Use Paste Special to insert static or linked data into Excel - Excel

Warning: You are viewing this page with an unsupported Web browser. This Web site works best with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, Firefox 1.5, or Netscape Navigator 8.0 or later. Learn more about supported browsers.

Email this link

Printer-Friendly Version Bookmark and Share

Use Paste Special to insert static or linked data into Excel

Applies to: Microsoft Office Excel 2003

After copying data, you can use the Paste Special command on the Edit menu to paste specific cell contents or attributes such as formulas, formats, or comments from the Clipboard into an Excel worksheet (worksheet: The primary document that you use in Excel to store and work with data. Also called a spreadsheet. A worksheet consists of cells that are organized into columns and rows; a worksheet is always stored in a workbook.). You can also use Paste Special to paste a link to Excel data or data from another program, such as Microsoft Word or a Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet.

Show Use Paste Special to insert or link to Excel data

On a worksheet, select the cells that contain the items or attributes that you want to copy.
Click Copy , or press CTRL+C.
Select the upper-left cell of the paste area (paste area: The target destination for data that's been cut or copied by using the Office Clipboard.).
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.
On the Edit menu, click Paste Special.

Under Paste, do one of the following:

To paste static data, click the attribute of the copied data that you want.

To paste linked data, click All or All except borders.

Show View all available attribute options and their functions

Click this option	To
All	Paste all cell contents and formatting.
Formulas	Paste only the formulas as entered in the formula bar.
Values	Paste only the values as displayed in the cells.
Formats	Paste only cell formatting.
Comments	Paste only comments attached to the cell.
Validation	Paste data validation rules for the copied cells to the paste area.
All except borders	Paste all cell contents and formatting applied to the copied cells except borders.
Column widths	Paste the width of one column or range of columns to another column or range of columns.
Formulas and number formats	Paste only formulas and number formatting options from the selected cells.
Values and number formats	Paste only values and number formatting options from the selected cells.

Do any combination of the following:

Under Operation, specify which mathematical operation, if any, you want to apply to the copied data.

Show View all available Operation options and their functions

Using the Operation options, you can mathematically combine the contents of the copy area (copy area: The cells that you copy when you want to paste data into another location. After you copy cells, a moving border appears around them to indicate that they've been copied.) with the contents of the paste area.

Click this option	To
None	Paste the contents of the copy area without a mathematical operation.
Add	Add the values in the copy area to the values in the paste area.
Subtract	Subtract the values in the copy area from the values in the paste area.
Multiply	Multiply the values in the paste area by the values in the copy area.
Divide	Divide the values in the paste area by the values in the copy area.

Note Mathematical operations can be applied only to values. To use an option other than None, you must choose All, Values, All except border, or Values and number formats under Paste.

To avoid replacing values in your paste area when blank cells occur in the copy area, select Skip blanks.
To change columns of copied data to rows, or vice versa, select Transpose.

Note Depending on the type of data that you copy and the Paste options that you select, specific options may be unavailable.

If you want to link the pasted data to the original data, click Paste Link.
When you paste a link to Excel data, Excel enters an absolute reference to the copied cell or range of cells in the new location.

Note Paste Link is available only when you select All or All except borders.

Show Use Paste Special to insert or link to data from another program

In the other software program, select the data that you want to copy, and then use the copy command of that program to place the data on the Clipboard.
In an Excel worksheet, select the cell in the upper-left corner of the paste area (paste area: The target destination for data that's been cut or copied by using the Office Clipboard.) where you want to insert the copied data.
Note To prevent the copied data from replacing existing data, make sure that the worksheet has no data below or to the right of the cell that you click.
On the Edit menu, click Paste Special.
In the As box, click the type of information that you want to paste from the Clipboard.
Do one of the following:
- To paste and embed the information without creating a link, click Paste.
- To link the pasted data to its source document, click Paste link.
  If you do not want linked data to be displayed in your file, select Display as icon.
Note Depending on the type of data that you copy, the Paste link and Display as icon options may not be available.