To change the header within an Excel table (referring to the column headers) is different from changing a page header (for printing). This answer will address changing the column headers of an Excel table. If you meant the page header for printing, see the alternative explanation below.
Changing Excel Table Column Headers
Excel table column headers are typically changed directly in the worksheet.
- Locate the header row: The column headers are usually the first row of your table.
- Click the cell: Click on the cell containing the header you want to change.
- Enter the new header text: Type the new name for the column header.
- Press Enter: Press the Enter key, or click outside the cell, to save the change.
Example:
Let's say you have a table with a column labeled "Product Name." To change it to "Item Description," you would:
- Click the cell containing "Product Name."
- Type "Item Description."
- Press Enter.
Important Considerations:
- The new header name must be unique within the table. Excel doesn't allow duplicate column headers in a table.
- Changing column headers doesn't affect any formulas that use the old header name, unless those formulas use structured references (which is common with tables). If they do, the formulas will automatically update.
Changing the Page Header for Printing (Alternative Interpretation)
If, instead, you're looking to change the page header that appears when printing your Excel sheet (the header that shows at the top of each printed page), follow these steps:
- Go to the Insert Tab: Click the "Insert" tab on the Excel ribbon.
- Click Header & Footer: In the "Text" group, click "Header & Footer." This will switch you to Page Layout view.
- Enter your header: Excel displays the worksheet in Page Layout view, with header areas at the top. Click in the "Add header" boxes to input your desired header content (left, center, and right sections are available).
- Design Tab Options: When you are in the header area, the "Header & Footer Tools Design" tab becomes active. You can use the options here to insert page numbers, date, time, file path, and other elements.
- Custom Header Option: Alternatively, from the Page Layout view (where you see the header sections), go to the "Page Layout" tab on the ribbon. Click the "Page Setup" dialog box launcher (small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the "Page Setup" group). In the Page Setup dialog, click the "Header/Footer" tab. From there, you can click "Custom Header" to design a more complex header using left, center, and right sections.
Adding Elements to the Page Header:
The "Design" tab provides buttons to quickly add elements like:
- Page Number: Inserts the current page number.
- Number of Pages: Inserts the total number of pages.
- Date: Inserts the current date.
- Time: Inserts the current time.
- File Path: Inserts the path to the Excel file.
- File Name: Inserts the Excel file name.
- Sheet Name: Inserts the name of the current worksheet.
