How to Freeze Panes and Split a Worksheet in Excel

When working with a lot of data in Excel, comparing information can be hard. Luckily, Excel has tools to help you view different parts of your workbook at the same time. You can freeze panes or split your worksheet for better visibility.

How to Freeze Rows

Sometimes, you may want to keep certain rows or columns visible while scrolling. Freezing rows or columns helps you see important data, like headers, at all times.

Steps to Freeze Rows

  1. Select the row below the one(s) you want to freeze.

    • Example: To freeze rows 1 and 2, select row 3.


  2. Go to the View tab.

  3. Click Freeze Panes, then select Freeze Panes from the drop-down menu.


  4. A gray line will appear, showing that the rows are frozen.


  5. Now, you can scroll down while keeping the frozen rows visible at the top.

How to Freeze Columns

Steps to Freeze Columns

  1. Select the column to the right of the one(s) you want to freeze.


    • Example: To freeze column A, select column B.

  2. Go to the View tab.

  3. Click Freeze Panes, then select Freeze Panes from the drop-down menu.


  4. A gray line will appear, showing that the column is frozen.


  5. Now, you can scroll sideways while keeping the frozen column visible on the left.

Freezing the First Row or First Column

If you only need to freeze the first row or column, Excel has quick options:

  • Select Freeze Top Row to freeze row 1.
  • Select Freeze First Column to freeze column A.

How to Unfreeze Panes

If you want to change the view, you may need to unfreeze panes first.


Steps to Unfreeze Panes

  1. Go to the View tab.
  2. Click Freeze Panes and select Unfreeze Panes from the menu.
  3. Now, all rows and columns will scroll normally.

Other Viewing Options

If your workbook has a lot of data, Excel has more ways to help you compare information.

How to Open a New Window for the Workbook

You can open multiple windows of the same workbook to compare different worksheets.

  1. Go to the View tab.
  2. Click New Window.
  3. A new window will appear with the same workbook.
  4. You can now view and compare different worksheets side by side.

  5. Use the Arrange All command to organize multiple windows.

How to Split a Worksheet

Splitting a worksheet allows you to view different sections separately in the same window.

Steps to Split a Worksheet

  1. Select the cell where you want the split.


    • Example: To split at column D and row 6, select cell D6.

  2. Go to the View tab.

  3. Click Split.

  4. The worksheet will be divided into different panes.

  5. Each section has its own scrollbar, so you can scroll separately.

  6. To adjust the split, drag the dividers.

  7. To remove the split, click Split again.

These tools make it easier to work with large Excel files and compare important data quickly.