You can freeze multiple rows, multiple columns, or a combination of both; You will need to use Freeze Panes to freeze multiple rows or columns. Select the rows/columns by clicking on the header number/letter of the first row/column to freeze, and then click the last one while holding down the Shift key on your keyboard.
When you're working with a big list, it's often handy to freeze headers or columns so that they're always visible as you scroll through the data. In this lesson, we'll look at how to do that.Let's take a look.Here we have a large table with a header row at the top. Notice that as we scroll down through the data, the headers scroll off the screen.And, if we scroll to the right, the company name is no longer visible. This makes it hard to understand the worksheet, because we aren't able to see the columns and headers that give the data meaning.Excel provides three options for freezing columns and rows so that they don't scroll off the screen as you move through large sets of data.These options are visible on the view tab, in the Freeze Panes menu.If you want to freeze only the top row of a list in a worksheet, choose Freeze Top Row from the menu. The top row in the visible portion of the worksheet will then be locked and remain visible as you scroll down through the data.To unfreeze the top row, choose Unfreeze Panes from the same menu.To freeze only the first visible column, select Freeze First Column from the menu. The first column in the visible portion of the worksheet will now be locked and will remain visible as you scroll.To unfreeze the first column, choose Unfreeze Panes from the menu.You can also freeze both columns and rows at the same time.To freeze both rows and columns, select the upper left cell in the data you don't want to freeze.
Then choose Freeze Panes from the menu.Now the rows above this cell, and the columns to the left of this cell will be frozen, and remain visible as you scroll.Choose Unfreeze Panes to reset.The Freeze Panes option is especially useful when your worksheet contains more than just your data, as in this example. Just select the first cell in the data you don't want to freeze, and choose Freeze Panes.Note that freezing panes has no effect on printing. It only affects your view of the worksheet on screen.
Creating a row of headings to identify your columns in an Excel spreadsheet is a popular way to organize data. But it can be difficult to remember which column contains which data as you scroll down and the headings row is no longer visible. Fortunately you can freeze the top row of your spreadsheet so that it remains frozen at the top of the sheet. But what if you have multiple rows that you want to keep visible at the top of the sheet instead?
Fortunately you can accomplish this as well, by taking advantage of the option to freeze a pane. Our tutorial below will show you how to freeze two or more of the top rows in your worksheet so that they remain fixed at the top of the sheet as you navigate further down on the worksheet.
Freezing Two or More Rows at the Top of a Spreadsheet in Excel 2013
The steps in this guide will show you how to freeze the top three rows of a spreadsheet in Excel 2013. If you are working with Excel for Mac 2011, then read this article instead. We use three rows merely as an example. This same process can be applied to any number of the top rows in your spreadsheet.
- Open your spreadsheet in Excel 2013.
- Click the row number at the left side of the spreadsheet that is below the bottom-most row that you want to freeze. For example, we want to freeze the top 3 rows, so I have clicked row 4 in the picture below.
- Click the View tab at the top of the window.
- Click the Freeze Panes button in the Window section of the navigational ribbon, then click the Freeze Panes option on the drop-down menu. If the drop-down menu says Unfreeze Panes instead, then you will need to click that first to remove the existing frozen pane, then click the Freeze Panes button.
The same method in the section above will work if you want to freeze columns, too. Simply click on the column to the right of the columns that you want to freeze, then click the Freeze Panes button and select the Freeze Panes option.
If you accidentally freeze the wrong rows or columns, or if you receive a spreadsheet with unwanted frozen entities, then you can return to the View tab, click the Freeze Panes button, then choose the Unfreeze Panes option.
Additional Info
- You can only freeze rows at the top of your spreadsheet, or columns at the left side of the spreadsheet. You aren’t able to freeze rows or columns in the middle, at the bottom, or at the right of the spreadsheet.
- If you need to keep a section of the spreadsheet visible and it isn’t at the top or left, then you may want to try the Split option instead. This can divide the sheet into different panes that can each be scrolled independently.
- You can tell that a row or column is frozen because there is a slightly darker line under the row, or the the right of the column.
- If you want to freeze the top row and the left column, click inside cell B2, choose the Freeze Panes option, then click Freeze Panes.
Do you need to print your Excel spreadsheet, but want to repeat the column headings on each page? Learn how to print the top row on every page in Excel 2013 to make it easier for your readers to identify which column a data cell belongs to.
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