A method and system that that allows a designer to create "spreadsheet" web pages, which can then be viewed and used by the designer and/or by other users. The described embodiments of the present invention allow people to collaborate and to share spreadsheets over the web. The described embodiment allows a user of the spreadsheet to email the spreadsheet to others and to embed the spreadsheet into web pages owned by the designer or by third parties. A described embodiments of the web-based spreadsheet allowed the designer to specify both web data and real-time data in the cells of the "spreadsheet." The web data includes a URL of an image that is to be placed in a cell. The web data includes a link to a web page in a cell. The real-time data includes stock quotes and currency conversion information in the cells of the spreadsheet. Such data reflects a current (or specified) day's stock quote or a current (or specified) currency conversion value.