How to Tokenize (and Restore) Sensitive Data in Excel
You need to share a spreadsheet — or paste it into an AI — but a column holds names, account numbers, or emails that can't leave as-is. Masking them loses the originals for good. Tokenizing swaps them for placeholders you can reverse.
Last updated: September 2026
| Original | Token | |
|---|---|---|
| Acme Corp | → | TKN-0001 |
| Beta Ltd | → | TKN-0002 |
| Acme Corp | → | TKN-0001 |
Method 1 — hand-rolled with a lookup
You could build a mapping table by hand, number the distinct values, and VLOOKUP a token in — then reverse it later with another lookup. It works, but it's a lot of setup, and one edit to the map breaks the round-trip.
Method 2 — the 1-click way (Tellsheet)
Reversible Tokenize
Select the sensitive column and run Reversible Tokenize. It replaces each distinct value with a stable token (TKN-0001, TKN-0002…) and writes a Token Map sheet mapping every token back to its original. Share or send the tokenised data safely; later, run Detokenize with the map to restore the exact originals. Everything runs on your machine — nothing is uploaded — and equal values always get the same token, so the data still joins and counts. Unlike Anonymize, which is one-way, this round-trips. Pairs with Scan for PII and the AI tools.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tokenize data in Excel?
Reversible Tokenize swaps the column for tokens and saves a Token Map — one click.
How is it different from anonymizing?
Anonymize is one-way; tokenizing is reversible via the map.
Does my data leave the machine?
No — it runs entirely in the add-in, nothing uploaded.
How do I get the originals back?
Run Detokenize with the Token Map sheet in place.
Related Excel guides
Share data safely, then restore it
Reversible Tokenize swaps sensitive values for tokens and brings the originals back on demand.
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