How to Freeze the First Row in Excel While Scrolling

To keep the first row visible while you scroll in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row. The row stays on screen as you move down the worksheet, which is useful when it contains column headings. You do not need to select a cell first; the command freezes worksheet row 1.

What You’ll Need

A workbook open in Microsoft Excel. The steps below are for Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows; the same feature is available in Excel for Mac and Excel for the web.
A worksheet with content in its first row. If your headings are in a different row, see the note in the steps about freezing a selected number of rows instead.

No formula, add-in, or special workbook setup is required. Freezing a row changes how the worksheet displays while you scroll; it does not change the values in the cells or the way the workbook prints.

Step-by-Step

Open the worksheet you want to adjust. If the workbook has several sheets, click the correct sheet tab at the bottom of the Excel window. Freeze panes apply to the active worksheet, so check the tab name before making the change.
Check that your headings are actually in row 1. Look at the row numbers along the left edge. The Freeze Top Row command pins row 1 specifically. If your column labels are in row 2 or lower, this command will not keep those labels in place; use the custom method described in step 8.
Open the View tab. On the Windows ribbon, click View. If the ribbon is collapsed, click the View tab to display its commands. You can usually find the Freeze Panes control in the Window group.
Open the Freeze Panes menu. Click Freeze Panes on the View tab. A menu appears with options for freezing panes, the top row, or the first column. These choices do different things, so choose the one that matches your layout.
Choose Freeze Top Row. Click Freeze Top Row in the menu. You do not have to click row 1 or select a cell before using this specific command. Excel pins the top worksheet row so it remains visible while you scroll down.
Confirm that it worked. Scroll down several rows using the mouse wheel, trackpad, or vertical scroll bar. Row 1 should remain at the top of the worksheet while the rows below it move. A thin line below the frozen row may also mark the boundary between the fixed and scrolling areas.
Continue working in the sheet. You can click and edit cells in the visible rows as usual. The freeze changes only the display during scrolling. It does not protect the headings from editing, lock them against deletion, or make them repeat automatically on printed pages.
For headings below row 1, freeze rows above the headings instead. First choose View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes if a different freeze is already active. Then click the row number immediately below the rows you want to keep visible. For example, to keep rows 1 through 3 on screen, click row number 4. Choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes—the first option, not Freeze Top Row. Excel freezes all rows above the selected row.
To remove the freeze, use Unfreeze Panes. Open View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. The worksheet will scroll normally again. This removes the current frozen rows or columns; it does not delete or alter any worksheet data.
Save if you want the display setting to travel with the workbook. Save the workbook as you normally would. If other people will use it, tell them that row 1 is frozen so the fixed area is not mistaken for a stuck screen or missing rows.

On a Mac: Open the View tab or View menu, then choose Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row. To remove it, choose View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. The wording and location can vary slightly with the Excel window layout, but look for Freeze Panes under View.

In Excel for the web: Select the View tab, open Freeze Panes, and choose Freeze Top Row. If you are using a narrow browser window, some ribbon controls may be tucked into a menu. The command works on the current sheet, just as it does in the desktop app.

Common Mistakes

Choosing Freeze First Column by mistake. That option keeps column A visible as you scroll sideways; it does not pin the headings at the top. For row headings, choose Freeze Top Row.
Expecting a lower row to stay visible. Freeze Top Row always targets worksheet row 1, even if your labels start in row 3 or you have clicked another cell. Use Freeze Panes with the row beneath your intended fixed area selected.
Assuming the command changes printing. Frozen panes affect on-screen scrolling only. To repeat heading rows on printed pages, use the separate print setting at Page Layout > Print Titles, then set the rows to repeat at the top.
Thinking the row is locked. Freeze does not prevent edits. If you need to stop someone changing headings, that is a separate protection task; freezing alone is not security or sheet protection.
Leaving an older freeze configuration in place. If rows or columns other than the top row are fixed, first choose Unfreeze Panes, then apply the arrangement you want. Otherwise, the existing layout can make it hard to tell what the new command changed.
Expecting a frozen row to remain visible when it is hidden. If row 1 is hidden, there may be no visible row to pin. Unhide row 1 before applying Freeze Top Row.

