Copy and paste specific cell contents (2024)

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You can copy and paste specific cell contents or attributes (such as formulas, formats, comments, and validation). By default, if you use the Copy Copy and paste specific cell contents (1) and Paste Copy and paste specific cell contents (2) icons (or Copy and paste specific cell contents (3) + C and Copy and paste specific cell contents (4) + V), all attributes are copied. To pick a specific paste option, you can either use a Paste menu option or select Paste Special, and pick an option from the Paste Special box. Attributes other than what you select are excluded when you paste.

Copy and paste specific cell contents (5)

Paste menu options

  1. Select the cells that contain the data or other attributes that you want to copy.

  2. On the Home tab, click Copy Copy and paste specific cell contents (6).

  3. Click the first cell in the area where you want to paste what you copied.

  4. On the Home tab, click the arrow next to Paste, and then do any of the following. The options on the Paste menu will depend on the type of data in the selected cells:

    Copy and paste specific cell contents (7)

Select

To paste

Paste

All cell contents and formatting, including linked data.

Formulas

Only the formulas.

Formulas & Number Formatting

Only formulas and number formatting options.

Keep Source Formatting

All cell contents and formatting.

No Borders

All cell contents and formatting except cell borders.

Keep Source Column Widths

Only column widths.

Transpose

Reorients the content of copied cells when pasting. Data in rows is pasted into columns and vice versa.

Paste Values

Only the values as displayed in the cells.

Values & Number Formatting

Only the values and number formatting.

Values & Source Formatting

Only the values and number color and font size formatting.

Formatting

All cell formatting, including number and source formatting.

Paste Link

Link the pasted data to the original data. When you paste a link to the data that you copied, Excel enters an absolute reference to the copied cell or range of cells in the new location.

Paste as Picture

A copy of the image.

Linked Picture

A copy of the image with a link to the original cells (if you make any changes to the original cells those changes are reflected in the pasted image).

Column widths

Paste the width of one column or range of columns to another column or range of columns.

Merge conditional formatting

Combine conditional formatting from the copied cells with conditional formatting present in the paste area.

Paste Special options

  1. Select the cells that contain the data or other attributes that you want to copy.

  2. On the Home tab, click Copy Copy and paste specific cell contents (8).

  3. Click the first cell in the area where you want to paste what you copied.

  4. On the Home tab, click the arrow next to Paste, and then select Paste Special.

    Copy and paste specific cell contents (9)

  5. Select the options you want.

    Copy and paste specific cell contents (10)

Paste options

Select

To paste

All

All cell contents and formatting, including linked data.

Formulas

Only the formulas.

Values

Only the values as displayed in the cells.

Formats

Cell contents and formatting.

Comments

Only comments attached to the cell.

Validation

Only data validation rules.

All using Source theme

All cell contents and formatting using the theme that was applied to the source data.

All except borders

Cell contents and formatting except cell borders.

Column widths

The width of one column or range of columns to another column or range of columns.

Formulas and number formats

Only formulas and number formatting.

Values and number formats

Only values and number formatting options from the selected cells.

All, merge conditional formats

Combine conditional formatting from the copied cells with conditional formatting present in the paste area.

Operation options

The Operation options mathematically combine values between the copy and paste areas.

Click

To

None

Paste the contents of the copy area without a mathematical operation.

Add

Add the values in the copy area to the values in the paste area.

Subtract

Subtract the values in the copy area from the values in the paste area.

Multiply

Multiply the values in the paste area by the values in the copy area.

Divide

Divide the values in the paste area by the values in the copy area.

Other options

Click

To

Skip Blanks

Avoid replacing values or attributes in your paste area when blank cells occur in the copy area.

Transpose

Reorients the content of copied cells when pasting. Data in rows is pasted into columns and vice versa.

Paste Link

If data is a picture, links to the source picture. If the source picture is changed, this one will change too.

Tip:Some options are available both on the Paste menu and in the Paste Special dialog box. The option names might vary a bit but the results are the same.

