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Select frames and framesets



To make changes to the properties of a frame or frameset, begin by selecting the frame or frameset you want to change. You can select a frame or frameset either in the Document window or by using the Frames panel.

The Frames panel provides a visual representation of the frames within a frameset. It shows the hierarchy of the frameset structure in a way that may not be apparent in the Document window. In the Frames panel, a very thick border surrounds each frameset; each frame is surrounded by a thin gray line and is identified by a frame name.


In the Document window’s Design view, when a frame is selected, its borders are outlined with a dotted line; when a frameset is selected, all the borders of the frames within the frameset are outlined with a light dotted line.

Note: Placing the insertion point in a document that’s displayed in a frame is not the same as selecting a frame. There are various operations (such as setting frame properties) for which you must select a frame.

Select a frame or frameset in the Frames panel

  1. Select Window > Frames.
  2. In the Frames panel:

    • To select a frame, click the frame. (A selection outline appears around the frame in both the Frames panel and the Document window’s Design view.)

    • To select a frameset, click the border that surrounds the frameset.

Select a frame or frameset in the Document window

  • To select a frame, Shift-Alt‑click (Windows) or Shift-Option-click (Macintosh) inside a frame in Design view.
  • To select a frameset, click one of the frameset’s internal frame borders in Design view. (Frame borders must be visible to do this; select View >Visual Aids > Frame Borders to make frame borders visible if they aren’t.)
    Note: It’s generally easier to select framesets in the Frames panel than in the Document window. For more information, see the above topics.

Select a different frame or frameset

  • To select the next or previous frame or frameset at the same hierarchical level as the current selection, press Alt+Left Arrow or Alt+Right Arrow (Windows), or Command+Left Arrow or Command+Right Arrow (Macintosh). Using these keys, you can cycle through frames and framesets in the order in which they’re defined in the frameset file.
  • To select the parent frameset (the frameset that contains the current selection), press Alt+Up Arrow (Windows) or Command+Up Arrow (Macintosh).
  • To select the first child frame or frameset of the currently selected frameset (that is, first in the order in which they’re defined in the frameset file), press Alt+Down Arrow (Windows) or Command+Down Arrow (Macintosh).