Lock or unlock columns and rows

You can lock columns and rows to protect critical data and prevent others who are shared to the sheet from changing or deleting data. 

Users shared to the sheet with Editor permissions can't edit data contained in cells in locked rows or columns. 

Only sheet Admins and Owners can edit the data in cells in locked rows or columns. 

Similarly, you can't edit cells in newly inserted rows in locked columns. 

Locked columns and rows also apply to anyone working from an update request or published sheet.

You can lock any column or row except the attachment and comment columns. 

Another way to protect your data is to use the proper sharing permissions when you share your sheet. 

For example, if you don't want a user to modify the sheet, grant that person the Viewer permission when you share the sheet.

You can create workflows that lock rows automatically when specific conditions are met. Learn more about Action blocks: Specify what automation is triggered.

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Lock a column or row

data in that column.

To lock a row, right-select a row number and select Lock.

To lock a column, right-select the column header and select Lock Column.
 

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Locking a column doesn't prevent someone with Editor-sharing permissions from deleting or moving rows. It prevents them from editing or deleting any 

A lock icon 

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 appears in locked columns and row headers to indicate that they're locked.

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Unlock a column or row

To unlock a row:

1. Right-select on a row's number and select Unlock Row. (Or, select the lock icon to the left of the first column, next to the row number)
2. Select OK in the message requesting your confirmation to unlock it.

To unlock a column:

1. Right-select the column header and select Unlock Column (or select the lock icon under the column header).
2. Select OK in the message requesting your confirmation to unlock it.

You can freeze columns to keep them visible while the rest of the sheet scrolls left or right.