Constraints for sticky headings
Asked by Anne EQS:

*This question is in reference to Atlassian Documentation: [Tables](https://confluence.atlassian.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=771892006)*
>
> Sticky table headings in view mode {#toc-hId-1681616455}
> --------------------------------------------------------
>
> In some instances table header rows will stick to the top when you're viewing a page, making those *really* long tables easier to read. There are a few exceptions though. Table headers aren't sticky when:
>
> * the space is using the documentation theme
> * **your table is inside a page layout (columns and sections)**
> * your table has no header row or there are cells in the top row that aren't marked as headers
> * **your table has a header column, instead of a header row, and scrolls horizontally**
> * your table is inside another table, or has another table inside, with its own header row
> * your table only has one column.

Atlassian, are there any plans to change these constraints?  
[](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Confluence-questions/Constraints-for-sticky-headings/qaq-p/393598?attachment-id=1618){#link_1187224ec23587}  
[](/tnckb94959/attachments/tnckb94959/confluence-questions/66683/1/DocJan17.png){#display_1187224ec23587_0}


Answers:
author: Michael Harris
body: Additional areas outside of view mode where stickiness would be desirable!

* you are in the Edit mode  
  *Use Case: While editing long tables, I as user need to see the column headings for data entry. (Referring to data in previously entered rows is not always adequate as some cells may be empty.)*
* you are in the Preview mode  
  *I, as a user, think that after editing a table, something I have done has disabled the stickiness and I drop my changes.*

comments: author: Stefan Nowak
body: +1 for sticky table headers in editing mode

If you need sticky headers for viewing the table, you very likely also need it for editing!

I have a hard time knowing where to write what content, if I don't have the header!

My workaround: Below the editing window I open a second instance in view mode with the same width, but limited height, so that I know which column is which.


author: Andrey Khaneev _StiltSoft_
body: It is possible to make scrollable tables with fixed header row using [Table Filter](https://marketplace.atlassian.com/plugins/com.stiltsoft.confluence.plugin.tablefilter.tablefilter/cloud/overview) macro's option [Freeze first N rows](https://docs.stiltsoft.com/display/TableFilter/Managing+Look+of+the+Table+and+Filtration+Pane#ManagingLookoftheTableandFiltrationPane-FreezingFirstNRows/Columns). You can see it in action [here](https://demo.stiltsoft.com/display/tblfilter/Managing+Look+of+Tables?os_username=guest1&os_password=guest1). Also it works en [page edit mode](https://demo.stiltsoft.com/pages/editpage.action?pageId=10911797).


author: boardtc
body: We use the documentation theme so no sticky headers ![sad](/html/@C495B4504065515364EB1894F812B34C/images/emoticons/sad.png "sad")

That said the current documentation does not mention it it as a constraint:[DocJan17.png](https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/tables-136463.html#Tables-stickytableheadersStickytableheadersinviewmode)

This suggests the documentation theme constraint was removed but [CONF-37888](https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONF-37888) / [announcements](https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/end-of-support-announcements-for-confluence-210239673.html#EndofSupportAnnouncementsforConfluence-features201507) says it was not fixed as the documentation theme will be deprecated in Confluence 6.

I updated the space theme to "Global Look and Feel" and I still have no sticky table headers ![sad](/html/@C495B4504065515364EB1894F812B34C/images/emoticons/sad.png "sad")


Tags: table