How to Freeze the Top Row in Excel

To freeze the top row in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, open the worksheet, select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row. Row 1 will remain visible as you scroll down. You do not need to select a cell first; if another freeze setting is already active, unfreeze it before applying this command.

What You’ll Need

An Excel workbook with the worksheet you want to change. Freezing a row affects the current worksheet, not every sheet in the workbook.
Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, or access to Excel for Mac or Excel for the web. The feature is available in these versions, although the ribbon layout can look slightly different.
A header or other row at the very top of the worksheet, if you want it to remain visible while you scroll. Freeze Top Row always locks worksheet row 1; it does not automatically identify a heading lower down.

Step-by-Step

Open the correct worksheet. Open the workbook and click the sheet tab that contains the data. Freeze settings belong to individual worksheets, so check that you are not on a nearby sheet with a similar name. If the workbook is read-only or protected, you may need permission to change it or to enable editing first.
Check where your headings are. Look at the numbered row labels along the left edge. If your headings are in row 1, the built-in Freeze Top Row command is the right choice. If row 1 is a report title, blank space, or introductory note and the actual column labels are in row 2 or lower, skip to the note about freezing a different row in step 5. The command freezes worksheet row 1, not the first nonblank row.
Open the View tab. On the Excel ribbon, choose View. Find the Window group, where Freeze Panes is listed. In a compact or narrow Excel window, some ribbon commands may be collapsed; widen the window or open the relevant group menu if you cannot see the command immediately.
Choose Freeze Top Row. Select Freeze Panes to open its menu, then choose Freeze Top Row. Excel applies the setting straight away; there is no confirmation dialog or separate Save button. You can save the workbook if you want the change retained in the file for future sessions.
Scroll down to confirm it worked. Use the mouse wheel, trackpad, or vertical scroll bar to move several rows down. Row 1 should stay at the top of the worksheet window while the rows beneath it move. A thin line below the frozen row is a visual clue, though it may be subtle depending on your display and Excel theme.
Keep the setting or remove it when needed. To reverse the change, choose View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. This removes the current freeze setting on that worksheet. It does not delete, hide, or alter any worksheet data.
Use Freeze Panes for headings below row 1. If the labels are in row 2, click the row 3 number to select that whole row, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Excel freezes the rows above the selection, so rows 1 and 2 remain visible. For a header in row 4, select row 5 before choosing Freeze Panes. Check the result by scrolling, and use Unfreeze Panes first if an earlier freeze is still active.

On Excel for Mac: Open the worksheet and choose View on the ribbon, then Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row. To remove the setting, choose View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. The ribbon placement can vary slightly by Excel version, but the command is under View. On Excel for the web, use View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row; if the ribbon is simplified, expand the View tab or its Freeze Panes menu.

Common Mistakes

Expecting a lower heading row to freeze. Freeze Top Row means worksheet row 1, even if that row is blank. If headings are in row 2, use Freeze Panes with row 3 selected instead. This is especially common in reports with a title and date above the table.
Choosing the wrong menu item. Freeze First Column locks column A, not row 1. If the leftmost column stays put but the headings scroll away, unfreeze the current setting and choose Freeze Top Row.
Leaving an existing freeze in place. Excel allows one freeze configuration at a time on a sheet. Applying a different freeze command while another configuration is active may not produce the layout you expect. Choose Unfreeze Panes, then set up the desired row or rows again.
Confusing a frozen row with a hidden row. A frozen row remains visible while other rows scroll; it is not removed from the sheet. If row 1 is missing even when you are at the top, check whether it is hidden or filtered rather than assuming the freeze command failed.
Assuming the change applies to every tab. Freeze settings are worksheet-specific. Repeat the steps on each sheet where you need a persistent heading. Switching to another sheet will not automatically copy the setting.

Tips

Freeze the row that contains useful labels, such as Date, Customer, or Total, so you can tell what each column represents far down a long list. If the worksheet has a title in row 1 and field names in row 2, freezing both rows can be useful when the title provides context. Select row 3 and choose Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes, rather than selecting Freeze Top Row.

