How to Add a Header in Excel for Printed Pages

A header is the text that sits at the top of every printed page of your spreadsheet: your business name, a report title, the date, or Page 1 of 4. It never gets in the way of your data on screen, but it makes a printout or PDF look finished rather than thrown together.

Excel tucks headers away in a different view from the one you normally work in, which is why so many people can't find them. Here's how to add one, use the ready-made options, and get back to your normal view afterwards.

Header in Excel or a header row?

Quick check before we start. In Excel, a header usually means the printed page header covered in this guide. If you're after a row of column headings that stays visible while you scroll, that's a different feature, Freeze Panes on the View tab. Everything below is about the printed kind.

Adding a header in Excel from the Insert tab

1. Click the sheet you want to add a header to.
2. Go to the Insert tab and select Header & Footer.
3. Excel switches to Page Layout view, where you can see the page edges and a header area at the top.
4. Click the left, centre or right box in the header area.
5. Type your text. Press Enter if you want a second line.
6. Click any cell on the sheet to finish.

Each of the three boxes is aligned differently, so you can put your business name on the left, a report title in the middle and the date on the right. One small quirk from Microsoft's help: if your text includes an ampersand, type it twice, as in Smith && Co, or it won't show.

Using built-in header options in Excel

When you click inside the header area, a Design tab appears on the ribbon. Menus vary by app version, so it may carry a slightly different label in yours. It holds two very handy groups:

Group	What you'll find	Example use
Header & Footer	Ready-made headers to pick from a list	A standard layout in one click
Header & Footer Elements	Page Number, File Name, Current Date and more	Report date that updates itself

I always use the elements rather than typing a page number or date by hand. Typed text stays fixed, while an element updates itself every time you print.

Different headers for the first page or odd and even pages

The Options group on the same Design tab gives you more control:

• Different First Page removes the header and footer from the first printed page. Great for a cover page.
• Different Odd & Even Pages lets you set separate headers for left and right pages, handy for printed booklets.
• Scale with Document and Align with Page Margins keep your header in proportion and lined up with the page edges.

Adding the same header to several Excel sheets

Page Layout view works on one sheet at a time. To add a header to several sheets in one go, Microsoft points you to the Page Setup box instead.

1. Select the sheets. Hold Ctrl and click each tab.
2. On the Page Layout tab, select the small launcher arrow in the corner of the Page Setup group.
3. Open the Header/Footer tab.
4. Choose Custom Header, type your text into the left, centre or right section and select OK.

Microsoft says this is also the only way to add a header to a chart sheet or a chart. When you're done, click a single tab so you don't accidentally type on every selected sheet.

Getting back to the normal Excel view

After adding a header, your sheet stays in Page Layout view, which some people find cluttered. To switch back, go to the View tab and select Normal. Your header is still there; it just only shows in Page Layout view and when you print.

Changed your mind halfway through typing? Microsoft says you can press Esc to close the header without keeping your changes.

Editing or removing an Excel header

• To edit: go back to Insert, Header & Footer, click the box and change the text.
• To remove from one sheet: click into the header box, select the text and press Delete or Backspace.
• To remove from several sheets: select them, open Page Setup, go to Header/Footer and choose (none) from the header list.

Header ideas for business spreadsheets

A good header makes a spreadsheet look professional when it leaves your desk. I'd suggest:

• Left: your business or client name.
• Centre: the report title, such as Weekly orders.
• Right: the Current Date element, so every printout shows when it was made.
• Footer: Page Number, so loose pages go back in order.

If you design printable reports or handouts in Canva instead, numbering pages in Canva does a similar job. And for shared trackers that never get printed, checkboxes in Google Sheets often matter more than headers.

If your Excel header doesn't show

1. Can't see it on screen? You're in Normal view. Headers only appear in Page Layout view and on the print preview.
2. Header missing from the first page? Different First Page may be ticked on the Design tab.
3. Ampersand vanished? Type two ampersands to show one.
4. Header on the wrong sheets? Check whether several tabs were grouped when you added it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add a header in Excel?

Go to Insert and select Header & Footer. Excel switches to Page Layout view, where you click the left, centre or right box at the top and type your text.

Why can't I see my Excel header?

Headers only show in Page Layout view and when printing. In Normal view they're hidden, but still there.

How do I add page numbers to an Excel header?

Click inside the header box, then choose Page Number from the Header & Footer Elements group on the Design tab.

How do I add a header to all sheets in Excel?

Select the sheets, open the Page Setup box from the Page Layout tab, go to Header/Footer and choose Custom Header.

How do I go back to normal view after adding a header?

Go to the View tab and select Normal. Press Esc instead if you want to close without keeping your changes.