Grab our practice workbook 👉 HERE and follow along:
When you scroll down, do your column titles disappear? That makes analyzing data frustrating. The good news? Excel has a simple solution—freezing rows and columns.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to freeze headers so they stay visible as you navigate your spreadsheet. Let’s make your Excel experience smoother!
How to Freeze Rows
Freezing rows in Excel is a straightforward process. Here’s how to lock a row in Excel.
Freeze Top Row
Here is how to lock the top row in Excel (row 1):
Simply go to the “View” tab, choose “Freeze Panes,” and select “Freeze Top Row.”
This action locks the first row of your worksheet, making it always visible as you scroll down.
How to Freeze Multiple Rows in Excel
In our example, to freeze specific rows 1 and 2, you’ll need to select row 3.
Always pick the row immediately below the ones you want to freeze.
Then, go to “View“, select “Freeze Panes“, and then choose “Freeze Panes” from the drop-down.
As you scroll down the worksheet, the frozen rows at the top remain visible.
For instance, in our example, we’ve scrolled down to row 35.
How to Freeze Columns
Learn how to lock a column in Excel. It’s just as simple and follows a similar process:
Freeze First Column
Excel makes it easy to keep your first column (A) visible.
Simply navigate to “View,” select “Freeze Panes,” and then click on “Freeze First Column.”
This can be really helpful when you need to pin a column in Excel. Especially if it has important data like IDs or names.
Freeze Multiple Columns
If you need to freeze more than one column, click the column to the right of the last column you want to freeze.
In our example, to freeze columns A and B, you’ll need to select column C.
Then, head to “View“, select “Freeze Panes“, and then click on “Freeze Panes” from the drop-down menu.
As you scroll across the worksheet, the frozen columns on the left remain visible.
For instance, in our example, we’ve scrolled across to column K.
How to Freeze Rows and Columns Simultaneously
Sometimes, you’ll want to freeze both rows and columns to keep both headers and row labels in view.
In our example, we want to freeze the rows 1 and 2 along with column A.
To do this, select the cell that is immediately below the last row and to the right of the last column you wish to freeze. In our example, this is cell B3.
Then, go to “View“, select “Freeze Panes“, and click on “Freeze Panes.”
As you scroll across the worksheet, the frozen rows on top and the frozen columns on the left remain visible.
For instance, in our example, we’ve scrolled down to row 27 and across to column K.
How to Unfreeze Panes
To return your worksheet to its original layout, unfreezing panes is easy.
Just head to “View,” choose “Freeze Panes,” and then select “Unfreeze Panes.”
Shortcuts
Excel is all about efficiency, and shortcuts can save you a ton of time. If you frequently use the Freeze Panes feature, it’s a good idea to add it to your Quick Access Toolbar.
Here’s how to do it:
- Click the small dropdown arrow on the Quick Access Toolbar and select “More Commands“:
- In the “Choose commands from” dropdown, select “All Commands.” Scroll down to “Freeze Panes,” select it, and then click “Add >>.”
- Click “OK” to apply your changes.
Now, you can quickly freeze or unfreeze panes from the Quick Access Toolbar at the top of your Excel window.
Excel doesn’t have a single shortcut for freezing panes, but you can use Alt + W, F to open the Freeze Panes menu instantly. This lets you lock rows or columns without searching through the ribbon.
💡 Want more time-saving Excel shortcuts? Grab our cheat sheet here!
Practice Example
Now it’s your turn to practice! The best way to get comfortable with freezing panes in Excel is to practice. Here is a quick challenge for you:
- Open the practice workbook.
- Unfreeze panes.
- Freeze columns A through E and rows 1 to 2.
- Scroll across to column N and down to row 27.
- Your screen should look like this:
Featured Course
Excel Essentials for the Real World
Want to keep important data in view while scrolling in Excel?
Freezing panes is a simple but powerful trick that makes navigating large datasets easier. It helps you stay organized and keeps key information visible, improving both efficiency and presentation.
Download the Workbook
Want to follow along? Download the workbook here and practice freezing rows in Excel step by step. Hands-on learning makes it easier to master this essential skill.
Leila Gharani
I’ve spent over 20 years helping businesses use data to improve their results. I've worked as an economist and a consultant. I spent 12 years in corporate roles across finance, operations, and IT—managing SAP and Oracle projects.
As a 7-time Microsoft MVP, I have deep knowledge of tools like Excel and Power BI.
I love making complex tech topics easy to understand. There’s nothing better than helping someone realize they can do it themselves. I’m always learning new things too and finding better ways to help others succeed.
