WPS Sheet Tab Color lets you assign different colors to worksheet tabs for faster identification and organization; this guide covers 4 core tasks, with 4 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.
At a Glance
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core tasks | 4 | Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index |
| Available without membership | 4 | Matches the number of Free rows in the index |
| Membership-related items | 0 | Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index |
About This Feature
Overview
Sheet Tab Color is a built-in spreadsheet feature in WPS Office for Windows that lets you apply different colors to worksheet tabs, making it easier to identify sheet content and status at a glance.
Core tasks include:
- Set a worksheet tab color from the right-click menu for quick changes on the current sheet.
- Set a worksheet tab color from the Home tab for users who prefer ribbon-based navigation.
- Remove an existing tab color from the right-click menu to return to the default display.
- Remove a tab color from the ribbon to manage tab appearance through the same menu path.
This feature is useful for project trackers, monthly reports, categorized workbooks, and multi-sheet collaboration. It helps reduce the time needed to locate the right worksheet in files that contain many tabs.
System Requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating system | A Windows device that can run WPS Office normally |
| App version | It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office |
| Network | No mandatory internet connection is required for local tab color changes |
| Other | Open a spreadsheet file with multiple worksheets so the tab color difference is easy to see |
Download & Installation
Before you use Sheet Tab Color, install WPS Office on Windows and open a spreadsheet file.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official download | WPS Office Free Download |
| Check after installation | Launch WPS Spreadsheet, open any workbook, and confirm that worksheet tabs are visible at the bottom |
Source: WPS download page
Compare with Alternatives
| Dimension | WPS | Microsoft | Notion | Adobe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capability Summary | WPS lets you set worksheet tab colors from the right-click menu or the Home tab, and you can also remove the color to return to the default tab display. | Excel lets you right-click a worksheet tab, choose Tab Color, and select No Color to remove it. | Google Sheets lets you open the sheet tab menu and use Change color to color a sheet tab. | Notion supports tabbed layouts and view-tab display options for databases, but it does not provide worksheet tab color controls for spreadsheet sheets. | Acrobat can open multiple documents as tabs in one window, but the official page does not describe a document-tab color setting. |
| WPS Advantages | Advantage: WPS provides both a right-click path and a ribbon path for the same worksheet tab color task, which supports different working habits in spreadsheet editing. | Compared with WPS: the official guidance shown here focuses on the right-click tab path. | Compared with WPS: the official guidance uses the sheet tab menu with Change color as the main path. | Compared with WPS: Notion tabs are used for layouts and database views rather than worksheet tab color management. | Compared with WPS: Adobe documents mention document tabs, but no official tab color setting is described on the cited page. |
| Official Source | — | Add a background color to a sheet tab | Protect, hide & edit sheets | Layouts | New Acrobat experience |
Overall Conclusion
If your main goal is to visually separate worksheets in a multi-sheet workbook, WPS Sheet Tab Color provides direct menu paths for that task inside a spreadsheet workflow. Compared with the other products listed here, WPS stays closer to worksheet tab management itself and fits everyday categorization and status marking.
Use Cases
| No. | Scenario | Suitable Users | Main Pain Point | How It Helps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monthly report grouping | Finance and administrative staff | Similar sheet names make tabs hard to identify quickly | Use different tab colors for different report groups |
| 2 | Project progress tracking | Project managers and team members | It is hard to distinguish in-progress, completed, and pending sheets at a glance | Mark different progress states with different colors |
| 3 | Teaching material organization | Teachers and trainers | Many lesson sheets make switching slower | Apply colors by chapter or class |
| 4 | Data review management | Data analysts | Reviewed and unreviewed sheets can be mixed together | Use colors to separate pending, reviewed, and archived sheets |
| 5 | Cross-team workbook management | Office users in shared workbooks | Multiple departments keep data in one workbook | Assign colors by department or purpose |
Membership & Benefits
Free vs WPS Premium
| Capability | Free Users | WPS Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Set worksheet tab colors | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Remove worksheet tab colors | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Basic spreadsheet editing | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Additional office benefits | Use the free scope shown on the product page | Subscription plans can include more advanced features and higher cloud storage |
Source: WPS Office pricing page
Recommendations
| Usage Scenario | Recommended Plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday worksheet color organization | Free | This feature itself is available for regular spreadsheet organization |
| Broader advanced office needs | WPS Premium | Suitable if you also need expanded PDF tools, templates, cloud storage, or other advanced features |
How to Subscribe
- WPS membership center: Subscribe now
Source: WPS Office pricing page