Using the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands in Microsoft Office Excel, you can move or copy entire cells or their contents. You can also copy specific contents or attributes from the cells. For example, you can copy the resulting value of a formula without copying the formula itself, or you can copy only the formula.

Note Excel displays an animated moving border around cells that have been cut or copied. To cancel a moving border, press ESC.What do you want to do?



Move or copy entire cells

When you move or copy a cell, Excel moves or copies the entire cell, including formulas and their resulting values, cell formats, and comments.

  1. Select the cells that you want to move or copy.

    How to select cells or ranges

    To select Do this
    A single cell Click the cell, or press the arrow keys to move to the cell.
    A range of cells Click the first cell in the range, and then drag to the last cell, or hold down SHIFT while you press the arrow keys to extend the selection.

    You can also select the first cell in the range, and then press F8 to extend the selection by using the arrow keys. To stop extending the selection, press F8 again.

    A large range of cells Click the first cell in the range, and then hold down SHIFT while you click the last cell in the range. You can scroll to make the last cell visible.
    All cells on a worksheet Click the Select All button.

    select all button

    To select the entire worksheet, you can also press CTRL+A.

    Note If the worksheet contains data, CTRL+A selects the current region. Pressing CTRL+A a second time selects the entire worksheet.

    Nonadjacent cells or cell ranges Select the first cell or range of cells, and then hold down CTRL while you select the other cells or ranges.

    You can also select the first cell or range of cells, and then press SHIFT+F8 to add another nonadjacent cell or range to the selection. To stop adding cells or ranges to the selection, press SHIFT+F8 again.

    Note You cannot cancel the selection of a cell or range of cells in a nonadjacent selection without canceling the entire selection.

    An entire row or column Click the row or column heading.

    worksheet showing row heading and column heading

    callout 1 Row heading

    callout 2 Column heading

    You can also select cells in a row or column by selecting the first cell and then pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns).

    Note If the row or column contains data, CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key selects the row or column to the last used cell. Pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key a second time selects the entire row or column.

    Adjacent rows or columns Drag across the row or column headings. Or select the first row or column; then hold down SHIFT while you select the last row or column.
    Nonadjacent rows or columns Click the column or row heading of the first row or column in your selection; then hold down CTRL while you click the column or row headings of other rows or columns that you want to add to the selection.
    The first or last cell in a row or column Select a cell in the row or column, and then press CTRL+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns).
    The first or last cell on a worksheet or in a Microsoft Office Excel table Press CTRL+HOME to select the first cell on the worksheet or in an Excel list.

    Press CTRL+END to select the last cell on the worksheet or in an Excel list that contains data or formatting.

    Cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner) Select the first cell, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+END to extend the selection of cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner).
    Cells to the beginning of the worksheet Select the first cell, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+HOME to extend the selection of cells to the beginning of the worksheet.
    More or fewer cells than the active selection Hold down SHIFT while you click the last cell that you want to include in the new selection. The rectangular range between the active cell and the cell that you click becomes the new selection.

    Tip To cancel a selection of cells, click any cell on the worksheet.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, do one of the following:

    excel ribbon image

    • To move cells, click Cut button image.

      Keyboard shortcut You can also press CTRL+X.

    • To copy cells, click Copy button image.

      Keyboard shortcut You can also press CTRL+C.

  3. Select the upper-left cell of the paste area.

    Tip To move or copy a selection to a different worksheet or workbook, click another worksheet tab or switch to another workbook, and then select the upper-left cell of the paste area.

  4. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Paste button image.

    Keyboard shortcut You can also press CTRL+V.

Notes:

Move or copy entire cells by using the mouse

By default, drag-and-drop editing is turned on so that you can use the mouse to move and copy cells.

  1. Select the cells or range of cells that you want to move or copy.

    How to select cells or ranges

    To select Do this
    A single cell Click the cell, or press the arrow keys to move to the cell.
    A range of cells Click the first cell in the range, and then drag to the last cell, or hold down SHIFT while you press the arrow keys to extend the selection.

    You can also select the first cell in the range, and then press F8 to extend the selection by using the arrow keys. To stop extending the selection, press F8 again.

