Select the cell or range, press Ctrl + C, click the destination cell, and press Ctrl + V. On a Mac, use Cmd + C and Cmd + V.
Press Enter instead of Ctrl + V to paste once and clear the copy. Ctrl + V keeps the moving border, so you can paste the same data into several places; press Esc when you have finished.
To paste only part of what you copied, press Ctrl + Alt + V to open Paste Special, then press V for values, T for formats or F for formulas, and Enter. To copy the cell above into the selected cell, press Ctrl + D; for the cell to the left, press Ctrl + R.
Pasted formulas shift their relative references, so =A2*B2 copied one row down becomes =A3*B3. Add $ signs, as in =$A$2*B2, to fix a reference, or paste values to keep only the result.
If rows are hidden by hand or by grouping (not by a filter), Ctrl + C copies the hidden rows too. Select the range, press Alt + ; to select visible cells only, then copy.
Latest Video Tutorial – 10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts (Probably YOU are NOT Using)
Copy and paste are among the most commonly used features of Excel. They are used to copy data from one place and paste it in another. Users can create multiple copies of the copied data at various locations within the same sheet, on different sheets, or in multiple workbooks.
Like other Excel features, this feature also has a keyboard shortcut, and if you are a keyboard shortcut lover, you should be aware of this copy-and-paste shortcut.
Keyboard Shortcut to Copy and Paste in Excel
Paste: Ctrl + V or Enter
Copy: Ctrl + C
Steps to Copy and Paste Using Keyboard Shortcut
- First, go to the cell or select the cell range from where you want to copy the data, and then press the “Ctrl + C” keys.
- After that, go to the cell where you want to paste the copied data and press the “Enter” key or the “Ctrl + V” keys, and your data will get pasted to that place.
In the above image, you can see that we have pressed “Ctrl + V” at cell “F1”, and the copied data has been pasted over there.
Points to Remember
- To paste the data to only one location, you can use the “Enter” key. It pastes the data and ends the copy mode, so you can’t paste it again.
- To paste the copied data to multiple locations, you have to use the “Ctrl + V” keys; otherwise, you have to copy the data again and again.
- To paste the data using the Paste Special option (values, formulas, or formats only), you have to use the “Ctrl + Alt + V” keys.
More Copy and Paste Shortcuts
- Ctrl + D: copies the cell above into the selected cells below it (fill down).
- Ctrl + R: copies the cell on the left into the selected cells to its right (fill right).
- Paste to many cells at once: copy one cell, select the whole destination range, and press Ctrl + V to paste it into every selected cell.
- Esc: ends the copy mode and removes the moving border around the copied cells.
- Office Clipboard: press Alt → H → F → O to open the Clipboard pane, which keeps up to 24 copied items that you can paste in any order.
- Mac: use Command + C to copy and Command + V to paste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I paste in Excel?
The common reasons are a protected sheet, a paste area that’s a different size or shape from the copied range, or the copy mode being cleared (for example, by pressing Esc or Enter) before you paste.
How do I paste only values?
Press Ctrl + Alt + V, then V, and then Enter. In Microsoft 365, you can also press Ctrl + Shift + V to paste values only.
Does copy and paste copy formulas?
Yes. A normal paste copies the formula, and relative references change based on the new location. To keep a reference fixed, make it absolute with the $ sign.