Excel Freeze Panes: Keep the First Two Columns Visible

To keep the first two columns visible in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select cell C1, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Excel will keep columns A and B on screen as you scroll horizontally, without freezing any rows.

How Excel Freeze Panes Uses Your Selection

Freeze Panes uses the selected cell to decide what stays in view. It freezes the rows above that cell and the columns to its left. The selected cell itself is not frozen; it is part of the scrolling area. This rule makes the selection the key to getting the exact result you want.

For example, selecting C1 sets a vertical boundary before column C and a horizontal boundary above row 1. Since there are no rows above row 1, only columns A and B are frozen. If you select C2 instead, Excel freezes both the first two columns and row 1. That can be useful when row 1 contains field names such as Date, Customer, and Amount.

C1: freezes columns A:B, with no rows frozen.
C2: freezes columns A:B and row 1.
D4: freezes columns A:C and rows 1:3.

That last example is often helpful in a large report with several header rows and identifier columns. The general rule is simple: select the cell immediately below the rows and immediately to the right of the columns you want to keep visible.

Steps to Freeze the First Two Columns

Open the worksheet where you want the columns to stay visible. Freeze Panes applies to the current worksheet, not every sheet in the workbook.
Click the Name Box to the left of the formula bar, type C1, and press Enter. Or scroll to the top-left of the sheet and click cell C1 directly.
On the ribbon, select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.
Scroll horizontally to check that columns A and B remain visible while the columns to their right move.

The Name Box is useful if the sheet is already scrolled far from the top or left edge. Typing C1 there moves the selection to the correct cell without needing to drag the scroll bars back. After freezing, you can still edit cells in the frozen columns; freezing affects how the sheet is displayed, not whether the cells can be changed.

Freeze Only Columns A and B

If your goal is to keep two identifying fields in view while examining many other columns, use C1 rather than a cell farther down the sheet. For instance, a sales export might have Order ID in column A, Customer in column B, and monthly totals from column C onward. Freezing A:B lets you compare an order or customer with values far to the right without losing the identifier.

Choosing View > Freeze Panes > Freeze First Column is not the same thing: that preset freezes only column A. It does not add column B. For a custom number of columns, select the first cell to the right of the desired frozen area and use the general Freeze Panes command. In this case, that cell is C1.

There is no need to select the whole of columns A and B first. Excel bases the freeze boundary on the active cell, so selecting C1 is the clearest and most dependable approach. If you accidentally select C2 or another cell below row 1, Excel will also lock the rows above it.

Keep Column Headings Visible Too

Many worksheets need both fixed identifiers and fixed headings. For example, a project tracker could use columns A and B for project code and owner, with row 1 containing headings for weekly status columns. Select C2 before choosing View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. The result keeps columns A:B and row 1 visible while you move through the rest of the sheet.

If the table has two heading rows, select C3 to freeze rows 1:2 as well as columns A:B. Check that the rows above the selected cell are exactly the ones you intend to keep. Excel does not understand which rows are headings; it simply freezes every row above the selection. The same applies to columns: selecting D1 would freeze A:C, even if column C is not an identifier.

Freeze Panes is especially useful for wide worksheets where horizontal scrolling is frequent. For tall sheets, freezing the heading row helps you recognize what each value means as you scroll down. Combining the two can make a large sheet easier to read, but freezing too many rows or columns can leave little room for the data area, particularly on a small display.

Change or Remove Frozen Panes

To remove the current freeze, choose View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. Once the panes are unfrozen, select the new boundary cell and apply Freeze Panes again. For example, if you froze only column A but meant to freeze A:B, unfreeze, select C1, and choose Freeze Panes.

Excel generally allows one freeze-pane arrangement at a time on a worksheet. Do not assume that choosing Freeze First Column and then Freeze Top Row will combine the two settings exactly as intended. For a specific combination, such as row 1 plus columns A:B, first clear the existing freeze and then make one custom selection at C2.