Tips

Use clear, compact headings. A frozen row is most useful when each heading fits comfortably on screen. Widen columns or wrap heading text if labels are cut off; freezing a row does not resize cells.
Freeze more than one row when the layout needs it. If a report has a title in row 1 and column labels in row 2, freezing only the top row leaves the labels scrolling away. Select row 3 and choose Freeze Panes to keep both rows 1 and 2 visible.
Combine a top row with a left column if needed. To freeze both rows and columns, select the cell just below and to the right of the area you want fixed, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. For example, selecting B2 freezes row 1 and column A. Unfreeze an existing arrangement first if you want to rebuild it.
Remember that Freeze Top Row does not follow your active cell. You can be anywhere in the sheet when you choose that command; it still targets row 1. The custom Freeze Panes command, by contrast, uses the selected cell to decide which rows above and columns to the left remain fixed.
Consider using an Excel table for a simple data list. When you scroll down through a table, Excel can show its column names in the worksheet’s column-heading area in place of the usual column letters. This is a table feature, not the same as freezing row 1, and it may suit a list where you mainly need to identify fields while scrolling.
Check the active sheet before applying a view change. If a workbook has separate sheets for monthly data, each sheet can have a different arrangement. Apply the freeze on each sheet where you need it rather than assuming one change covers the whole workbook.

Troubleshooting

The headings scroll out of view. Confirm that you froze the correct sheet and that the headings are in row 1. Then reopen View > Freeze Panes and check whether Unfreeze Panes is available. If so, click it and apply Freeze Top Row again. If your headings are lower down, use the custom selection method instead.

The wrong rows or columns are staying still. Choose Unfreeze Panes to clear the current setting. For a custom arrangement, select the cell immediately below and to the right of the rows and columns to keep visible, then choose Freeze Panes. For only row 1, use the dedicated Freeze Top Row command.

You cannot find Freeze Panes. Make sure you are on the View tab, not Home or Page Layout. In a compact window, maximize Excel or check the ribbon overflow menu. In Excel for the web, confirm you are editing or viewing the workbook in Excel rather than a third-party preview that may not expose the full ribbon.

The freeze line is hard to see. Scroll down and look for row 1 staying at the top; the divider can be subtle depending on display scaling and window size. You can also use the Freeze Panes menu: if it offers Unfreeze Panes, a freeze setting is active. If row 1 itself is not visible, check whether it was hidden or whether the worksheet is split into panes.

The row is visible on screen but missing from a printout. That is expected: freezing does not set print titles. Open Page Layout > Print Titles, use the Sheet tab in Page Setup, and set Rows to repeat at top to the heading row or rows, such as $1:$1. Preview the pages before printing to confirm the headings repeat.

The command seems unavailable or has no effect. If the workbook is in a restricted or protected view, enable editing if appropriate and try again. Check that the worksheet is not displaying a different pane arrangement, and try unfreezing before applying the command again. If a file is shared or opened in an older or alternate spreadsheet app, open it in Excel for Microsoft 365 and verify the setting there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Freeze Top Row keep the first row visible when I scroll sideways?
It keeps row 1 visible while you scroll vertically. It does not freeze a column. To hold column A as you scroll horizontally, choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze First Column.

Can I freeze row 2 instead of row 1?
Yes. To keep row 2 and row 1 visible, first unfreeze any current panes, select row 3, and choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Excel freezes the rows above the selected row, so row 2 alone cannot stay at the top while row 1 scrolls away.

Can I freeze the top row and first column at the same time?
Yes. After unfreezing any existing setting, select cell B2 and choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. This keeps row 1 and column A fixed. Select a different cell to freeze a larger area above and to its left.

Will freezing the first row change my data or formulas?
No. It changes the worksheet’s scrolling display, not cell contents, calculations, or formatting. You can still select and edit the cells in the frozen row unless the sheet is protected separately.

Why does my heading disappear when I print?
Freeze panes are for on-screen navigation, not printed page layout. Set repeating print headings through Page Layout > Print Titles and specify the row or rows to repeat at the top of each page.

Can I freeze the first row in Excel on a phone?
Excel mobile features and menus can differ by device and app version. Look for Freeze Panes in the View options. If the command is not available in your mobile layout, set the freeze in Excel for Windows, Mac, or the web, then open the workbook on your phone.

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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