Paste Special on Mac: The Complete Guide

Paste Special is the single most-used shortcut we hear about from switchers, and also the most misunderstood. Here's what each variant actually does once Mac Excel Shortcuts is running.

Values only

Alt+E, S, V pastes the calculated result of a cell, stripping out any formula. Use this when you want to “lock in” a number before changing the source data.

Formats only

Alt+E, S, T copies fill color, borders, number formatting and font, but leaves the destination cell's existing value and formula completely alone.

Formulas only

Alt+E, S, F carries over the formula itself, re-anchored to the new location using normal relative/absolute reference rules.

• Copy the source range first with Cmd+C

• Select the destination cell

• Run the shortcut, no menu required

Because Mac Excel Shortcuts hooks directly into Excel through macOS's Accessibility API, the sequence behaves identically to Windows: press and release each key in order, no need to hold them all down together.