How to Limit Columns in Excel (3 Quick Ways)

In this article, we will learn to limit columns in Excel. Sometimes, users need to work on specific columns. In that case, one needs to limit columns. Today, we will show 3 quick methods. Using these methods, you can easily limit columns in Excel. So, without any delay, let’s start the discussion.

How to Limit Columns in Excel: 3 Quick Ways

To explain these methods, we will use a dataset that contains information about the ID, Name, and Department of some employees of a company. We will try to limit columns using this dataset.

1. Disable Scroll Area to Limit Columns in Excel

In the first method, we will disable the scroll area to limit columns in Excel. To do so, we need to take the help of the Developer tab. Here, you need to set the columns where you want to operate. After setting the columns, you will be able to operate only in the selected columns. Let’s follow the steps below to see how we can limit columns by disabling the scroll area in Excel.

STEPS:

In the first place, right–click on the sheet name to open the Context Menu.
Then, select View Code from there. It will open the Visual Basic window.

In the Visual Basic window, click on View. A drop-down menu will appear.
Select Properties Windows from there.

In the Properties Window, go to the ScrollArea field and type the columns in which you want to operate.
Here, we want to operate on Columns B and C. So, we have typed B: C in the ScrollArea field.
After that, press Ctrl + S to save the changes.
After saving the changes, close the Visual Basic window.

Finally, if you go to the dataset, you will be able to operate on Columns B and C. You won’t be able to scroll in any other columns.

2. Limit Columns by Hiding

Another way to limit columns is to hide them. In this case, we will hide all the columns except the columns we want to operate on. Here, we will hide all the columns except Columns A to E. So, let’s follow the steps below to see how we can hide columns in Excel.

STEPS:

Firstly, select the column from where you want to start hiding.
In our case, that is Column F.

Secondly, press Ctrl + Shift + Right Arrow to select all the columns from Column F.
After that, right–click on the top of the selected columns to open the Context Menu.
Select Hide from there.

As a result, all columns will be hidden except Columns A to E.

Read More: How to Increase Excel Column Limit

3. Change Width to Limit Columns in Excel

In the last method, we will change the width of the columns to limit them in Excel. This process is similar to the previous one. Here, we will use the same dataset and will limit the Excel sheet to Columns A to E. So, let’s pay attention to the steps below to see how we can change the width of the columns.

STEPS:

First of all, press Ctrl + G to open the Go To dialog box.
Secondly, type F: XFD in the Reference box.
Here, F is the column from where we want to start changing the width and XFD is the last column of the Excel sheet.
Click OK to proceed.

After that, right–click on the selected columns to open the Context Menu.
Select Column Width from there. It will open the Column Width dialog box.

In the Column Width dialog box, type 0 in the Column width box.
Then, click OK to move forward.

Finally, you will see that the Excel sheet is limited to Columns A to E only.

Download Practice Workbook

Limit Columns.xlsm

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed easy methods to Limit Columns in Excel. I hope this article will help you to perform your tasks easily. Furthermore, we have also added the practice book at the beginning of the article. To test your skills, you can download it to exercise. Last of all, if you have any suggestions or queries, feel free to ask in the comment section below.