When you open a workbook, its saved worksheet view may already have frozen panes. If the command menu offers Unfreeze Panes, a freeze is active. Remove it before setting a different boundary; otherwise, the new selection may not produce the layout you expect. Save the workbook after arranging the view if you want the workbook to retain that state for later use.

Common Problems and Quick Checks

Only column A stays visible: The Freeze First Column preset was used. Unfreeze, select C1, and choose the general Freeze Panes command.
A row is frozen unexpectedly: The selected cell was below row 1. Unfreeze and select C1 for columns only, or select C2 if row 1 should also remain visible.
The wrong number of columns is frozen: Check the selection. A boundary at D freezes A:C; a boundary at C freezes A:B.
The command seems unavailable or has no effect: Confirm that you are on the intended worksheet and that a cell is selected. If a freeze is already active, use Unfreeze Panes before creating a different setup.

Also check for hidden columns. A hidden column can make the visible boundary look surprising, because freezing controls which worksheet columns remain in the view but does not unhide anything. If A or B is hidden, unhide it if you need to see it. Frozen panes can also appear more or less prominent depending on window size and zoom, so test by scrolling rather than judging only from the divider line.

Remember that horizontal scrolling is necessary to see the effect of freezing columns. If the worksheet fits across the window at the current zoom, there may be no obvious movement to compare. Try scrolling the horizontal bar or using the mouse wheel with the appropriate horizontal-scroll gesture. The freeze setting does not change column widths or permanently rearrange the data.

Windows, Mac, and Excel for the Web

In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, the ribbon path is View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. On Excel for Mac, select the cell that defines the boundary and use View > Freeze Panes; the precise menu presentation can vary with the app layout, but the selection rule is the same. To freeze just A:B on either desktop platform, select C1 first.

Excel for the web also has Freeze Panes commands on the View tab. Select the boundary cell before applying the custom Freeze Panes option, and use C1 to keep only the first two columns visible. The ribbon may look different from the desktop version, and some interface details can change with updates, but the core rule remains: columns to the left of the selected cell and rows above it are frozen.

These instructions describe worksheet viewing behavior, not a change to the workbook’s stored data. The values, formulas, and column order remain as they were. If another person opens the file, the saved view may be available to them, but freezing panes does not create a separate copy of the columns or guarantee that every viewing environment will display the sheet identically.

Freeze Panes Compared with Other Options

Freeze Panes is appropriate when you want certain worksheet rows or columns to stay in place while the rest scrolls. The Freeze First Column and Freeze Top Row commands are quick presets, but they only cover one column or one row respectively. A custom selection is needed for two columns or for a combination of rows and columns.

Split, available from the View tab, divides the worksheet window into sections that can be scrolled independently. Unlike Freeze Panes, a split is not simply a fixed label area alongside one scrolling area; it creates multiple scrolling panes. Choose it when independently comparing distant parts of a sheet, rather than when the main need is to keep A:B fixed as you move across columns.

Another option is to rearrange or duplicate data, but that can introduce maintenance problems if values change in one copy and not another. A freeze is usually the simpler display-only solution. If you are preparing a printed report, however, freezing panes does not determine which headings repeat on printed pages; print settings such as repeating rows or columns address a different need.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I freeze the first two columns and the top row?
Select cell C2, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Excel freezes columns A:B and row 1 because those are to the left of and above C2.

Can I freeze just the first two columns without a row?
Yes. Select C1 and choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Since no worksheet rows are above row 1, the result freezes only columns A and B.

Why does Freeze First Column freeze only one column?
That command is a preset for column A alone. To freeze two columns, clear the current setting if needed, select C1, and use the general Freeze Panes command instead.

How do I unfreeze columns in Excel?
Go to View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. You can then choose a different cell and apply Freeze Panes again to establish a new boundary.

Does freezing columns change or protect the data?
No. Freeze Panes changes the worksheet’s scrolling view; it does not lock cells against editing, alter values, or protect the worksheet. Use sheet protection separately if you need to restrict edits.

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

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

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