You can freeze rows and columns together when the table needs both its headings and its leftmost identifiers to stay visible. Select the cell immediately below the rows and immediately to the right of the columns you want to keep in view, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. For example, to keep row 1 and column A visible, select cell B2 before using Freeze Panes. Excel freezes everything above and to the left of the selected cell. This is different from Freeze Top Row, which only freezes row 1.

Freezing is a view aid, not a change to the contents of the sheet. It does not protect headings from editing, create a permanent print header, or sort and filter the table. If you need column labels to repeat on printed pages, use the page layout print-title settings instead. If you want to prevent people from changing a row, look at worksheet protection and permissions instead.

If you work with several worksheets, note which ones have a frozen heading before sharing the workbook. A colleague may open a different tab and think the feature is missing simply because that sheet has no freeze setting. Also consider whether the first row should contain actual labels. A clear, single header row makes both on-screen navigation and later sorting easier.

Troubleshooting

The top row still scrolls away. Return to the worksheet and apply View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row again. If a different freeze configuration is active, choose Unfreeze Panes first and then reapply the command. Scroll down enough to see whether row 1 stays in place; a small scroll may not make the effect obvious.

The wrong row stays visible. Check the row numbers. If the row you meant to keep is not row 1, unfreeze the sheet, select the row immediately beneath the desired heading area, and choose Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Selecting row 3, for example, keeps rows 1 and 2 visible.

You cannot find Freeze Panes. Make sure you are on the View tab and that the Excel window is wide enough to show the ribbon controls. In Excel for the web, expand the simplified ribbon if needed. In Mac Excel, look under View. If the workbook is open in a preview or another spreadsheet application, open it in Excel to use Excel’s exact commands.

The setting seems to disappear after closing the file. Save the workbook after setting the freeze. If you are viewing a shared file, confirm that you have editing access and that the workbook saved successfully. If you opened a fresh copy or switched to another worksheet, the freeze may not appear because it was not saved in that copy or was applied only to a different sheet.

Row 1 is not visible at all. Scroll to the very top of the sheet and check whether row 1 is hidden. Select the row numbers around the missing row, right-click, and choose Unhide if that option is available. Also check for filters or a split view that may make the worksheet appear to behave differently. Unfreezing panes can help you distinguish a freeze setting from a separate display issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Freeze Top Row keep row 1 visible when I scroll horizontally?
Yes. The top row remains visible as you scroll vertically or horizontally within the worksheet window. Freezing the top row does not lock any columns, though. To keep a column in place too, use Freeze Panes with the appropriate cell selected.

Can I freeze row 2 instead of row 1?
Yes. First choose Unfreeze Panes if a freeze is already active. Select row 3, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Excel will keep rows 1 and 2 visible, not row 2 alone. Freeze Panes keeps all rows above the selected position.

Can I freeze more than one row?
Yes. Select the row immediately below the last row you want fixed, then choose Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Selecting row 4 keeps rows 1 through 3 visible. If you only want row 1, the simpler Freeze Top Row command is sufficient.

Will freezing the top row change my workbook data?
No. It changes how the worksheet is displayed while you navigate. It does not change cell values, formulas, sorting, or the order of records. Save the workbook to retain the view setting, and unfreeze panes whenever you want the rows to scroll normally again.

Is freezing the row the same as repeating it on printed pages?
No. Freeze Panes affects scrolling on screen. To repeat a header when printing, use the print-title controls in the Page Layout tab and specify the rows to repeat at the top. Check Print Preview to confirm the printed pages show the intended heading.

Does the command work in Excel for Mac and Excel for the web?
Yes. Both versions provide a Freeze Top Row command under View and a way to unfreeze panes. Ribbon placement can vary, so look for Freeze Panes within the View tab rather than relying on the exact position shown in Windows.

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.