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Google Sheets Paste Special (+ Shortcuts)

Google Sheets is a powerful and user-friendly spreadsheet application that empowers users to organize and analyze data efficiently.

One of its handy features, the Google Sheets Paste Special feature, allows users to manipulate copied data in various ways when pasting it into their sheets.

This versatile tool enables you to do more than just the standard paste, offering greater control and flexibility over your data.

Use Case/Scenario for Leveraging Google Sheets Paste Special

Imagine you’re planning a birthday party for your friend and have created a list of attendees in a Google Sheets spreadsheet. As the guest list grows, you decide to divide it into two categories: “Confirmed Guests” and “Potential Guests.” You want to copy the names of the guests who have confirmed their attendance and paste them into a separate section of the sheet dedicated to confirmed guests. Instead of manually re-entering the data, you can use Google Sheets’ Paste Special feature to achieve this with ease.

With Paste Special, you can copy the names of the confirmed guests, choose the Paste Special option, and then select “Transpose.” This will paste the names as a vertical list, making it much easier to manage your attendees. 

Furthermore, if you need to paste only the values without any formulas or formatting, you can use the “Paste values only” option. The Paste Special tool allows you to perform these tasks effortlessly and saves you time, streamlining your data management process.

In this article, we’ll explore the various functionalities of Google Sheets’ Paste Special feature, guiding you through each option step-by-step. 

Whether you’re new to Google Sheets or a seasoned user looking to enhance your data manipulation skills, this guide will help you proficiently use the Paste Special feature to its full potential. Let’s get started, shall we?

Understanding Google Sheets Paste Special Feature

Now that we’ve covered the basics of Google Sheets’ Paste Special feature, let’s take a closer look to understand it better. When you copy data from one cell to another, you have various options for how to paste it. Here are some examples:

  1. Transpose Data: This lets you copy data from columns and paste it into rows, or vice versa. It’s like turning the data sideways.
  1. Paste Values: Instead of copying and pasting the formulas, this option pastes only the final results or values that the formulas produce. It’s great when you want the numbers without any fancy calculations.
  2. Paste Formulas: If you have a formula in one cell and want to use it in other cells, you can copy the formula and paste it elsewhere. This helps you save time and ensures consistency across your sheet.

Using these different paste options, you can work more efficiently and improve your Google Sheets experience. Let’s explore each of them step-by-step, so you can become a pro at using Google Sheets Paste Special feature.

Google Sheets Paste Special: Paste Formulas

Now that we’ve seen the different paste special options in Google Sheets, let’s learn how to use the “Paste Special” feature to paste formulas.

For this example, we’ll work with the following sample data:

Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with formulas or pasting in Google Sheets. We’ll guide you through the process step by step, making it easy for beginners to follow along and make the most of the Google Sheets Paste Special feature. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Choose the cell that has the formula you want to copy 

To begin, you must choose the cell containing the formula you want to copy. Let’s select cell E2 in this example because it has the formula we want to copy.

Remember that if the cell contains a formula and some formatting, both will be copied and pasted by default.

Step 2: Edit > Copy 

Once you’ve chosen the cell with the formula you want to copy, go to the “Edit” menu at the top of your Google Sheets window. From there, look for the “Copy” option and click on it.

If that seems a bit tricky, don’t worry. There’s an even easier way. You can use a keyboard shortcut instead. Press “CTRL + C” for Windows computers, and if you’re using a Mac laptop, press “Command + C.” It’s quick and simple. Now you’re all set to copy your formula and use it wherever you need. Let’s keep going with our easy guide

Step 3: Select the cell where you want to paste to

Now that you’ve copied the formula you want to use, it’s time to decide where to paste it. For this example, let’s choose cell G2 as the destination for our copied formula.

Step 4: Edit > Paste Special > Formula Only

Now that you’ve chosen the cell where you want to paste your formula (cell G2 in our example), let’s move on to the next step. Go to the “Edit” menu at the top of your Google Sheets window, and look for the option “Paste Special.”

When you click “Paste Special,” a menu will appear with different choices. From this list, choose the option labeled “Formula only.” 

This will ensure that only the formula gets pasted into the selected cell without any extra data. It’s like magic – your formula will work its wonders in the new cell. 

If you followed all the steps just as we showed you, your Google Sheets should now look something like this:

Congratulations on successfully using the Paste Special feature in Google Sheets. You’ve accomplished a helpful skill that will make your data management tasks much more efficient. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll become a pro at using Google Sheets like a champ. Well done.

