what works, what breaks.

Where Excel stops being enough, and how to put a database behind it instead.
Perspective7 min read

Five ways shared Excel breaks down.

Live keystrokes, whole-workbook sharing, keystroke history, no way to combine, no way to compare.
Comparison9 min read

Symphony compared to the alternatives.

Excel co-authoring, Google Sheets, Airtable, Monday.com, ClickUp — what each is and where Symphony fits.
Reference8 min read

The six shapes of a team conversation.

Star, Gateway, Adhoc, Round-Robin, Broadcast, Time & Space Priority.
Product Thinking7 min read

Why real-time co-authoring does not work for communication and collaboration.

Most teams turn off real-time editing within a week of turning it on. There's a reason — and it's not what you think.
Case Study5 min read

How a sales team and management worked together to meet their numbers.

One leader's playbook for moving from spreadsheet chaos to a clean weekly forecast, without switching CRMs.
Guide10 min read

Setting up your first Symphony workbook — a practical guide.

From workbook design to inviting contributors to your first Submit — everything you need for a clean start.
Documentation

Product docs

Full docs →
Getting started with Symphony
Quick start · 5 min
The six commands: Submit, Refresh, and more
Reference · 8 min
Understanding transactions and merging
Reference · 6 min
Inviting contributors
Admin · 3 min
Admin console
Admin · Coming soon
Soon
Security & compliance
IT · Coming soon
Soon

Ready to try Symphony?

Get started in minutes. Set up your first workbook and see for yourself.

Subscribe
FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

What is Symphony?
Symphony is an Excel add-in from Boardwalktech that lets a team share individual worksheets instead of whole workbooks. Your edits stay private until you Submit; teammates pull them in when they Refresh. Every change records who, what, when and why.
Does Symphony replace Excel?
No. Symphony runs inside Excel as an add-in. You keep your workbooks, formulas, formatting and habits. Symphony adds six commands to the ribbon: Submit, Refresh, Invite, Changes, xCopy and xPaste.
How is Symphony different from Excel co-authoring or SharePoint?
Co-authoring shares the whole workbook and makes every keystroke live to everyone. Symphony shares one worksheet at a time, keeps your work private until you choose to Submit, and lets teammates choose when to Refresh. Nothing is overwritten silently, and every change is attributed.
Can I share just one worksheet and keep the rest of the workbook private?
Yes. That is the core of Symphony. You Invite people to a specific worksheet. The other tabs in your workbook stay invisible to them.
What happens to my edits before I Submit?
They stay in your workbook only. No one else can see them, and they do not appear in anyone's change history. You can abandon a draft without leaving a trace.
What does Refresh do?
Refresh pulls every teammate's Submits since your last Refresh into your worksheet. Changes to different cells merge automatically. Changes to the same cell are surfaced so a person can decide. Refresh happens only when you ask for it.
How does Symphony track who changed what?
Every Submit is a transaction with an author, a timestamp and the reason you attach. The Changes command shows this history for any cell, row or worksheet.
Can I combine worksheets from different workbooks?
Yes. Use xCopy on the source worksheet and xPaste in the target workbook. The same worksheet then lives in both workbooks and stays in sync through Symphony — it is not a copy or a file link.
What are the system requirements?
Microsoft Excel 2016 or later on Windows 10 or Windows 11. A Mac version is coming soon.
How much does Symphony cost?
The Emerging Business License is $250 per month for your whole team. Monthly billing, cancel anytime. There is no annual contract.
Where is my data stored?
Symphony stores linked worksheet data in a database rather than in the Excel file. This is what makes worksheet-level sharing, history and cross-workbook assembly possible. Your local Excel file continues to work normally.
Is Symphony related to Symphony Communication Services?
No. Symphony by Boardwalktech is an Excel collaboration add-in made by Boardwalktech Inc. of Palo Alto, California. It is not affiliated with any other company using the Symphony name.