To copy a cell or range from one worksheet to another in Excel for Mac without bringing along its formulas or formatting, copy the source, select the destination cell, then choose Paste Values from the Home tab’s Paste menu. For a dialog with more options, choose Paste Special and select Values. Both methods paste the values as displayed in the source cells; ordinary Paste (⌘+V) carries all cell content and formatting by default. Microsoft’s Excel for Mac instructions for specific cell content

When to use Paste Values

Use values-only paste when the destination should contain the current results of calculations or entries, but should not inherit the source formulas. For example, a summary worksheet may need a fixed snapshot of totals calculated on a detail sheet. A normal paste can carry formulas and formatting along; Paste Values excludes the formula and pastes the result shown in the cell. Microsoft describes the distinction between Paste Values and formula-related options.

Values-only paste also leaves out the source cell formatting. That makes it useful when you want the destination sheet’s existing number formats, fonts, borders, and fills to remain in control. If you want values while also bringing over number formatting or source styling, choose a different paste option, such as Values & Number Formatting or Values & Source Formatting. Those options are not equivalent to values alone. Microsoft lists the available paste choices and what they include.

Method 1: Choose Paste Values from the Home tab

  1. Select the source cell or range on the worksheet where the data currently resides.

  2. Press ⌘+C, or use Home > Copy.

  3. Select the destination worksheet tab, then click the top-left cell where the copied range should begin. If the destination is another workbook, bring that workbook forward and select its destination cell.

  4. On the Home tab, click the arrow beside Paste and choose Paste Values. The exact label or menu arrangement can vary with the available paste options, but Microsoft identifies Paste Values as the option that pastes only the values as displayed in the cells.

  5. Check the pasted cells before continuing. The results should be present without the source formulas or formatting. Press Esc if the moving copy outline remains and you want to cancel the copy operation.

The destination selection matters: Excel starts pasting at the cell you select. When copying multiple cells, select the upper-left destination cell rather than trying to select an equally sized destination range. If the copied range is larger than the remaining cells in a row or column, choose a destination with enough room so the pasted cells do not overwrite information you meant to keep. The paste menu offers options based on the copied content, so the set of choices can differ by selection. Microsoft notes that Paste menu options depend on the type of copied data.

Method 2: Use Paste Special

Use Paste Special when you want the full set of paste controls, including an explicit Values choice. This is also a reliable route when the simpler Paste menu does not show the option you need.

  1. Copy the source cell or range with ⌘+C.

  2. Select the destination worksheet and the first cell for the pasted data.

  3. On the Home tab, open the arrow beside Paste, then choose Paste Special.

  4. In the Paste Special dialog, select Values under Paste, and confirm the dialog. Do not select Values and number formats if you intend to transfer the values alone.

  5. Review the destination. Paste Special separates values from formulas, formats, comments, validation, and other attributes, so only the selected attribute is included. Microsoft’s Paste Special reference describes these choices.

Excel for Mac also documents keyboard shortcuts for opening Paste Special, including ⌘+Control+V, Control+Option+V, and ⌘+Option+V. Shortcuts can vary by keyboard, Excel version, or conflicts with macOS and other utilities. Treat these as ways to open the Paste Special dialog, not as a one-keystroke command that automatically pastes values: choose Values in the dialog. Microsoft’s Mac keyboard shortcut list includes these Paste Special shortcuts and notes that system settings can affect some shortcuts.

What happens to formulas and displayed values

A formula cell has both a formula and a calculated result. When you select Values, Excel pastes the displayed result rather than the formula. The pasted cell therefore no longer updates from the formula’s references when the original inputs change. This can be the intended outcome for a snapshot, but it also means that the destination is no longer linked to the calculation on the source sheet. If you need ongoing updates, use a formula or a paste-link option instead of values-only paste. Microsoft distinguishes Paste Values from Paste Link and formulas in its paste-option guidance. See Microsoft’s description of paste options.

“As displayed” matters when a cell’s underlying value differs from its visible presentation. A percentage or currency-formatted cell, for instance, can show a formatted number while storing a numeric value. Values-only paste does not copy the original formatting. If the destination already has a suitable number format, Excel can display the pasted value appropriately; if its format differs, the visible result may look different even though the underlying pasted value is correct. If preserving the source number format is necessary, choose Values & Number Formatting, understanding that this brings number formatting along too. Microsoft documents the separate Values and Values & Number Formatting choices.

Choose the right paste option

What you want in the destination Choose
Values only, without formulas or source formatting Paste Values or Paste Special > Values
Values plus the source number format Values & Number Formatting
Values plus source styling such as font and color Values & Source Formatting
Formulas without copying source formatting Formulas
A live connection to the copied cell data Paste Link, where available

The options and names shown depend on the copied data and Excel version. For a values-only result, avoid a combined choice merely because its name begins with “Values”: the added formatting is an additional attribute. Microsoft’s documented Mac Paste menu and Paste Special choices identify these as separate actions. Microsoft Support: Copy and paste specific cell content in Excel for Mac.

Common problems and practical checks

The destination contains a formula. The paste may have used ordinary Paste or the Formulas option. Undo immediately with ⌘+Z, then repeat and explicitly choose Paste Values or Paste Special > Values. Microsoft notes that if a formula is accidentally replaced by its result, Undo can restore the formula immediately after the paste. Replace a formula with its result in Excel for Mac.

The copied formatting appeared too. Use the Values option, not Values & Source Formatting. If the destination’s format already differs, remember that values-only paste leaves the destination formatting in place, so the display may not resemble the source.

The keyboard shortcut opens a different dialog or does nothing. Use the Home tab’s Paste arrow and select Paste Special. Microsoft documents several shortcut combinations and notes that system keyboard settings or utility software can conflict with shortcuts. The menu route avoids relying on a particular shortcut mapping. Excel for Mac keyboard shortcuts.

You want a repeated shortcut for values. Microsoft says Excel for Mac version 16.33 or later can add paste values to the Quick Access Toolbar or assign a custom key combination. This is a configurable convenience, not a universal default shortcut; an assigned shortcut must not conflict with the one used to open Paste Special. If you prefer keyboard focusing, Wallo can help organize existing Mac windows and to-dos locally by goal, but it does not change Excel’s paste behavior. Microsoft documents the QAT and custom shortcut options.

A quick verification before moving on

After the paste, select a destination cell that came from a formula and inspect the formula bar. If the source cell used a formula, the destination should show its result rather than the original formula. Also compare the destination’s number display with your needs: values-only paste keeps no source formatting, so the destination’s existing formatting determines how the value appears. If either check is wrong, undo while the paste is still the latest action and repeat with the appropriate Paste Values option.

For a cross-sheet snapshot on Mac, the dependable sequence is copy, select the destination sheet and cell, then choose Paste Values. Use Paste Special > Values when you want to see and confirm the precise attribute being transferred. That leaves the destination with the source’s displayed values while avoiding its formulas and formatting.

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