Google Sheets: Moving, Copying & Pasting Data

In this post, I’ll give you an overview of the ways of moving, copying, and pasting data in Google Sheets. Starting with the basics, we’ll then explore more advanced tips, such as paste special options and sequential numbering, to save time and streamline your workflow.

Moving Cells

You can move cells with two options: drag-and-drop or cut-and-paste. To drag cells, select the cell or range, hover until the cursor becomes a hand, then drag to your desired location.

Alternatively, select the data and use Ctrl+X (Cmd+X on a Mac) and Ctrl+V (Cmd+V) for cut and paste, which is especially useful for larger sheets where scrolling is a hassle.

Copying and Pasting Cells

Copying cells allows you to duplicate data and formatting without disturbing the original. Select your data, press Ctrl+C (Cmd+C on a Mac) to copy, and Ctrl+V (Cmd+V) to paste where needed. This preserves cell formatting, such as borders and fill colours, making it easy to maintain visual consistency.

If you are copying data with formulas, make sure they are absolute references, otherwise the cell references will change and you may get errors. See my post on cell references here.

Paste Special Options

Paste special gives more control over what you paste. You can find it by right-clicking on a cell, and selecting “Paste special”. Select your data then right-click. You will be presented with various options. Below are three common ones that can be used:

• Values only: Copy just the numbers or text without formatting.

For example, below I’ve copied the original formatted data and have used ‘paste values’ to paste just the values without the cell fill or borders. Note, it does keep the percentage format.

• Format only: Copy the style (borders, colours) without data.

• Transposed: Flip rows to columns or vice versa, perfect for reorganizing layouts.

To use these options, copy your data, right-click the destination, select Paste special, and choose the needed option.

Quick Sequential Numbers

For quick numbering, type a couple of numbers in adjacent cells, select both, and drag the blue circle down. Sheets will auto-generate the sequence.

This also works with custom intervals, such as every 5, or for dates and times.

Find a deeper look at moving, copying, and pasting in this YouTube video on my YouTube channel:

Find more Google Sheets tips on my YouTube channel here.