How to Freeze the First Two Columns in Excel

To keep columns A and B visible while you scroll across a worksheet in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select cell C1, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Excel freezes the columns to the left of the selected cell, so selecting C1 keeps the first two columns in place without freezing any rows. Save or note your current view first if you want to restore it later; freezing panes changes the worksheet display, not its data.

What You’ll Need

An Excel workbook with a worksheet where columns A and B contain information you want to keep visible, such as names, item numbers, or row labels.
Access to the View tab and the Freeze Panes command. The steps below are for Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows; Mac and web notes appear below.

You do not need to select or highlight the columns themselves, and you do not need to move, copy, or protect any data. The important part is selecting the correct cell before applying Freeze Panes. Excel uses that cell’s position to decide which rows above it and columns to its left should remain fixed.

Step-by-Step

Open the worksheet you want to work with. Click the worksheet tab at the bottom of the workbook. Freeze Panes applies to the active worksheet, not every sheet in the file, so check that you are on the sheet where you need the two columns to stay visible. If the workbook has several similar sheets, confirm the tab name before proceeding.
Check that columns A and B are the columns you want to keep in view. The letters at the top of the grid identify columns. If you have hidden columns, grouped columns, or a split window, inspect the layout before freezing. The command keeps columns to the left of your selected cell, including any visible columns in that range; it does not choose columns based on their headings or contents.
Click cell C1. C is the third column, and row 1 is the first row. Selecting C1 tells Excel to freeze everything above the cell and everything to its left. Since there are no worksheet rows above row 1, no rows will be frozen; columns A and B will be. Click the cell itself rather than the C column heading or the row-number heading.
Open the View tab. On the Excel ribbon, click View. Find the Freeze Panes control, usually in the Window group. If the ribbon is simplified or the Excel window is narrow, the controls may be compressed; maximize the window or expand the ribbon to locate the command.
Choose Freeze Panes, not Freeze First Column. Click Freeze Panes to open its menu, then choose the top Freeze Panes command. The menu also includes options such as Freeze Top Row and Freeze First Column. Those options do not freeze both columns A and B as required. The first Freeze Panes command uses the current selection, which is why selecting C1 matters.
Confirm that the panes are frozen. Look for a thin gray line along the right edge of column B. The line marks the boundary between the fixed columns and the part of the worksheet that scrolls. If the worksheet is wide, move the horizontal scroll bar to the right; the contents of A and B should remain visible while the other columns move.
Test the result with a small scroll. Use the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the worksheet, or Shift-scroll with a mouse if your setup supports it. You can also use the arrow keys to move the active cell, though selecting cells is not always the clearest test of scrolling. Check that columns A and B stay in place and that columns C onward can move underneath the worksheet view.
Save the workbook if appropriate. The frozen-pane setting is part of the worksheet view and is generally retained when the workbook is saved. If other people use the file, tell them that the first two columns are intentionally frozen so they do not mistake the divider for a formatting line or try to remove it.

On a Mac, the equivalent command is on the View tab: select C1, then use Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. In Excel for the web, select C1 and look under View > Freeze Panes; choose the command that freezes panes based on the current selection. Menu wording and ribbon layout can vary slightly by platform or update, but the selection rule is the same: select the first cell immediately to the right of the columns you want fixed and in the top row if you do not want to freeze rows.

Common Mistakes

Choosing Freeze First Column. This preset freezes only column A. It is useful when you want one identifier column to stay visible, but it will not hold column B in place. To freeze A and B together, select C1 and use the general Freeze Panes command.

Selecting the wrong cell. If you select B1, Excel freezes only column A. If you select C2, it freezes columns A and B and row 1. If you select D1, it freezes columns A, B, and C. Remember the rule: the selected cell’s left side determines the frozen columns, while the rows above it determine the frozen rows. For exactly the first two columns and no rows, C1 is the correct selection.

Clicking the Freeze Panes menu without checking the selection. Excel does not infer what you intend from the headings or the active sheet. It uses the currently active cell, which may be somewhere else if you last edited a distant cell. Click C1 immediately before opening the menu, then verify the pane divider after applying the command.

Expecting the columns to stay visible when scrolling vertically only. Frozen columns are most noticeable when moving horizontally. They do not lock the worksheet in place, prevent editing, or keep the columns pinned in every window or every sheet. You can still scroll down through the rows; to freeze a header row as well, you need a different selection, such as C2, which freezes row 1 and columns A and B.

