Paste Special Shortcut on Mac Excel: Every Option Explained
Paste Special is the command Windows users trust most: Alt, E, S, V is muscle memory. On a Mac the same command lives behind a different shortcut, and the Windows sequence does nothing in native Excel. This guide covers the Mac shortcut, every option in the dialog, and the fastest ways to use it.
Quick answer: In Excel for Mac, copy with ⌘C, select the destination, press ⌃⌘V to open Paste Special, press a letter or use the arrow keys to pick an option (for example V for Values), then press Return. It is Control + Command + V, not Option. If you want the Windows habit back, the Mac Excel Shortcuts app lets you type Alt, E, S, V in Excel for Mac and runs Paste Values for you.
What Paste Special does
A normal paste (⌘V) copies everything in the cell: the value or formula, the formatting, comments and validation. Paste Special lets you choose which part to bring across. The most common uses are:
Values: keep the number a formula currently shows, and drop the formula.
Formulas: bring the formulas but not the formatting.
Formats: copy fill, borders and number formats only.
Transpose: flip rows into columns, or columns into rows.
Paste Special shortcut on Mac Excel: ⌃⌘V
The native shortcut is ⌃⌘V (Control + Command + V). Microsoft also documents ⌃⌥V and ⌘⌥V for the same dialog on Mac, so if one conflicts with another app or a custom macOS shortcut, try another.
Select the cells you want and press ⌘C.
Click the first cell of the destination.
Press ⌃⌘V to open the Paste Special dialog.
Pick your option. Pressing V selects Values; for the others, click the option or move with the arrow keys.
Press Return to confirm.
Pressing ⌃⌘V is the only part that is a true shortcut. There is no default single-key shortcut for each variant, which is the biggest difference from the habits Windows users bring with them.
Every Paste Special option on Mac
| Option | What it pastes | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| All | Everything, like a normal paste | Rarely needed; use ⌘V |
| Formulas | The formulas only, with references adjusted | Reusing a calculation without its formatting |
| Values | The calculated result, no formula | Locking in a number before the source changes |
| Values and Number Formats | The result plus number, date and currency formats | Pasting results without losing dates or currency |
| Formats | Fill, borders, fonts and number formats only | Making one range look like another |
| Comments | Cell comments only | Copying review notes |
| Validation | Drop-down lists and data validation rules | Reusing an input list |
| All Except Borders | Everything but the borders | Pasting into a table with its own borders |
| Multiply, Divide (and the other operations) | Applies the copied number to the destination | Scaling a column by a rate or exchange rate |
| Skip Blanks | Leaves destination cells alone where the copy is empty | Merging two lists without overwriting data |
| Transpose | Swaps rows and columns | Turning a row of headings into a column |
| Paste Link | A live link back to the source cell | Keeping a summary tab in sync |
Four ways to open Paste Special
1. The keyboard shortcut. ⌃⌘V, as above. Best once you use it daily.
2. The Ribbon. On the Home tab, click the arrow beside Paste. Values, Formulas, Formatting and Transpose appear as icons with a live preview. This is the clearest route while you are learning, because every choice is visible.
3. The menu bar. Choose Edit → Paste Special… (or right-click the destination after copying and choose Paste Special…). This opens the full dialog with all the options above.
4. The Paste Options button. Paste normally with ⌘V, then click the small Paste Options button that appears next to the pasted range and choose Values, Formulas or another option. It is handy for fixing a paste you have already made, but it disappears when you keep working, so it is a poor fit for repeat work.
Paste Values: the one you will use most
Paste Values is the option most people mean when they search for the Paste Special shortcut.
⌘C → select the destination → ⌃⌘V → V → Return.
Check the result by clicking a pasted cell: the formula bar should show a number or text, not a formula. If your dates or currency lose their formatting, use Values and Number Formats instead. For a full walk-through with the other methods compared, see How to Paste Values and Other Paste Shortcuts in Excel on Mac, and for just the keystrokes see Paste Values Shortcut in Excel for Mac.
Transpose, Formats and Formulas
Transpose. Copy a row, select the destination cell, open Paste Special with ⌃⌘V, tick Transpose, then press Return. The row arrives as a column. Remember to tick the box before you confirm.