    A large range of cells Click the first cell in the range, and then hold down SHIFT while you click the last cell in the range. You can scroll to make the last cell visible.
    All cells on a worksheet Click the Select All button.

    select all button

    To select the entire worksheet, you can also press CTRL+A.

    Note If the worksheet contains data, CTRL+A selects the current region. Pressing CTRL+A a second time selects the entire worksheet.

    Nonadjacent cells or cell ranges Select the first cell or range of cells, and then hold down CTRL while you select the other cells or ranges.

    You can also select the first cell or range of cells, and then press SHIFT+F8 to add another nonadjacent cell or range to the selection. To stop adding cells or ranges to the selection, press SHIFT+F8 again.

    Note You cannot cancel the selection of a cell or range of cells in a nonadjacent selection without canceling the entire selection.

    An entire row or column Click the row or column heading.

    worksheet showing row heading and column heading

    callout 1 Row heading

    callout 2 Column heading

    You can also select cells in a row or column by selecting the first cell and then pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns).

    Note If the row or column contains data, CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key selects the row or column to the last used cell. Pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key a second time selects the entire row or column.

    Adjacent rows or columns Drag across the row or column headings. Or select the first row or column; then hold down SHIFT while you select the last row or column.
    Nonadjacent rows or columns Click the column or row heading of the first row or column in your selection; then hold down CTRL while you click the column or row headings of other rows or columns that you want to add to the selection.
    The first or last cell in a row or column Select a cell in the row or column, and then press CTRL+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns).
    The first or last cell on a worksheet or in a Microsoft Office Excel table Press CTRL+HOME to select the first cell on the worksheet or in an Excel list.

    Press CTRL+END to select the last cell on the worksheet or in an Excel list that contains data or formatting.

    Cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner) Select the first cell, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+END to extend the selection of cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner).
    Cells to the beginning of the worksheet Select the first cell, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+HOME to extend the selection of cells to the beginning of the worksheet.
    More or fewer cells than the active selection Hold down SHIFT while you click the last cell that you want to include in the new selection. The rectangular range between the active cell and the cell that you click becomes the new selection.

    Tip To cancel a selection of cells, click any cell on the worksheet.

  2. Do one of the following:
    • To move a cell or range of cells, point to the border of the selection. When the pointer becomes a move pointer move pointer, drag the cell or range of cells to another location.
    • To copy a cell or range of cells, hold down CTRL while you point to the border of the selection. When the pointer becomes a copy pointer copy pointer, drag the cell or range of cells to another location.

Notes:

Insert moved or copied cells between existing cells

  1. Select the cell or range of cells that contains the data that you want to move or copy.

    How to select cells or ranges

    To select Do this
    A single cell Click the cell, or press the arrow keys to move to the cell.
    A range of cells Click the first cell in the range, and then drag to the last cell, or hold down SHIFT while you press the arrow keys to extend the selection.

    You can also select the first cell in the range, and then press F8 to extend the selection by using the arrow keys. To stop extending the selection, press F8 again.

    A large range of cells Click the first cell in the range, and then hold down SHIFT while you click the last cell in the range. You can scroll to make the last cell visible.
    All cells on a worksheet Click the Select All button.

    select all button

    To select the entire worksheet, you can also press CTRL+A.

    Note If the worksheet contains data, CTRL+A selects the current region. Pressing CTRL+A a second time selects the entire worksheet.

    Nonadjacent cells or cell ranges Select the first cell or range of cells, and then hold down CTRL while you select the other cells or ranges.

    You can also select the first cell or range of cells, and then press SHIFT+F8 to add another nonadjacent cell or range to the selection. To stop adding cells or ranges to the selection, press SHIFT+F8 again.

    Note You cannot cancel the selection of a cell or range of cells in a nonadjacent selection without canceling the entire selection.

    An entire row or column Click the row or column heading.

    worksheet showing row heading and column heading

    callout 1 Row heading

    callout 2 Column heading

    You can also select cells in a row or column by selecting the first cell and then pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns).

    Note If the row or column contains data, CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key selects the row or column to the last used cell. Pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key a second time selects the entire row or column.

