Freeze the top row from the menu

Go to View > Freeze > 1 row. A thicker grey line appears under row 1, and that row now stays put while the rest of the sheet scrolls underneath it.

Freeze several rows at once

Click a cell in the row below the ones you want to keep, then choose View > Freeze > Up to current row. Everything above the selected cell becomes frozen.

Drag the freeze bar by hand

Hover over the thick grey line at the top-left of the grid until the cursor changes, then drag it down to freeze exactly the rows you want. Drag it back up to row 1 to unfreeze.

Common mistakes / tips

  • Freeze is per sheet. Each tab in a workbook keeps its own freeze setting.
  • To unfreeze, choose No rows. Open View > Freeze > No rows to clear it.
  • Columns work the same way. Use View > Freeze > 1 column to lock the leftmost column.

Frequently asked questions

How do I unfreeze a row in Google Sheets?

Open View > Freeze and choose No rows, or drag the grey freeze bar back up above row 1.

Does freezing a row print or export?

Freezing only affects how you view the sheet on screen. It does not change printing or exports, though you can set a header row to repeat when printing.

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