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How-to · 2026

How to Freeze a Row in Excel

Keep your header row visible while you scroll through a long spreadsheet. "Freeze," "lock," and "pin" a row all mean the same thing in Excel — here's how to do it, including freezing several rows at once.

By the Quiriz Team · Published July 24, 2026 · 4 min read

The fastest answer: View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Top Row. Row 1 now stays put while the rest of the sheet scrolls. If you need more control — several rows, or rows and columns together — the rest of this takes under a minute.

Freeze the top row

Go to the View tab, click Freeze Panes, and choose Freeze Top Row. That's it — your header row stays visible no matter how far down you scroll. You don't need to select anything first; Excel always freezes row 1 with this option.

Freeze several rows at once

Say your header spans the first three rows. Click the row below the last one you want frozen — row 4 in this case — then go to View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Panes. Everything above the selected row locks in place. The rule to remember: select the row below what you want frozen.

Freeze rows and columns together

To freeze both the top rows and the leftmost columns, click the single cell that sits just below and to the right of everything you want frozen — for example, cell B2 to freeze row 1 and column A — then View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Panes. Excel freezes everything above and to the left of that cell.

Unfreeze

Changed your mind? View → Freeze Panes → Unfreeze Panes clears all frozen rows and columns in one click.

"Freeze," "pin," and "lock" a row are used interchangeably for this. If instead you're trying to stop a row from being edited, that's cell protection — Review → Protect Sheet — which is a different feature.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I freeze more than one row in Excel?
Select the row just below the last row you want frozen — for example, click row 3 to freeze rows 1 and 2 — then go to View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Everything above the selected row stays visible while you scroll.
What's the difference between freezing and locking a row?
Freezing keeps a row visible on screen while you scroll — it's a view setting. Locking a row usually refers to protecting cells so they can't be edited, which lives under Review > Protect Sheet. "Pin a row" and "lock a row" most often mean freezing.
How do I freeze a row and a column at the same time?
Click the cell just below and to the right of the area you want frozen (for example, cell B2 to freeze row 1 and column A), then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.
How do I unfreeze rows in Excel?
Go to View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. This removes every frozen row and column at once.