Tip:In Excel for Mac version 16.33 or higher,the "paste formatting", "paste formulas", and "paste values" actions can be added to your quick-access toolbar (QAT) or assigned to custom key combinations. For the keyboard shortcuts, you'll need to assign a key combination that isn't already being used to open the Paste Special dialog.

See Also

Move or copy a sheet

Move or copy cells, rows, or columns

Customize the Ribbon and toolbars in Office for Mac

Create a custom keyboard shortcut for Office for Mac

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Copy and paste specific cell contents (2024)

FAQs

How do I copy and paste specific cell contents in Excel? ›

Select the cell or range of cells. Select Copy or press Ctrl + C. Select Paste or press Ctrl + V.

How do you copy a cell if it contains specific text? ›

Copy Cells If a Column Contains Specific Value/Text Using Filter
  1. Now click on the down arrow, then click on text filers, and select contains from the list as shown in the below image.
  2. Then enter the value you want to copy and click OK.
Mar 7, 2023

How do you copy and paste selected cells only? ›

Click Home > Find & Select, and pick Go To Special. Click Visible cells only > OK. Click Copy (or press Ctrl+C). Select the upper-left cell of the paste area and click Paste (or press Ctrl+V).

How do you paste exact cell contents in Excel? ›

Select the cells that contain the data or other attributes that you want to copy. Click the first cell in the area where you want to paste what you copied. On the Home tab, click the arrow next to Paste, and then select Paste Special.

How to extract certain text from a cell in Excel? ›

Here are four methods you can use to extract a substring in Excel:
  1. Use the LEFT, RIGHT and MID functions. You can use the LEFT, RIGHT and MID functions to extract specific text from a cell. ...
  2. Use the TRIM function. ...
  3. Use the MID and FIND functions. ...
  4. Use Flash Fill.
Feb 3, 2023

How do you paste values only in Excel formula? ›

Select the cells with the formulas. Copy them. Without changing the selection, click the lower half of the Paste button on the Home tab of the ribbon, then click Values or press V.

How do you paste cells with values only in sheets? ›

If you want to paste values only, press “Ctrl” + “Shift” + “V” for Windows and “⌘” + ”Shift” + “V” for Mac.

How do you paste copied cell contents? ›

To copy and paste, you can use keyboard shortcuts:
  1. PC: Ctrl + c for Copy, Ctrl + x for Cut, and Ctrl + v for Paste.
  2. Mac: ⌘ + c for Copy, ⌘ + x for Cut, and ⌘ + v for Paste.

How do you select if a cell contains specific text in Excel? ›

Find cells that contain text

On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Find & Select, and then click Find. In the Find what box, enter the text—or numbers—that you need to find. Or, choose a recent search from the Find what drop-down box. Note: You can use wildcard characters in your search criteria.

How do you conditionally copy in Excel? ›

Select the control that has the conditional formatting you want to copy. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, double-clickFormat Painter. Click the all the controls to which you want to copy the formatting. Click Format Painter again to end the format-painting process.

How do you copy and paste non consecutive cells? ›

Replies (3) 
  1. Selects the cells you want to copy (contiguous or not)
  2. Press CTRL + C to copy them.
  3. Select the destination cell.
  4. Press, Ctrl + Alt + V + V + ENTER to paste the cell range as values with no blank rows in the pasted range.
May 12, 2023

How to copy only values in Excel without formula? ›

Step 2: Press "Ctrl + C" or right-click and choose "Copy" to copy the cells. Step 3: Right-click on a different cell and select "Paste Special" from the context menu. Step 4: In the "Paste Special" dialog box, choose "Values" and click "OK." This will paste the values from the copied cells without any formulas.

How do I apply the same formula to multiple cells in Excel? ›

Fill formulas into adjacent cells
  1. Select the cell with the formula and the adjacent cells you want to fill.
  2. Click Home > Fill, and choose either Down, Right, Up, or Left. Keyboard shortcut: You can also press Ctrl+D to fill the formula down in a column, or Ctrl+R to fill the formula to the right in a row.

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