Excel Paste Values Shortcut: Keys, Options, and Fixes

In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, copy the cells, select the destination, then press Ctrl+Alt+V, press V, and press Enter to paste values only. In some updated Microsoft 365 versions, Ctrl+Shift+V also pastes values directly; if that shortcut does not work in your build, use the Paste Special sequence.

The reliable Windows shortcut

The classic shortcut opens Excel’s Paste Special dialog, where you choose the kind of content to paste. Use it in this order:

Select the source cells and press Ctrl+C.
Click the destination cell or select the destination range.
Press Ctrl+Alt+V to open Paste Special.
Press V to select Values, then press Enter.

The V key is a dialog choice, not a separate shortcut that works on its own. It selects the Values option after Paste Special is open. If you prefer not to use the keyboard, choose Home > Paste > Values on the ribbon. The Paste button’s menu may show Values as an icon, often marked with 123.

For a quick direct paste, try Ctrl+Shift+V if your Microsoft 365 Excel installation supports it. Microsoft 365 features can arrive through different update channels and builds, so this shortcut may not be available to every user at the same time. The Ctrl+Alt+V sequence is the dependable fallback because it opens the established Paste Special dialog.

What Paste Values changes

Copying a formula cell normally copies the formula itself. Pasting values instead places the result currently displayed by that formula into the destination. For example, if a cell contains a calculation that currently returns 42, the pasted cell contains the number 42 rather than the calculation. The destination no longer updates when the formula’s input cells change.

Values can also be fixed numbers, text, dates, or logical results such as TRUE and FALSE. Paste Values transfers the cell contents without bringing over the source formula or the source cell’s formatting. The destination’s existing formatting generally remains in place. That distinction matters when a source cell looks like a date or currency value: the underlying value may paste correctly while the destination displays it in a different number format.

Paste Values is not the same as copying what you see on the screen as an image or as plain text. It transfers Excel cell values, which remain usable in calculations and sorting. It also does not necessarily remove formatting, comments, or validation already present in the destination; it simply does not replace them with the source’s formatting or other cell features.

Why paste formulas as values?

Turning formulas into their current results is useful when you want to keep a report stable, send a data extract without exposing the calculation behind it, or move results out of a workbook whose source links will not be available elsewhere. It can also prevent a copied formula from adjusting its cell references when pasted into another location.

For example, a sales summary may use formulas to calculate monthly totals from transaction rows. Once the figures have been checked, pasting those totals as values into a final report keeps the numbers fixed even if the original transaction data is later edited. The same approach is common when preparing a flat export for another system that expects values rather than formulas.

Use the command thoughtfully: once formulas have been replaced by their results, the calculations are gone from those pasted cells. Keep an untouched copy of the formulas if you may need to revise the model or audit how a figure was calculated. Pasting values is a conversion, not a reversible display setting.

Paste values into one cell or a range

To replace a formula with its result in the same location, copy the cell first, then paste values back into that cell. For a block, copy the full source range and select the top-left destination cell. Excel fills the corresponding destination area when the copied range and destination shape are compatible. If you select a destination range of a different size, Excel may report that the copy and paste areas do not match.

When pasting into a neighboring column, check that the destination cells line up with the intended records. A one-row offset can produce plausible-looking but incorrect data. After pasting, click a few cells and inspect the formula bar: a pasted value appears as a fixed entry, while a live formula begins with an equals sign.

If you want to replace formulas in a range without changing its current number formats, Paste Values is usually appropriate because the destination formatting is retained. If you also want the source’s displayed number formats, use the separate Values & Number Formats choice in Paste Special instead. This is useful when the source shows dates, percentages, or currency and the destination is formatted as General.

Paste Special choices and when to use them

Paste Special offers more than a values-only choice. Its options let you control whether formulas, formatting, or other cell properties are carried over. The exact choices visible can depend on what you copied, but common options include:

Values: Pastes the evaluated contents without the source formula or source formatting.
Formulas: Pastes formulas rather than their calculated results, generally applying them relative to the destination.
Formats: Applies the source formatting without replacing the destination’s contents.
Values & Number Formats: Pastes the values and the number formats, but not the source formulas.
Transpose: Switches rows and columns while pasting compatible copied cells.

