Freeze Panes in Excel 365: Keep Rows and Columns Visible

To freeze panes in Excel 365 for Windows, select the cell immediately below the rows and to the right of the columns you want to keep visible, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. For a single header row or first column, use View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row or Freeze First Column.

What Freeze Panes Does

Freeze Panes keeps selected rows or columns in view while you scroll through the rest of a worksheet. It is useful when a long table has labels at the top, identifying fields at the left, or both. For example, you can keep a row of field names visible while reviewing hundreds of records, so you do not have to scroll back to learn what each column contains.

Freezing affects how the worksheet is displayed; it does not change, lock, or protect the underlying cell values. You can still edit frozen cells, and freezing panes does not prevent other users from changing the sheet. It is also different from protecting a worksheet, which can restrict edits, and from hiding rows or columns, which removes them from view rather than keeping them visible during scrolling.

Freeze a Header Row or the First Column

For a worksheet with one header row, use the built-in top-row command:

Open the worksheet you want to work with.
Select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row.
Scroll down. Row 1 should remain visible while the lower rows move.

To keep column A visible as you scroll horizontally, choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze First Column. This is handy when the first column contains names, product IDs, or dates used to identify each record. The command targets the first worksheet column, not whichever column happens to be selected.

These quick commands each freeze one edge of the sheet: the top row or the first column. If you need to keep multiple rows, multiple columns, or a combination of rows and columns visible, use the general Freeze Panes command with a carefully chosen active cell.

Freeze Multiple Rows and Columns Together

The general command freezes every row above and every column to the left of the active cell. The selected cell itself is not frozen by this rule. For example, to keep rows 1 and 2 and columns A and B visible, select cell C3, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. The worksheet will have a frozen area above row 3 and left of column C.

Use this sequence when the sheet has a multirow heading or several identifying columns:

Identify the last row and last column you want to keep visible.
Select the cell one row below and one column to the right of that area.
Choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.
Scroll down and across to confirm the intended rows and columns stay in place.

For example, suppose rows 1 through 4 contain a title, notes, a blank spacer, and column labels, while columns A and B contain an order number and customer name. Select C5 to freeze those four rows and two columns. If you select C4 instead, only rows 1 through 3 will be frozen, because row 4 is the active row and is not included.

How to Choose the Right Cell

A useful way to avoid mistakes is to think of the active cell as the upper-left corner of the scrolling region. Everything above it and everything to its left becomes the frozen area. Everything from that cell downward and to the right remains in the scrolling area.

Keep the first three rows: select A4, then choose Freeze Panes.
Keep the first two columns: select C1, then choose Freeze Panes.
Keep the first two rows and first column: select B3, then choose Freeze Panes.
Keep rows 1–5 and columns A–D: select E6, then choose Freeze Panes.

Use the cell address, not just its screen position, to plan the freeze. If you have scrolled far down or to the right, the active cell may be somewhere unexpected. You can use the Name Box to the left of the formula bar to enter an address such as C3 and press Enter, then apply the command. This helps when the worksheet is large or the desired boundary is off screen.

Unfreeze or Change the Frozen Area

Excel applies one freeze configuration at a time to a worksheet. To change which rows or columns are frozen, first remove the current setting: choose View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. Then select the new boundary cell and choose Freeze Panes again. You cannot add a second, independent frozen region on the same sheet while keeping the existing one.

If the command menu shows Unfreeze Panes, a freeze is currently active. If it shows the freeze choices instead, the worksheet does not currently have panes frozen. Unfreezing changes the scrolling view; it does not delete or alter worksheet data. If a colleague needs a different frozen area, explain the boundary cell rule rather than asking them to drag the divider.

Freeze Panes, Split, and Related Features

Freeze Panes is often confused with Split. Both can divide a worksheet view, but they serve different purposes. Freezing pins rows or columns at the sheet edges while the remaining area scrolls. Split divides the window into panes that can be scrolled separately, which can help compare distant parts of one worksheet. A split is not a substitute for keeping column labels fixed as you scroll through a continuous table.

Freeze Panes also does not repeat headings on printed pages. To repeat rows or columns in printouts, use Page Layout > Print Titles and set the rows to repeat at the top or columns to repeat at the left. That setting concerns printed pages, while Freeze Panes concerns the on-screen worksheet view. Similarly, turning on filters or formatting a range as a table does not automatically freeze the header row; apply the freeze command separately if you want it to remain visible while scrolling.

Common Problems and Fixes

The wrong rows are frozen: unfreeze, select the cell one row below the last desired frozen row, and apply Freeze Panes again.
Only one row or column stays visible: the Top Row and First Column commands each freeze just one edge. Use the general Freeze Panes command for a custom combination.
The intended boundary is hard to select: enter the cell address in the Name Box, then apply the command.
A freeze does not appear to work: scroll in the area below or to the right of the frozen boundary. Frozen rows or columns remain stationary, so scrolling within them will not demonstrate the effect.
You cannot freeze a middle row while letting earlier rows scroll: Freeze Panes keeps rows and columns from the worksheet’s top and left edges; it does not pin an arbitrary interior row or column by itself.

Very large frozen areas can also make the scrolling region cramped, especially on a small display. Freeze only the labels that readers need for context. If you need to keep several title rows and many descriptive columns visible, consider simplifying the layout or using a separate summary sheet instead of taking up most of the window with a fixed area.

Excel for Mac and Excel for the Web

In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Mac, the same basic principle applies: choose the cell below and to the right of the area to keep visible, then use the Freeze Panes command on the View tab or View menu, depending on the interface shown. The wording and menu arrangement can vary slightly with the Mac version. Mac keyboards also differ from Windows keyboards, but freezing panes is available through the interface, so a keyboard shortcut is not required.

Excel for the web also includes Freeze Panes controls on its View tab. The available choices and exact layout can differ from the Windows desktop ribbon, and the web app may display controls differently as its interface changes. If you do not see the expected option, check the View tab or open the workbook in the desktop app. A frozen view is a worksheet display setting; it is not a replacement for sharing or protecting the workbook.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze the top two rows in Excel 365?
Yes. Select cell A3, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Rows 1 and 2 stay visible. The Freeze Top Row command alone freezes only row 1.

How do I freeze the first column and top row at the same time?
Select cell B2 and choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Row 1 stays visible, as does column A. The separate Freeze Top Row and Freeze First Column commands are not the best choice for combining both areas; use the general command.

Can I freeze panes in the middle of a worksheet?
You can select a cell in the middle, but Excel freezes the rows above it and the columns to its left, extending back to the worksheet’s top and left edges. It cannot freeze only an arbitrary middle row while earlier rows continue scrolling.

Does Freeze Panes affect printing?
No. It controls the on-screen scrolling view. For repeated headings on printed pages, set print titles through Page Layout > Print Titles.

Why is Unfreeze Panes showing instead of Freeze Panes?
That usually means a freeze is already active on the worksheet. Choose Unfreeze Panes first, then select a new boundary cell and apply the desired freeze.

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

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