Google Sheets Paste Special: Paste Values

Now that we’ve learned how to paste formulas using the Paste Special feature in Google Sheets, let’s take it a step further and explore how to paste values only. It’s a helpful technique when you want to keep the results of your formulas without the formulas themselves.

Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1: Choose the cell that has the values you want to copy 

Before we begin, the first step is to select the cell that contains the values you want to copy. In this tutorial, we’ll pick cell E2 as an example.

Step 2: Edit > Copy 

Now that you’ve chosen the cell containing the values you want to copy, go to the “Edit” menu at the top of your Google Sheets window. From there, look for the “Copy” option and click on it.

If that sounds somewhat confusing, you can use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + C or Command + C if you’re using a Mac.

It’s as simple as that. You’ve successfully copied the values, and we’re ready to move on to the next step.

Step 3: Select the cell where you want the values pasted to

Once you’ve copied the values you want to paste, it’s time to decide where to put them. For this example, let’s select cell H2 as the destination for our copied values.

To summarize: you have your values copied and choose the cell where you want to paste them (H2). Great job. Now, let’s move on to the final step and learn how to paste these values using the Google Sheets paste special feature.

Step 4: Edit > Paste Special > Values only 

After selecting the cell where you want to paste the values (cell H2 in our example), let’s move on to the next step. Go to the “Edit” menu at the top of your Google Sheets window. Scroll down until you find the option called “Paste Special”, and select it.

A menu will appear with different choices. From this list, choose the option labeled “Values only.” This will ensure that only the values get pasted into the selected cell without any extra formatting or formulas.

If that seems a bit complicated, you can simply use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + Shift + V or Command + Shift + V for Mac users. 

If you followed these steps exactly as we showed you, your spreadsheet should look something like this: 

From the image above, you can clearly see that only the values were pasted, which is exactly what we wanted to achieve. 

Google Sheets Paste Special: Transpose data

In addition to the paste special options we’ve already learned, Google Sheets offers another helpful feature called “Transpose data.” Transposing data means you can switch the rows and columns in your sheet.

Don’t worry; it’s as easy as the previous options. Let’s walk through the steps together, and you’ll see how simple it is to use the Transpose feature in Google Sheets.

Step 1: Select the range of data you want to transpose

The first thing we want to do is select the range of data we would like to transpose. For this example, we will copy the values under the sales column. That is cells B2 to B7. 

Step 2: Edit > Copy

Go to the “Edit” menu at the top of your Google Sheets window. From there, find and click on the “Copy” option.

But wait, there’s an even easier way. You can use a keyboard shortcut instead. For Windows computers, press “CTRL + C,” and if you’re using a Mac, press “Command + C.” It’s quick and convenient. Now you’ve copied the data you need, and we’re ready to move on.

Step 3: Select the range of cells where you want to transpose the data to

Once you’ve copied the data you want to transpose, it’s time to select the range of cells where you want to transpose it. In this example, we’ll use cells D4, E4, F4, G4, and H4.

To recap: you have your data copied, and you’ve chosen the cells where you want to transpose it (D4, E4, F4, G4, and H4 in this case). Great work. Now, let’s move on to the next step and learn how to transpose this data using the Transpose feature in Google Sheets.

Step 4: Edit > Paste Special > Transpose

To transpose data using Google Sheets’ Paste Special feature, follow these simple steps.

Go to the “Edit” menu at the top of your Google Sheets window. Select the “Paste special” option. A menu will appear with several choices. Scroll all the way down and choose the “Transpose” option.

If you did everything exactly as we showed you, your spreadsheet should look something like this: 

Now, that’s how to use Google Sheets paste special feature to transpose data in Google Sheets effortlessly. 

Final Thoughts 

Congratulations. You’ve now unlocked the full potential of Google Sheets’ Paste Special feature. Throughout this guide, we’ve explored various options, from pasting formulas to transposing data, and learned how to manipulate and organize our data effectively.

With Paste Special, you can streamline your data management tasks, saving time and effort. You no longer need to manually re-enter data or worry about messing up your formulas. Instead, you have the flexibility to copy and paste values, formulas, and even transpose data with just a few simple clicks.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, mastering the Paste Special feature will empower you to work with data more efficiently and make the most of Google Sheets’ capabilities. By following our step-by-step instructions and practicing these techniques, you’ll become a confident Google Sheets user in no time.