These options solve different problems. If a workbook should keep recalculating, paste formulas. If a number is right but its appearance is wrong, consider Values & Number Formats or Formats rather than repeating a values-only paste. If only the displayed result matters, Values is the simplest choice. Selecting the option deliberately helps avoid accidentally overwriting useful layout or calculations.

Common problems and quick fixes

The shortcut opens a different dialog or does nothing: Confirm Excel has focus and that a cell range is copied. Use Ctrl+C first, then Ctrl+Alt+V. If your Microsoft 365 build supports the newer direct shortcut, Ctrl+Shift+V may work; otherwise use the classic sequence.
The pasted result looks different: The destination may have a different number format. The value can be correct even when a date appears as a serial number or a decimal appears without a percent sign. Apply the desired number format, or repeat the paste using Values & Number Formats.
The destination still has colors or borders: Values does not copy source formatting, but it does not clear formatting already in the destination. Use Home > Clear > Clear Formats if you intend to remove destination formatting; this command also removes other formatting choices from the selected cells.
A formula result changes before it is pasted: Excel may recalculate formulas when workbook inputs change. Paste Values stores the result available at the time of pasting, so verify the displayed result before converting it.
The paste is blocked: Check whether the worksheet is protected, the destination is part of a merged-cell arrangement, or the copied and selected ranges have incompatible shapes. Try a single destination cell or resolve the sheet restriction before pasting.

A related misconception is that Paste Values hides formulas while preserving them underneath. It does not. The destination cells contain fixed values after the operation, so changing the original inputs will not update those pasted cells. If you only want to hide formulas from view, that is a separate worksheet-protection and cell-formatting issue, not a reason to use Paste Values.

Excel for Mac and Excel for the web

On a Mac, the Windows Ctrl+Alt+V sequence is not the correct key combination because Mac Excel uses different modifier keys. A dependable method is to copy the cells, select the destination, and choose Edit > Paste Special, then select Values. You can also use the Paste options on the Home tab. Mac shortcut behavior can vary with Excel version and keyboard settings, so use the menu if the shortcut printed in a guide does not match your setup.

Excel for the web also provides paste options, but its available keyboard behavior can differ from desktop Excel and may depend on the browser. After copying, use the paste options or the ribbon’s Paste menu and choose Values when offered. If you rely on a direct shortcut and it pastes normally instead, use the interface to select the values-only option rather than assuming the formula has been converted.

On any platform, the Paste Special menu is a useful fallback when a keyboard shortcut is unavailable, intercepted by the operating system, or unfamiliar. The important choice is Values; the specific key sequence is only a faster route to that command.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the shortcut for paste values in Excel?
On Windows, use Ctrl+Alt+V, then V, then Enter. In some current Microsoft 365 builds, Ctrl+Shift+V pastes values directly. If it is not recognized, use the Ctrl+Alt+V sequence.

How do I paste values without formulas?
Copy the cells, select the destination, and choose Paste Special > Values. The destination receives the current results rather than the source formulas.

Does Paste Values keep formatting?
It does not copy the source formatting. Formatting already applied to the destination usually stays. To bring over number formats as well as values, choose Values & Number Formats in Paste Special.

Can I paste values over the original cells?
Yes. Copy the formula cells, then paste values back into the same cells. This replaces the formulas with their current results, so make a backup or retain another copy if you might need the formulas later.

Why does Ctrl+Shift+V not work in my Excel?
That direct shortcut is not available in every Excel version or update channel. Copy the cells and use Ctrl+Alt+V, V, Enter on Windows, or select Values from the Paste Special menu.

What is the Mac shortcut for Paste Values?
Mac key combinations differ from Windows and can vary by Excel version. The dependable method is Edit > Paste Special > Values, or the Values option in the ribbon’s Paste menu.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

More in How-to basics

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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