Confusing a freeze line with a border or split. A thin divider near column B can look like a cell border. If the line moves or disappears when you change the view, it is likely a pane divider. An existing split can also make the worksheet behave unexpectedly; unfreeze or remove the split before trying again.

Tips

Use the headings as a quick check. A common layout has an ID or name in column A and a description or category in column B, with months, dates, or measurements farther to the right. Freezing A and B lets you read the changing values while keeping each row’s identity on screen. It is particularly useful in wide tracking sheets and reports.

Freeze a header too when that is useful. If row 1 contains column headings and you want both those headings and columns A and B to remain visible, select C2 before choosing View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Excel freezes all rows above row 2 and columns left of column C. This is a separate layout from freezing only the first two columns, so use C1 if you do not want a row fixed.

Keep the frozen area narrow. Frozen columns use screen space even when you scroll far to the right. If A and B are very wide, consider whether you can make them narrower or freeze only the identifier information you genuinely need. The remaining visible area is then larger for the columns you are reviewing.

Know how to undo the view change. To remove the frozen panes, choose View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. This does not delete or alter worksheet content. If you want a different arrangement, unfreeze first, select the new reference cell, and apply Freeze Panes again.

Remember that each worksheet has its own setting. If you switch to another sheet, the frozen columns may not be there. Apply the command separately on each worksheet where you need it. When sharing a workbook, it can help to set up the view on the most-used sheets before sending the file.

Troubleshooting

The first two columns did not freeze. First click View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes to clear any existing freeze. Then click C1 and choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. An earlier freeze based on a different active cell can make a new attempt seem to have the wrong effect, so clearing it gives you a clean starting point.

Only column A stays visible. You probably chose Freeze First Column, or selected B1 before choosing the general command. Unfreeze the current panes, select C1, and choose the first Freeze Panes command in the menu. Confirm that the divider appears after column B, not after column A.

A row is frozen when you only wanted columns. The active cell was likely below row 1 when you applied the command. For example, C2 freezes row 1 as well as columns A and B. Unfreeze the panes, select C1, and apply the command again. If you actually want the top row and both columns frozen, C2 is the correct selection.

The menu command is unavailable or the worksheet does not respond as expected. Check whether the workbook is in a mode or layout that restricts normal worksheet commands, and confirm that a worksheet cell is active rather than a chart or another object. If the sheet has a split pane, choose View > Split to turn off the split, or use Unfreeze Panes if a freeze is already active, then retry. If the workbook is protected, ask the owner whether the protection settings permit changing the view.

The divider is hard to see. Try scrolling horizontally so the boundary between fixed and moving columns is easier to notice. You can also look for the freeze command changing to Unfreeze Panes in the View menu, which indicates that a freeze is active. If the worksheet window is very narrow, maximize Excel so there is enough room to see both the fixed area and the scrolling area.

The columns freeze on one sheet but not another. Freeze Panes is set per worksheet. Click the other sheet’s tab, select C1 there, and repeat the steps. Also check that you are not viewing a different workbook window or a copy of the file, especially if multiple workbooks are open.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze just columns A and B without freezing a row?
Yes. Select C1 and choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Because C1 is in the first row, there are no rows above it to freeze.

How do I freeze the first two columns and the top row?
Select C2, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. The selection is one row below the header and one column to the right of the two columns you want fixed, so row 1 and columns A and B stay visible.

Can I freeze columns A and C but leave B scrolling?
No. Freeze Panes holds a continuous block of columns to the left of the active cell. It cannot freeze separate, non-adjacent columns while leaving a column between them unfrozen. You can reorganize the worksheet or keep the relevant information together if you need a similar view.

Does freezing columns protect them from edits?
No. It only keeps the columns visible while you scroll. You can still edit their cells, and other people may be able to edit them too. Use worksheet protection separately if you need to limit changes, and remember that protection is not the same feature as freezing panes.

Will frozen columns print on every page?
No. Freeze Panes affects what you see while working in the worksheet; it does not set print titles. To repeat columns on printed pages, use Page Layout > Print Titles and set the columns to repeat at the left. Check Print Preview to confirm the print layout.

Can I freeze columns in Excel for the web or on Mac?
Yes. In Excel for the web or Excel for Mac, select C1 and use the View tab’s Freeze Panes command for the current selection. The interface may look different from Windows, but selecting the cell before freezing follows the same rule.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

More in How-to basics

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

Spotted an error in this guide? Let us know.