Understanding the paste special function is a must in Excel. There are no two ways about it. It will save you ample time and keep you focused on analyzing the data instead of manipulating it!
In this post, I’ll show you how to quickly paste values in Excel for a Mac.
Shortcut For Paste Values On A Mac
Unfortunately, there isn’t a Mac keyboard shortcut to paste values. The best (and fastest) option is:
- Copy the source data (or Command+C)
- Press Command+Control+V – This brings up the Paste Special menu.

- Type the letter V “Values”, or the letter U if you want “Values and number formats”
- Hit Enter. Voilà!

Paste Special Shortcut For Windows
The equivalent paste special in Windows is CTRL+Alt+V. This brings up the paste special menu and again, type the letter v for values.
There is an older shortcut that I still use today out of habit – Alt + E, S, V. Both methods still work so really just a user preference thing.
Looking for more paste special options? Check out Copy Paste Like A Pro In Excel.
Bonus Tip – How To Paste Numbers Only In Excel
Once in a while, you’ll get a random request when working with data. For example, copy paste a range, but only extract the numbers.
- Copy, Paste Special menu like above
- In the Paste Special menu, select “Values” (Press V) and “Add” (Press D)
- Click OK.

This also works when you paste one range to another – the words won’t be overwritten.
Thanks for reading and I hope you found this helpful.
Video Guide
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