Practical guide

How to Freeze Rows and Columns in Excel

Freeze Panes keeps selected rows or columns visible while you scroll through a worksheet. Excel freezes rows above and columns left of the active cell.

What to do

  1. To keep the top row visible, choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row.
  2. To keep the first column visible, choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze First Column.
  3. To freeze both headings and the first column, select the cell just below and to the right of the rows and columns to keep visible, then choose Freeze Panes.
  4. To remove the setting, choose View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes, then select the correct starting cell and freeze again.

Checks and limitations

  • The active cell determines which rows and columns are frozen; selecting the wrong cell can make the worksheet seem stuck.
  • Freeze Panes changes the view, not the underlying data or print layout.