Formats. Use this when you want one range to look like another without changing its contents. It is the keyboard version of Format Painter, with one difference: Format Painter applies formatting live as you click or drag, while Paste Special → Formats needs a prior copy and pastes onto a fixed destination range.
Formulas. Pasting formulas carries the calculation across and re-anchors relative references to the new location, but leaves the destination's formatting alone.
Make it one key: custom shortcuts
Mac Excel has no built-in single-key shortcut for Paste Values, but you can add one two ways:
macOS: open System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → App Shortcuts, add a shortcut for Excel, and type the exact menu command name, such as Paste Values, if your version shows it in the Edit menu.
Office: in Microsoft 365 for Mac version 16.33 or later, Excel lets you assign Paste Values to a custom key combination in its keyboard shortcut settings. Choose one that does not already open Paste Special.
If you are used to Windows
On Windows, Paste Special is Ctrl+Alt+V, or the classic sequence Alt, E, S, V. The reason it works on Windows is that Alt turns the whole menu system into letter keys, so Alt, E, S, V is really four separate key presses through the menus. macOS has no equivalent accelerator system. Recent versions of Excel for Mac have Ribbon KeyTips, but they are partial, and Alt, E, S, V is not among the sequences that work natively.
That is the gap the Mac Excel Shortcuts app fills. With it running, you copy as usual and type the Windows sequence you already know: Alt, E, S, V for Values, Alt, E, S, T for Formats, Alt, E, S, F for Formulas. It runs the matching Mac action, so the muscle memory carries over. The wider picture is in How to Make Excel Shortcuts Work on Mac.
A worked example
You have a column of variance formulas on one tab and need the results on a summary tab before you send the file. Copy the column with ⌘C, click the first cell on the summary tab, press ⌃⌘V, press V and then Return. The summary now holds fixed numbers that will not change if someone edits the source tab.
Common mistakes
Using Option instead of Control. The native shortcut is ⌃⌘V. Control and Option are easy to mix up on a Mac keyboard; if one combination does nothing, try the other documented shortcuts above.
Pasting while editing a cell. If the cursor is inside a cell, Paste Special is unavailable. Press Esc first.
Expecting a one-key shortcut. The dialog opens with ⌃⌘V; the variant is a second step.
Forgetting Transpose. Tick it before you press Return, not after.
Losing formats with Values. Use Values and Number Formats to keep dates and currency.
If the command is greyed out, see Why Is Paste Special Greyed Out in Excel for Mac?. If shortcuts in general misbehave, see Why Excel Keyboard Shortcuts Don't Work on Mac.
FAQs
What is the Paste Special shortcut on Mac?
⌃⌘V (Control + Command + V) opens the Paste Special dialog in Excel for Mac. Microsoft also documents ⌃⌥V and ⌘⌥V. Pick an option, then press Return.
Is Ctrl+Alt+V the same on Mac?
No. Ctrl+Alt+V is the Windows shortcut. On a Mac the equivalent is Control + Command + V. Option is not the Alt key for this shortcut in the way many Windows users expect.
Does Alt+E+S+V work on Mac Excel?
Not natively. Windows menu letter sequences do not exist in macOS. The Mac Excel Shortcuts app adds them, so Alt, E, S, V runs Paste Values.
Is there a one-key Paste Values shortcut on Mac?
Not by default. You can create one through System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → App Shortcuts, or, in Microsoft 365 for Mac 16.33 or later, in Excel's own shortcut settings.
How do I paste without formatting on a Mac?
In Excel, use Paste Values. In other apps, the shortcut is different; see How to Paste Without Formatting on a Mac.
How do I use Paste Special on a MacBook?
Copy the cells with ⌘C, click the destination, then press ⌃⌘V to open Paste Special. Pick an option such as Values, then press Return. If you prefer menus, choose Edit → Paste Special… in the menu bar.
What is the Paste Special shortcut in Excel on Mac?
The shortcut is ⌃⌘V (Control + Command + V). Microsoft also lists ⌃⌥V and ⌘⌥V for the same dialog on Mac.