How do I freeze and select panes in Excel?

• You can freeze a row in Excel so it's easier to compare data as you scroll through the spreadsheet.
• You can choose to only freeze the first visible row in your Excel sheet, or freeze multiple rows. 
• To freeze a row (or unfreeze it later) you just need to use the "Freeze Panes" menu.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Spreadsheets can get complicated, and frequently you need to be able to compare two different sets of data that are widely separated on your Mac or PC screen. 

An easy way to do that is to freeze a row (or column), so it stays in a fixed location while the rest of the spreadsheet scrolls up and down (or side to side). 

There are two ways to do this: You can freeze the first visible row on your spreadsheet, or you can freeze a set of rows. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

MacBook Pro (From $1,299.99 at Best Buy)

Lenovo IdeaPad 130 (From $299.99 at Best Buy)

Microsoft Office (From $149.99 at Best Buy)

How to freeze the top row in Excel

Keep in mind that this doesn't have to literally be the top row in your spreadsheet — this command lets you freeze the first visible row. 

1. Scroll your spreadsheet until the row you want to lock in place is the first row visible under the row of letters.

2. In the menu, click "View."

3. In the ribbon, click "Freeze Panes" and then click "Freeze Top Row."

Now, when you scroll through the spreadsheet, the top row that was visible will remain fixed while the rest of the spreadsheet scrolls under it.

How to freeze a set of rows in Excel

When you use this option, you're actually freezing all the rows from the top down to the row you want to freeze — you can't freeze a random row in the middle of a spreadsheet without locking everything above it at the same time.

1. Select the row below the set of rows you want to freeze. 

2. In the menu, click "View."

3. In the ribbon, click "Freeze Panes" and then click "Freeze Panes."

How to unfreeze a row 

Once you freeze a row, you can return to the Freeze Panes menu in the ribbon and choose "Unfreeze" to toggle the locked row. 

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• How to combine two columns in Microsoft Excel without losing data

• How to edit a drop-down list in Excel, depending on how you created it

• How to copy a formula in Microsoft Excel using a Mac or PC

• How to set a print area in Microsoft Excel to print a specific section of your spreadsheet

• How to change the date format in Microsoft Excel to make the program write dates in a certain way

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.

Read more Read less

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.