    Adjacent rows or columns Drag across the row or column headings. Or select the first row or column; then hold down SHIFT while you select the last row or column.
    Nonadjacent rows or columns Click the column or row heading of the first row or column in your selection; then hold down CTRL while you click the column or row headings of other rows or columns that you want to add to the selection.
    The first or last cell in a row or column Select a cell in the row or column, and then press CTRL+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns).
    The first or last cell on a worksheet or in a Microsoft Office Excel table Press CTRL+HOME to select the first cell on the worksheet or in an Excel list.

    Press CTRL+END to select the last cell on the worksheet or in an Excel list that contains data or formatting.

    Cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner) Select the first cell, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+END to extend the selection of cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner).
    Cells to the beginning of the worksheet Select the first cell, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+HOME to extend the selection of cells to the beginning of the worksheet.
    More or fewer cells than the active selection Hold down SHIFT while you click the last cell that you want to include in the new selection. The rectangular range between the active cell and the cell that you click becomes the new selection.

    Tip To cancel a selection of cells, click any cell on the worksheet.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, do one of the following:

    excel ribbon image

    • To move the selection, click Cut button image.

      Keyboard shortcut You can also press CTRL+X.

    • To copy the selection, click Copy button image.

      Keyboard shortcut You can also press CTRL+C.

  3. Right-click the upper-left cell of the paste area, and then click Insert Cut Cells or Insert Copied Cells on the shortcut menu.

    Tip To move or copy a selection to a different worksheet or workbook, click another worksheet tab or switch to another workbook, and then select the upper-left cell of the paste area.

  4. In the Insert Paste dialog box, click the direction in which you want to shift the surrounding cells.

Note If you insert entire rows or columns, the surrounding rows and columns are shifted down and to the left.

Copy visible cells only

If some cells, rows, or columns on your worksheet are not displayed, you have the option of copying all cells or only the visible cells. For example, you can choose to copy only the displayed summary data on an outlined worksheet.

  1. Select the cells that you want to copy.

    How to select cells or ranges

    To select Do this
    A single cell Click the cell, or press the arrow keys to move to the cell.
    A range of cells Click the first cell in the range, and then drag to the last cell, or hold down SHIFT while you press the arrow keys to extend the selection.

    You can also select the first cell in the range, and then press F8 to extend the selection by using the arrow keys. To stop extending the selection, press F8 again.

    A large range of cells Click the first cell in the range, and then hold down SHIFT while you click the last cell in the range. You can scroll to make the last cell visible.
    All cells on a worksheet Click the Select All button.

    select all button

    To select the entire worksheet, you can also press CTRL+A.

    Note If the worksheet contains data, CTRL+A selects the current region. Pressing CTRL+A a second time selects the entire worksheet.

    Nonadjacent cells or cell ranges Select the first cell or range of cells, and then hold down CTRL while you select the other cells or ranges.

    You can also select the first cell or range of cells, and then press SHIFT+F8 to add another nonadjacent cell or range to the selection. To stop adding cells or ranges to the selection, press SHIFT+F8 again.

    Note You cannot cancel the selection of a cell or range of cells in a nonadjacent selection without canceling the entire selection.

    An entire row or column Click the row or column heading.

    worksheet showing row heading and column heading

    callout 1 Row heading

    callout 2 Column heading

    You can also select cells in a row or column by selecting the first cell and then pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns).

    Note If the row or column contains data, CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key selects the row or column to the last used cell. Pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key a second time selects the entire row or column.

    Adjacent rows or columns Drag across the row or column headings. Or select the first row or column; then hold down SHIFT while you select the last row or column.
    Nonadjacent rows or columns Click the column or row heading of the first row or column in your selection; then hold down CTRL while you click the column or row headings of other rows or columns that you want to add to the selection.
    The first or last cell in a row or column Select a cell in the row or column, and then press CTRL+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns).
    The first or last cell on a worksheet or in a Microsoft Office Excel table Press CTRL+HOME to select the first cell on the worksheet or in an Excel list.

    Press CTRL+END to select the last cell on the worksheet or in an Excel list that contains data or formatting.

    Cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner) Select the first cell, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+END to extend the selection of cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner).
    Cells to the beginning of the worksheet Select the first cell, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+HOME to extend the selection of cells to the beginning of the worksheet.
    More or fewer cells than the active selection Hold down SHIFT while you click the last cell that you want to include in the new selection. The rectangular range between the active cell and the cell that you click becomes the new selection.

