While working on a Sales Analytics Dashboard in Excel, I ran into a frustrating issue that many of us have probably faced: slicer buttons (Modify/Delete) not responding.
I was trying to make my slicers visually appealing—because let’s be honest, Excel’s default slicers aren’t the prettiest. So, I duplicated one of the slicers and tried to tweak it.
And then… nothing happened.
Clicking “Modify” or “Delete” did absolutely nothing. No error. No change. Just silence. 😤.
After some digging, I found the culprit: a protected sheet.
In Excel, protecting a sheet can lock down certain interactive elements, including slicers. That’s why I couldn’t modify or delete the slicer—it was on a sheet that was locked down.
Here’s what worked for me:
Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide SheetHere’s my updated Slicer✅
If your slicer is acting stubborn, check if the sheet it lives on is protected. It’s an easy fix that can save you from pulling your hair out 😂.
💡 Tip: Consider leaving slicers on an unprotected sheet or managing protection settings via VBA if you’re building a professional dashboard.
Want help with Excel dashboard design or slicer tips? Drop your questions in the comments.
Isaac says:
Hope this helped