Why Freeze the Header Row
A year of bank transactions can run to hundreds of rows. Once you scroll past the first screen, the column headings (Date, Description, Amount, Balance) disappear and it becomes easy to misread which column you are looking at. Freezing panes keeps chosen rows and columns on screen while the rest of the sheet scrolls.
The Rule From Microsoft's Documentation
Microsoft's Freeze Panes page gives one rule for freezing multiple rows and columns: select the cell below the rows and to the right of the columns you want to keep visible, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. The page explains that Freeze Panes freezes the rows above and the columns left of the selected cell.
The page's own example is for the first two columns: select the third column, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.
Applying It to a Transaction Sheet
Suppose your sheet has a single header row in row 1, with these synthetic rows beneath it:
Row A B C D
1 Date Description Amount Balance
2 2026-01-03 Sample Cafe -4.50 995.50
3 2026-01-10 Sample Payroll 2000.00 2995.50
4 2026-01-15 Sample Market -62.30 2933.20Applying the documented rule: the rows you want to keep visible are above row 2, so select cell A2 and then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Row 1 stays in place as you scroll. If you also want the Date column to stay visible, select cell B2 instead, which freezes the rows above it and the column to its left (row 1 and column A).
Microsoft's page has no dedicated steps for "top row only" or "first column only". The cell-selection rule above is the documented method, and this article applies that rule rather than describing menu items the page does not mention. If your statement has several lines of preamble above the headers, select the cell below the last row you want frozen.
The page says that if you do not see the View tab, you are likely using Excel Starter, because not all features are supported there.
Unfreezing and Related Options
To undo the freeze, Microsoft says to go to the View tab and select Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. The page also mentions that you can split panes to create separate windows of the same worksheet, which is a different feature from freezing.
The Microsoft article states that it applies to Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, Excel 2021, Excel 2019 and Excel 2016. Other products, including other spreadsheet programs, may differ, and this article does not describe them.
A Short Checklist
Before freezing, check that your headers are in a single row and that nothing above them needs to stay visible. After freezing, scroll down a few screens and confirm the headings remain.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Per Microsoft, select the cell below the rows and to the right of the columns you want to keep visible, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Rows above and columns left of the selected cell are frozen.
Microsoft says to go to the View tab and select Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes.
Microsoft notes that not all features are supported in Excel Starter, and that you are likely using Excel Starter if you do not see the View tab.
Primary Evidence & Official References
- Freeze panes to lock rows and columns — support.microsoft.com (Verified 2026-10-29). Official source documentation →