    Tip To cancel a selection of cells, click any cell on the worksheet.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Find & Select, and then click Go To.

    excel ribbon image

  3. In the Go To dialog box, click Special.
  4. Under Select, click Visible cells only, and then click OK.
  5. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Copy button image.

    excel ribbon image

    Keyboard shortcut You can also press CTRL+C.

  6. Select the upper-left cell of the paste area.

    Tip To move or copy a selection to a different worksheet or workbook, click another worksheet tab or switch to another workbook, and then select the upper-left cell of the paste area.

  7. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Paste button image.

    Keyboard shortcut You can also press CTRL+V.

Notes:

Prevent copied blank cells from replacing data

  1. Select the range of cells that contains blank cells.

    How to select cells or ranges

    To select Do this
    A single cell Click the cell, or press the arrow keys to move to the cell.
    A range of cells Click the first cell in the range, and then drag to the last cell, or hold down SHIFT while you press the arrow keys to extend the selection.

    You can also select the first cell in the range, and then press F8 to extend the selection by using the arrow keys. To stop extending the selection, press F8 again.

    A large range of cells Click the first cell in the range, and then hold down SHIFT while you click the last cell in the range. You can scroll to make the last cell visible.
    All cells on a worksheet Click the Select All button.

    select all button

    To select the entire worksheet, you can also press CTRL+A.

    Note If the worksheet contains data, CTRL+A selects the current region. Pressing CTRL+A a second time selects the entire worksheet.

    Nonadjacent cells or cell ranges Select the first cell or range of cells, and then hold down CTRL while you select the other cells or ranges.

    You can also select the first cell or range of cells, and then press SHIFT+F8 to add another nonadjacent cell or range to the selection. To stop adding cells or ranges to the selection, press SHIFT+F8 again.

    Note You cannot cancel the selection of a cell or range of cells in a nonadjacent selection without canceling the entire selection.

    An entire row or column Click the row or column heading.

    worksheet showing row heading and column heading

    callout 1 Row heading

    callout 2 Column heading

    You can also select cells in a row or column by selecting the first cell and then pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns).

    Note If the row or column contains data, CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key selects the row or column to the last used cell. Pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key a second time selects the entire row or column.

    Adjacent rows or columns Drag across the row or column headings. Or select the first row or column; then hold down SHIFT while you select the last row or column.
    Nonadjacent rows or columns Click the column or row heading of the first row or column in your selection; then hold down CTRL while you click the column or row headings of other rows or columns that you want to add to the selection.
    The first or last cell in a row or column Select a cell in the row or column, and then press CTRL+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns).
    The first or last cell on a worksheet or in a Microsoft Office Excel table Press CTRL+HOME to select the first cell on the worksheet or in an Excel list.

    Press CTRL+END to select the last cell on the worksheet or in an Excel list that contains data or formatting.

    Cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner) Select the first cell, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+END to extend the selection of cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner).
    Cells to the beginning of the worksheet Select the first cell, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+HOME to extend the selection of cells to the beginning of the worksheet.
    More or fewer cells than the active selection Hold down SHIFT while you click the last cell that you want to include in the new selection. The rectangular range between the active cell and the cell that you click becomes the new selection.

    Tip To cancel a selection of cells, click any cell on the worksheet.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Copy button image.

    excel ribbon image

    Keyboard shortcut You can also press CTRL+C.

  3. Select the upper-left cell of the paste area.
  4. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click the arrow below Paste button image, and then click Paste Special.
  5. Select the Skip blanks check box.

Move or copy the contents of a cell

  1. Double-click the cell that contains the data that you want to move or copy.

    Note By default, you can edit and select cell data directly in the cell by double-clicking it, but you can also edit and select cell data in the formula bar .

  2. In the cell, select the characters that you want to move or copy.

    How to select characters in a cell

    To select the contents of a cell Do this
    In the cell Double-click the cell, and then drag across the contents of the cell that you want to select.
    In the formula bar formula bar Click the cell, and then drag across the contents of the cell that you want to select in the formula bar.
    By using the keyboard Press F2 to edit the cell, use the arrow keys to position the insertion point, and then press SHIFT+ARROW key to select the contents.
  3. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, do one of the following:

    excel ribbon image

    • To move the selection, click Cut button image.

