As data grows in a worksheet, it gets harder to manage it. Even a large monitor doesn't help while dealing with thousand rows and hundreds of columns. Fortunately, Excel allows you to split the window up to 4 panes which you can focus on different parts of the worksheet. In this guide, we’re going to show you how to split worksheets also known as splitting panes in Excel.
Splitting panes
You can find the Split command in the View tab of the Ribbon.
When clicked, the button splits the worksheet based on the selected cell(s). You have 3 options:
- 2 horizontal panes
- 2 vertical panes
- 4 panes
Horizontal panes
Either select a cell in column A or select the entire row which you want that the bottom pane starts. For example, if you select the cell A10 or the 10th row and click the Split button, you will split the worksheet in two (2) horizontal panes. Excel will slice the worksheet starting from the 10th row.
You will see that each pane has its own vertical scroll bar, and the Split button is toggled.
Vertical panes
In a similar manner, you can create vertical panes by selecting a cell in the 1st row or the entire column. The selected cell or column remains at the right pane.
Cross panes (4 panes)
To split your worksheet into 4 panes at once, select a cell near the center of your worksheet and click the Split button. The window will be split as the selected cell's top-left corner becomes a pivot point. Thus, the selected cell remains at the bottom-right pane.
How to remove panes
As the button name suggests, you can click the Split button again or type the shortcut to remove all panes at once. An alternative way is to double-click on a pane border. This action will remove the border and merge the corresponding windows.
