In Excel for Windows desktop: go to Insert ▸ Text ▸ Header & Footer — Excel switches to Page Layout view with three click-to-type boxes at the top and bottom of the page.
On this page7
Choose Insert ▸ Text ▸ Header & Footer, or click View ▸ Page Layout and then the header area directly.
Click the left, centre or right box and type your text.
Use the Header & Footer tab buttons for Page Number, Number of Pages, Current Date, File Path, File Name or Sheet Name rather than typing them by hand.
Switch between header and footer with the Go to Header / Go to Footer buttons on that tab.
Tick Different First Page or Different Odd & Even Pages on the same tab when a cover page or a bound document needs it.
Click any cell and return to View ▸ Normal when you are done; use File ▸ Print to check the result.
What this does
A header or footer is print chrome: text that repeats at the top or bottom of every printed page and is invisible in Normal view. Each has a left, centre and right box, and the Header & Footer tab that appears while you edit supplies buttons for page number, page count, date, time, file path, file name and sheet name — these insert codes such as &[Page] that stay correct as the document grows. This is separate from repeating a *data* header row on each printed page, which is Page Layout ▸ Print Titles ▸ Rows to repeat at top. Most people learn this as a sequence of clicks and forget it by next week; learning it as a pattern instead is what lets you apply it to the next, slightly different version of the problem without starting from scratch. That is the difference this page is trying to make. For “change a header in excel”, the reliable version is a short checking loop, not just the first command that appears to work. Run it on a deliberately small range first, watch how the affected header change, and only then apply the same setup to the full sheet. When this is a ribbon command, the selection matters more than the button: confirm the range, apply the command, then spot-check the output before saving. That is what makes a workspace setting that makes a big sheet comfortable to navigate useful in real work: repeatable, auditable, and not dependent on memory or luck.
A worked example
For a report that should show the sheet name on the left and "Page 2 of 7" on the right: Insert ▸ Header & Footer, click the left header box and press the Sheet Name button; click the right footer box, type "Page ", press Page Number, type " of ", press Number of Pages. The footer code reads Page &[Page] of &[Pages] and prints correctly on every page. Anything that leaves the screen as paper or PDF needs to say where it came from and which page you are holding — sheet name, date and "page 3 of 9" are what makes a printout usable. If this is something you do often, add the command to the Quick Access Toolbar (right-click it on the ribbon and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar) or learn its shortcut, so next time it is one click instead of a hunt through the menus.
In Google Sheets
The Insert ▸ Text ▸ Header & Footer steps above are for Excel on Windows desktop. On Mac desktop, use Insert ▸ Header and Footer. Excel for the web cannot insert or edit worksheet headers or footers; open the workbook in desktop Excel. In Google Sheets, use File ▸ Print ▸ Headers & footers ▸ Edit custom fields instead of the Excel ribbon path. Nothing on this page is behind a login or a download: the exact answer is at the top, and the detail below it is there for when you need it. That is the whole promise here — the answer first, and just enough context to make it stick. If you take one thing from this page on “change a header in excel”, make it the order of checks rather than the individual clicks: confirm what is selected, apply the step, and look at the result before moving on. That small routine is what keeps Excel work predictable when the same task comes back in a slightly different workbook.
Common mistakes
- Expecting the header to show in Normal view — it only appears in Page Layout view and in the print preview.
- Typing "Page 1" literally instead of using the Page Number button, so every page prints as page 1.
- Confusing this with freezing or repeating the top data row; that is Page Layout ▸ Print Titles ▸ Rows to repeat at top.
- Setting the header on one sheet and assuming it applied to the workbook — select all sheet tabs first if you want it everywhere.
- Pasting a large logo into the header without scaling it, which pushes the print area down the page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a header in Excel?
Insert ▸ Text ▸ Header & Footer. Excel switches to Page Layout view and gives you three boxes at the top of the page — click one and type.
Why can I not see my header?
Headers and footers only render in Page Layout view and in print previews, never in Normal view. Use View ▸ Page Layout to see them on screen.
How do I put the file name in the footer?
Click into the footer box, then press File Name on the Header & Footer tab. It inserts the &[File] code, which stays correct if the workbook is renamed.
How do I repeat my column headings on every printed page?
That is a different feature: Page Layout ▸ Print Titles ▸ Rows to repeat at top, then select the heading row. Headers and footers cannot pull cell content.
Other ways people ask this
This is also commonly searched as “how to change header in excel”, “how do i change header in excel”, “change header excel” and “how to change headers in excel”. They describe the identical operation, so you are in the right place no matter how you phrased it.
Why do people search for this in so many different ways?
Because the same task has many names. “how to change header in excel”, “how do i change header in excel”, “change header excel” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.