ShortcutdrillExcel shortcuts / Excel paste special shortcuts
Excel paste special shortcuts
Paste Special is one dialog with a dozen options, and three of them cover almost every real case: values, formats and transpose. Each has a letter in the dialog, so the full sequence is copy, Ctrl+Alt+V, the letter, Enter.
On a Mac the dialog opens with Cmd+Ctrl+V. The letters are the same.
| Action | Windows | Mac | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paste values only | Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Alt+V, V, Enter | Cmd+C, Cmd+Ctrl+V, V, Enter | Free drill |
| Paste formats only | Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Alt+V, T, Enter | Cmd+C, Cmd+Ctrl+V, T, Enter | Pro drill |
| Paste transposed | Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Alt+V, E, Enter | Cmd+C, Cmd+Ctrl+V, E, Enter | Pro drill |
Paste values only Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Alt+V, V, Enter
Ctrl+Alt+V opens Paste Special; V picks Values; Enter pastes the results of the copied formulas as plain numbers. It is how a calculation is frozen before a file goes out, and how a helper sheet is retired without #REF! errors. Practice: Paste values only.
Paste formats only Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Alt+V, T, Enter
Copy a cell or row that looks right, then Ctrl+Alt+V, T, Enter paints its formatting onto the destination without touching the values there. It replaces the Format Painter for keyboard users. Practice: Paste formats only.
Paste transposed Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Alt+V, E, Enter
Transpose turns a copied row into a column or a column into a row on paste. Assumptions laid out across a row become a tidy input column in three presses. Practice: Paste transposed.