How to insert floating table or textbox in Excel worksheet?
In practical Excel work, there are often situations where you need certain important content—such as a table summary, notification, calculation outcome, or critical note—to remain visible at all times, even when scrolling through lengthy sheets. Typically, tables or textboxes anchored in cells will scroll out of sight as you move around a large worksheet. This can reduce efficiency and cause missed updates or essential reference data to be overlooked. To address this, users often ask: is it possible to make a table or textbox "float" so that it stays put regardless of scrolling position?
This article introduces several practical techniques to achieve the effect of a floating or always-visible table or textbox in Excel, including VBA approaches and built-in Excel features. Each solution has its particular scenarios and features for you to select from based on actual needs. In addition, common pros and cons of each method are noted so you can choose the best fit for your workflow.
Table of Contents
Insert floating table in Excel with VBA code
Insert floating textbox in Excel with VBA code
Other Built-in Excel Methods - Freeze Panes
Other Built-in Excel Methods - Place Textbox or Shape in an Unscrolled Location
Insert floating table in Excel with VBA code
Excel does not provide a direct built-in function to insert a truly floating table that remains visible over all other worksheet content while scrolling. However, you can work around this by converting your table into an image and using VBA to dynamically reposition that image to always display in a fixed area, such as the top right corner of the screen.
This solution is useful when you have a summary table or frequently referenced data block that must remain readily accessible on busy or long worksheets. However, be aware that the table becomes a static image—cell-level editing and formulas will not update the picture, so you'll need to refresh it if the source data changes.
1. Select the data table that you want to keep visible, then go to the Home tab, click Copy and select Copy as Picture. This can usually be found under the dropdown arrow below the standard Copy function. See screenshot:
2. In the "Copy Picture" dialog box that appears, set Appearance to As shown on screen and Format to Picture. Click OK. Next, click a blank cell where you wish to paste the picture, then use Ctrl + V to paste it. At this stage, you can move and resize the picture as needed. See screenshot:
3. Once the table has been converted into a picture, right-click the tab at the bottom of the sheet containing the picture, and choose View Code. In the opened Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) window, insert the following code into the relevant worksheet code window:
VBA code: Insert floating table in Excel
Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range)
'Updateby Extendoffice
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
If Target.Cells.Count > 1 Then Exit Sub
With ActiveSheet.Shapes("Picture1")
.Top = ActiveWindow.VisibleRange.Top + 5
.Left = ActiveWindow.VisibleRange.Left + ActiveWindow.VisibleRange.Width - .Width - 45
End With
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
End Sub
Note: The Picture1 in this code refers to the name of the pasted image. You can find it by selecting the image and looking at the Name Box on the top left of Excel, or by right-clicking the picture and selecting "Size and Properties". Modify the code to match your actual picture object name.
4. Save and close the VBA code window. Now, whenever you scroll the worksheet or click any cell, the table picture will remain positioned at the top right corner of the visible worksheet area.
This approach is ideal for creating always-visible summary data snapshots, but remember that as a picture, it will not automatically update with changed cell values. If the underlying data changes, you will need to repeat the process to refresh the floating image.
Common issues you might encounter include the floating picture obscuring other content, or not showing if the worksheet objects are set to be invisible. Always check your worksheet's object visibility settings and adjust the size and location of your picture for optimal viewing.
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Insert floating textbox in Excel with VBA code
When the requirement is to display notes, reminders, or formula results prominently, a floating textbox can be an effective choice. While Excel does not have a native "floating" textbox, you can use VBA to make an ActiveX textbox follow the visible window, staying in a consistent position as you scroll through your worksheet.
This option is particularly suitable for adding persistent comments, instructions, or warnings to shared documents, making sure every user sees the important information regardless of where they navigate.
1. Insert a textbox by clicking Developer > Insert > Text Box (ActiveX Control). Then draw the textbox onto your worksheet and type your desired text into it. If the Developer tab is not visible, you may need to enable it from Excel Options first. See screenshot:
2. Next, right-click on the sheet tab containing the inserted textbox and select View Code. In the VBA window, paste the following code into the sheet's code area:
VBA code: Insert floating textbox in Excel
Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range)
'Updateby Extendoffice
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
With ActiveWindow.VisibleRange
TextBox1.Top = .Top + 5
TextBox1.Left = .Left + .Width - TextBox1.Width - 45
End With
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
Note: In this code, TextBox1 is the default name of the ActiveX textbox you created. To ensure the code works, check the textbox's name and adjust if necessary by selecting it and viewing or editing in the Name Box.
3. Save and close the VBA editor. Whenever you scroll to a different area of the worksheet, the textbox will automatically stay anchored at the top right corner of the visible window, ensuring that your critical text is always viewable.
This approach is ideal when you need dynamic, always-visible notes or instructions, without locking down cell ranges. Note, however, that some users may experience compatibility issues with ActiveX controls, especially in non-Windows environments. Also, saving as certain older file formats (.xls) may strip out the ActiveX elements.
If you notice that the textbox is not moving with the scroll, double-check that the VBA code is running (macros must be enabled), and confirm that the control's name matches the code.
Other Built-in Excel Methods - Freeze Panes
When you simply want to keep certain rows or columns, such as headers or summary tables, visible as you scroll through a worksheet, Excel’s Freeze Panes feature provides a straightforward solution—no VBA required.
This approach is well suited for worksheets where your important reference data is positioned at the top (such as a title row or summary table) or left side (like row labels), and you don't want them to disappear during navigation. This solution is especially helpful for financial reports, data entry sheets, or forms that require constant column or row awareness.
How to use:
Place the cursor below the last row or to the right of the last column you want to keep visible. For example, if your table is in the first 3 rows, place your cursor in row 4. Then go to View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Excel will freeze all rows above and columns to the left of your selection.
Like all built-in tools, this method is quick and reliable, and does not require code or special permissions. However, unlike true floating objects, freeze panes only keep specified rows/columns fixed—they do not hover over the worksheet, and you are limited to one "freeze" boundary per worksheet.
Potential issues may arise if your worksheet already uses split windows or if you want more flexible floating placement. If you unfreeze the panes, the effect is removed, and you may need to reapply it if the range changes after edits to your sheet layout.
Other Built-in Excel Methods - Place Textbox or Shape in an Unscrolled Location
Another workaround is to insert a Textbox or Shape using Insert > Text Box or Insert > Shapes, and place it within a row or column that is already frozen—making it always visible when scrolling the worksheet vertically or horizontally. This method lets you add a fixed label, note, or highlighted area within the "frozen" sections, so that your important information remains in view.
This solution is best when your always-visible content is small and can fit conveniently in a header or left margin, such as audit comments, sheet status marks, or brief instructions. The main advantage is its simplicity and compatibility—no code, no security warnings, just native Excel features.
However, please note this is only a partial workaround: the textbox or shape is anchored to the cells, so it "floats" only within the unfrozen area. It does not move dynamically as you scroll elsewhere in the sheet, and if users change the frozen area or delete relevant rows/columns, the textbox might shift or vanish from the visible area. To ensure the best results, align your textbox precisely within the frozen space, and remind users not to alter frozen ranges by accident.
If you need more flexible positioning—for example, for objects that hover above any cell at any scroll position—then using VBA, as described in the earlier sections, is a more appropriate choice.
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