      Keyboard shortcut You can also press CTRL+X.

    • To copy the selection, click Copy button image.

      Keyboard shortcut You can also press CTRL+C.

  4. In the cell, click where you want to paste the characters, or double-click another cell to move or copy the data.
  5. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Paste button image.

    Keyboard shortcut You can also press CTRL+V.

  6. Press ENTER.

    Note When you double-click a cell or press F2 to edit the active cell, the arrow keys work only within that cell. To use the arrow keys to move to another cell, first press ENTER to complete your editing changes to the active cell.

Copy cell values, cell formats, or formulas only

When you paste copied data, you can do any of the following:

  1. Select the cell or range of cells that contains the values, cell formats, or formulas that you want to copy.

    How to select cells or ranges

    To select Do this
    A single cell Click the cell, or press the arrow keys to move to the cell.
    A range of cells Click the first cell in the range, and then drag to the last cell, or hold down SHIFT while you press the arrow keys to extend the selection.

    You can also select the first cell in the range, and then press F8 to extend the selection by using the arrow keys. To stop extending the selection, press F8 again.

    A large range of cells Click the first cell in the range, and then hold down SHIFT while you click the last cell in the range. You can scroll to make the last cell visible.
    All cells on a worksheet Click the Select All button.

    select all button

    To select the entire worksheet, you can also press CTRL+A.

    Note If the worksheet contains data, CTRL+A selects the current region. Pressing CTRL+A a second time selects the entire worksheet.

    Nonadjacent cells or cell ranges Select the first cell or range of cells, and then hold down CTRL while you select the other cells or ranges.

    You can also select the first cell or range of cells, and then press SHIFT+F8 to add another nonadjacent cell or range to the selection. To stop adding cells or ranges to the selection, press SHIFT+F8 again.

    Note You cannot cancel the selection of a cell or range of cells in a nonadjacent selection without canceling the entire selection.

    An entire row or column Click the row or column heading.

    worksheet showing row heading and column heading

    callout 1 Row heading

    callout 2 Column heading

    You can also select cells in a row or column by selecting the first cell and then pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns).

    Note If the row or column contains data, CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key selects the row or column to the last used cell. Pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key a second time selects the entire row or column.

    Adjacent rows or columns Drag across the row or column headings. Or select the first row or column; then hold down SHIFT while you select the last row or column.
    Nonadjacent rows or columns Click the column or row heading of the first row or column in your selection; then hold down CTRL while you click the column or row headings of other rows or columns that you want to add to the selection.
    The first or last cell in a row or column Select a cell in the row or column, and then press CTRL+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns).
    The first or last cell on a worksheet or in a Microsoft Office Excel table Press CTRL+HOME to select the first cell on the worksheet or in an Excel list.

    Press CTRL+END to select the last cell on the worksheet or in an Excel list that contains data or formatting.

    Cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner) Select the first cell, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+END to extend the selection of cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner).
    Cells to the beginning of the worksheet Select the first cell, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+HOME to extend the selection of cells to the beginning of the worksheet.
    More or fewer cells than the active selection Hold down SHIFT while you click the last cell that you want to include in the new selection. The rectangular range between the active cell and the cell that you click becomes the new selection.

    Tip To cancel a selection of cells, click any cell on the worksheet.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Copy button image.

    excel ribbon image

    Keyboard shortcut You can also press CTRL+C.

  3. Select the upper-left cell of the paste area or the cell where you want to paste the value, cell format, or formula.
  4. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click the arrow below Paste button image, and then do one of the following:
    • To paste values only, click Paste Values.
    • To paste cell formats only, click Paste Special, and then click Formats under Paste.
    • To paste formulas only, click Formulas.

      Note If the copied formulas contain relative cell references, Excel adjusts the references (and the relative parts of mixed cell references) in the duplicate formulas. For example, suppose that cell B8 contains the formula =SUM(B1:B7). If you copy the formula to cell C8, the duplicate formula refers to the corresponding cells in that column: =SUM(C1:C7). If the copied formulas contain absolute cell references, the references in the duplicate formulas are not changed. If you don't get the results that you want, you can also change the references in the original formulas to either relative or absolute cell references and then recopy the cells.

See also: