The three ways to copy in Excel

Excel gives you three different copy actions depending on what you need. You can copy the contents of a single cell or range of cells to paste elsewhere in the same sheet or a different sheet. You can copy a formula so it automatically adjusts the cell references when you paste it. Or you can copy an entire sheet with all its data and formatting intact. Which one you use depends on whether you are duplicating data, reusing a calculation, or backing up a whole worksheet.

The keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C (or Cmd+C on Mac) copies whatever you have selected. Ctrl+V (or Cmd+V on Mac) pastes it. These work the same way across Windows and Mac versions of Excel, and they are faster than using the menu every time.

Key Takeaways

  • Copy a cell or range by selecting it, pressing Ctrl+C, clicking where you want it, and pressing Ctrl+V.
  • When you copy a formula down or across, Excel automatically adjusts the cell references so each row or column uses its own data.
  • Use the fill handle (the small square at the bottom right of a selected cell) to copy a formula down a column without opening the paste menu.
  • To copy an entire sheet with all its data and formatting, right-click the sheet tab at the bottom and choose Move or Copy, then select where the copy should go.
  • Paste Special lets you copy only the values from a cell, leaving behind the formula, so the pasted data does not change if the original does.

Copying a single cell or a range of cells

Select the cell or cells you want to copy. If you are copying one cell, click it once. If you are copying a range (a block of adjacent cells), click the first cell, hold Shift, and click the last cell in the range. You can also click and drag from the first cell to the last to select a range.

Press Ctrl+C (Windows) or Cmd+C (Mac). You will see a dotted border around the cells you copied — this is Excel telling you the copy is ready. Click the cell where you want the copy to start. If you copied a range, this is where the top-left cell of that range will land. Press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac). The cells paste in the same arrangement they had before.

If you want to paste the same cells multiple times, you can keep pressing Ctrl+V in different locations without copying again. The dotted border stays active until you press Escape or copy something else.

Copying a formula so it adjusts automatically

When you copy a formula from one cell to another, Excel changes the cell references so the formula works for each row or column. If you have a formula in cell C2 that says =A2+B2, and you copy it down to C3, it automatically becomes =A3+B3. This is called a relative reference, and it is why you can copy a formula down an entire column without retyping it.

Select the cell with the formula. Press Ctrl+C. Select the range where you want the formula to go — you can select the entire column or just the cells you need. Press Ctrl+V. Each cell in the range now has the formula adjusted for its own row.

If you want to copy a formula down a column quickly, select the cell with the formula and double-click the small square at the bottom right corner of the cell (called the fill handle). Excel will automatically copy the formula down to the last row that has data in the adjacent column. This saves you from selecting a range and pasting manually.

Using Paste Special to copy only values

Sometimes you want to copy the result of a formula without copying the formula itself. For example, if you have a total in one cell and you want to paste just the number into another sheet, you can use Paste Special to paste only the value.

Copy the cell as usual with Ctrl+C. Click where you want to paste. Press Ctrl+Shift+V (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+V (Mac). A dialog box opens with paste options. Click the radio button next to "Values" and then click OK. The number pastes without the formula, so it will not change if the original cell changes.

Paste Special also lets you paste only the formatting (colors, fonts, borders) without the data, or only the formula without the formatting. The same dialog box gives you all these options.

Copying an entire sheet

Right-click the sheet tab at the bottom of the Excel window — the tab shows the sheet name, usually "Sheet1" or "Sheet2". A menu appears. Click "Move or Copy". A dialog box opens showing all the sheets in your workbook.

Select where you want the copy to go. If you want the copy to appear after the current sheet, click the sheet that comes after where you want it. If you want it at the end, click "(move to end)". Check the box that says "Create a copy" — this is important, because if you do not check it, Excel will move the sheet instead of copying it. Click OK. Excel creates a new sheet with the same name plus "(2)" at the end, containing all the data, formulas, and formatting from the original.

What happens when you copy cells with references to other cells

If a cell contains a formula that refers to another cell — for example, =Sheet2!A1 — copying that formula to a different location changes the reference. Excel assumes you want the formula to point to a different cell in the new location, not the same cell it pointed to before. This is usually what you want, but not always.

If you need a formula to always point to the same cell no matter where you copy it, use an absolute reference by adding dollar signs. Change =A1 to =$A$1. The dollar signs tell Excel "do not change this reference when I copy." You can also use a mixed reference like =$A1 (column stays the same, row changes) or =A$1 (row stays the same, column changes) depending on what you need.

Copying between Excel and other programs

You can copy cells from Excel and paste them into Word, Google Docs, or other programs. The data pastes as a table in most cases. If you copy from Excel and paste into a text editor like Notepad, the cells separate with tabs, so each cell appears in its own column when you paste back into Excel later.

You can also copy from other programs into Excel. If you copy a table from a website or a Word document, paste it into Excel and it usually arranges itself into cells automatically. If the paste does not look right, use Paste Special and try different paste options until the data lands where you want it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a paste if I pasted in the wrong place?

Yes. Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Cmd+Z (Mac) when ready after pasting, and Excel will remove the pasted cells and put them back in the clipboard. You can undo multiple times to go back several steps if needed.

What is the difference between cut and copy?

Copy leaves the original cells in place and puts a duplicate in the new location. Cut removes the cells from the original location and moves them to the new location. Use Ctrl+X to cut instead of Ctrl+C. The dotted border around cut cells looks the same as around copied cells.

How do I copy a formula but keep the same cell reference?

Use an absolute reference by typing dollar signs in the formula. Change =A1 to =$A$1. When you copy this formula anywhere, it will always point to cell A1 instead of adjusting to the new location.

Can I copy a sheet to a different Excel file?

Yes. Right-click the sheet tab and choose Move or Copy. In the dialog, the dropdown at the top says "To book:" — click it and select the other Excel file you have open. Then choose where in that file the copy should go and click OK.

What does the dotted border around copied cells mean?

The dotted border (also called marching ants) shows that the cells are copied and ready to paste. It stays active until you press Escape, paste somewhere, or copy something else. You can paste the same copied cells multiple times while the border is still visible.