How to Freeze Two Columns in Excel While Scrolling

To keep columns A and B visible while you scroll horizontally 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. If you also want to keep the top row visible, select C2 instead before using the same command. You can remove the freeze later from View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes.

What You’ll Need

An Excel workbook you can edit, with the worksheet open on the tab where you want the columns frozen.
A clear idea of which columns should stay visible. This guide uses columns A and B; for a different pair of adjacent columns, select the cell immediately to their right in the top row.

No formula, add-in, or special worksheet layout is required. The freeze applies to the current worksheet only, so repeat the process on any other sheet where you need the same view.

Step-by-Step

Open the worksheet. In Excel, open the workbook and click the worksheet tab where you want to keep two columns on screen. If the workbook has multiple sheets, make sure you are working on the correct one; freezing panes on one sheet does not freeze them on all the others.
Check whether panes are already frozen. Select the View tab and open the Freeze Panes menu. If the menu offers Unfreeze Panes, the sheet already has a freeze setting. Choose Unfreeze Panes before creating a new one. Excel does not combine a new freeze selection with an existing one; first clear the old setting, then apply the layout you want.
Decide whether to freeze a row as well. If you only want columns A and B to stay in view, choose cell C1. If you want the first row, such as a row of column headings, to remain visible too, choose C2. Excel freezes every row above the selected cell and every column to its left. This rule is why the exact active cell matters.
Select the right cell. Click C1 in the worksheet grid for columns A and B only. You can also click the Name Box, the small box to the left of the formula bar that usually shows the active cell address, type C1, and press Enter. For columns A and B plus the top row, enter C2 instead. Confirm the intended cell is selected before moving on.
Open the Freeze Panes command. On Windows, choose View on the ribbon, then select Freeze Panes in the Window group. If the Excel window is narrow, the group or command may be compacted; maximize the window or look for the same command on the View tab. Do not choose Freeze First Column for this task, as that option freezes only column A.
Apply the freeze. From the Freeze Panes menu, choose Freeze Panes, usually the first option. Avoid choosing Freeze Top Row or Freeze First Column unless those are specifically the layout you need. When you choose Freeze Panes, Excel uses your selected cell to decide what stays in place: columns left of it and rows above it.
Check the result by scrolling. Use the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the worksheet to move to the right. Columns A and B should remain visible while the other columns move. If you selected C2, the first row should stay visible while you scroll down as well. The dividing line at the edge of the frozen area can help you see where the scrolling portion begins.
Save the workbook if you want to keep the view setting. Save normally with Ctrl+S on Windows. Freezing panes changes the worksheet view, not the cell contents. It is not a permanent restriction: you or another workbook user can unfreeze the panes later.

The key is to use the custom Freeze Panes command after selecting the cell that sits immediately to the right of the columns to keep. For example, to freeze columns B and C while leaving column A scrollable, select D1. To freeze columns A through C, select D1. The top-row number in your selection determines whether any rows are frozen: selecting a cell in row 1 freezes no rows, while selecting a cell in row 2 freezes row 1.

In Excel for Mac, use the same selection logic: click C1 or C2, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Menu wording or placement can vary slightly between releases, but the command is on the View menu. In Excel for the web, select the appropriate cell and use View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes when that command is available in your ribbon. If your web layout shows a direct option for freezing columns, use the custom Freeze Panes command for a two-column choice rather than selecting only the first column.

Common Mistakes

Selecting C2 when you only want columns frozen. Because Excel freezes rows above the active cell, C2 freezes row 1 as well as columns A and B. That is useful when row 1 contains headings, but it may leave an unwanted horizontal divider. Select C1 if you want no rows frozen.
Choosing Freeze First Column. This preset locks only column A. It does not freeze both A and B. Select C1 and use Freeze Panes to freeze two columns.
Selecting the wrong cell. Selecting B1 freezes only column A; selecting D1 freezes A through C. Think of the selected cell as the first cell in the scrolling area: everything above it and to its left stays fixed.
Trying to change a freeze without clearing the old one. If an earlier freeze is active, Excel may not apply the new selection as expected. Choose Unfreeze Panes first, then select the new reference cell and freeze again.
Expecting the setting to affect every worksheet. Freeze panes are a per-sheet view setting. Selecting a different sheet may show a different arrangement, so check and set each worksheet separately.
Confusing Freeze Panes with Split. Split divides a worksheet into independently scrollable areas. It is not the same as keeping two columns fixed. If the sheet shows movable dividers or unusual panes, use View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes, then apply the freeze from C1 or C2.

Tips

Keep identifier columns visible. Two frozen columns are useful when the leftmost fields contain names, dates, product codes, or categories and the data extends across many more columns. You can compare far-right values without losing the context of which record each row represents.
Freeze headings and identifiers together when helpful. Selecting C2 freezes both columns A and B and the top row. This arrangement is often convenient for wide tables: headings stay visible during vertical scrolling, and identifying information remains visible during horizontal scrolling.
Use the Name Box for a precise selection. Clicking the worksheet grid can be awkward when columns are narrow or the sheet is zoomed out. Typing C1 or C2 in the Name Box takes you directly to the exact cell needed for the freeze.
Test both directions. Move horizontally to confirm the columns stay put, and scroll down if you also froze a row. A quick test catches an incorrect selection before you start working through a long worksheet.
Make the frozen area easy to read. If columns A and B are very wide, they can take up most of the screen and leave little room for the scrolling data. Consider adjusting column widths or zoom so that the fixed information and the area being compared are both visible.
Remember that freezing affects the view, not the data. It does not lock cells, protect a worksheet, or prevent columns from being edited. Use worksheet protection separately if you need to restrict changes.

Troubleshooting

The wrong number of columns stays visible. First choose View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. Then select the cell that is one column after the last column you want frozen, in the row that determines whether you also freeze headings. For A and B only, choose C1; for A and B plus row 1, choose C2. Apply Freeze Panes again and test by scrolling.

The top row is frozen but the columns are not. You may have chosen Freeze Top Row, or selected a cell that did not place the frozen boundary after column B. Unfreeze panes, select C1 for the two columns only or C2 for columns and the top row, then choose the general Freeze Panes option. The preset Freeze Top Row does not use your selected cell to freeze two columns.

The divider appears in the wrong place. Excel freezes all columns to the left of the selection, not just the column directly beside it. If you selected D1, columns A, B, and C are frozen. Unfreeze, select C1, and apply Freeze Panes to keep only A and B fixed. Check the column letters above the grid to confirm the boundary.

You cannot find Freeze Panes. Make sure the View tab is selected and that you are in the worksheet rather than another workbook view or a dialog. On a narrow window, ribbon commands may be grouped under a compact menu, so maximize Excel or inspect the Window group on the View tab. In Excel for the web, ribbon layout can vary; look under View for Freeze Panes. If the workbook is in a mode that prevents editing, switch to an editable copy or ask for edit access.

Frozen columns do not appear to move or stay fixed. Use the horizontal scrollbar to test; a worksheet that fits completely across the window may not need to scroll, making the effect hard to notice. Zoom out or widen the workbook window to reveal more columns, then scroll right. Also confirm you are on the worksheet where you set the freeze, since another sheet can have its own pane arrangement.

Excel shows unexpected sections or dividers. The sheet may have a split rather than a freeze. Choose View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes to clear the current freeze or split arrangement, then select C1 or C2 and apply Freeze Panes. If the result is still unexpected, close and reopen the workbook after saving, verify the active sheet, and repeat the steps carefully.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze exactly two columns without freezing any rows?
Yes. Select C1, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Since there are no worksheet rows above row 1, this freezes columns A and B without freezing a row.

How do I freeze two columns and the header row?
Select C2 before applying Freeze Panes. Excel freezes all columns left of C, which are A and B, and all rows above row 2, which is row 1. If your headings are on a different row, select a cell in the row immediately below them while keeping the column selection at C.

Can I freeze columns that are not next to each other?
No. Freeze Panes keeps a continuous block of columns starting at the left edge of the worksheet. You can freeze A and B together, or A through C, but you cannot freeze A and C while leaving B free to scroll.

Does the freeze setting change what other people see?
The pane arrangement is saved with the workbook, so another person who opens it may see the same worksheet view. They can change it by unfreezing panes or applying a different freeze. The setting does not alter values, formulas, or the order of the data.

Is there a keyboard shortcut to freeze two columns?
Excel does not provide a single standard keyboard shortcut that directly freezes two columns. On Windows, you can navigate to C1 with the Name Box, then use the ribbon key tips by pressing Alt and following the displayed prompts for the View and Freeze Panes commands. Key-tip letters can differ by Excel build, so follow the on-screen prompts rather than relying on a fixed sequence. On Mac, use the View menu; there is no universal direct shortcut for this custom freeze.

Will this work in Excel for Mac or Excel for the web?
The cell-selection rule is the same: select C1 to freeze A and B, or C2 to include row 1. Excel for Mac uses View > Freeze Panes. Excel for the web also provides Freeze Panes from View in supported layouts, though the ribbon may look different. If a command is missing, check that the workbook is editable and use the desktop app if your web version does not offer the required option.

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.