Excel: 12 Paste Tricks You Didnt Know

Key insights

• Paste Special: Allows selective pasting of parts of copied cells like values, formulas, formats, comments, and validation rules.
  Use it to move data without unwanted formulas or to keep formatting consistent.
• Ctrl+Shift+V: A fast Microsoft 365 shortcut for "Paste Values" that removes formulas and unwanted formatting in one keystroke.
  This shortcut speeds up cleanup when you need only raw data.
• 16+ Paste Special options: Includes formulas, formats, column widths, validations, transpose, and math operations (add, subtract, multiply, divide).
  These options let you transform data during paste and avoid manual fixes.
• Absolute and mixed references: Use $ to lock row or column references so copied formulas point to the intended cells.
  This prevents errors when you replicate complex formulas across rows or columns.
• Compatibility shortcuts and tools: Use Ctrl+Alt+V or Alt+E, S to open Paste Special in older Excel versions; use Format Painter and cross-file paste to carry styles and widths reliably.
  These options keep workflows consistent across Excel versions and files.
• Productivity gains: Workflow = copy → Paste Special → choose option; practicing shortcuts reduces manual rework, lowers errors, and speeds reporting.
  Integrate these tricks into templates and automation to handle messy data faster and more accurately.

Video snapshot: What David Benaim demonstrates

In a recent YouTube video, author and Excel trainer David Benaim highlights a series of underused but powerful Excel paste techniques. He frames the segment as a practical guide for users who routinely move and clean data, promising faster workflows and fewer errors.

Through clear examples, Benaim focuses on the built-in Paste Special options and new keyboard shortcuts available in current Microsoft 365 releases. As a result, the video aims to help viewers get more consistent results when copying formulas, values, and formats across workbooks.

Key tricks shown in the video

Benaim opens with the simplest yet most impactful tip: using the quick "Paste Values" method to strip formulas and keep only results. He demonstrates the time saved by avoiding manual edits when pasting results from calculated cells into static tables.

Next, the video explores the wider set of Paste Special options, such as pasting formats, column widths, validations, and performing math operations (add, subtract, multiply, divide) on pasted data. He also shows how the Paste Special dialog supports transposing data and preserving cell styles, which helps when preparing clean tables for reporting.

New shortcuts and compatibility

Importantly, Benaim highlights the adoption of more intuitive keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+Shift+V for pasting values in many Microsoft 365 builds. He notes that these shortcuts reduce clicks and make the most common paste scenarios faster for regular users.

However, the video also stresses compatibility issues: older Excel versions still rely on legacy shortcuts such as Ctrl+Alt+V or Alt+E, S to open the Paste Special dialog. Consequently, Benaim advises viewers to know both new and classic shortcuts to work efficiently in mixed environments.

Balancing speed, accuracy, and discoverability

Benaim’s presentation weighs the tradeoffs between speed and safety. For instance, while Ctrl+Shift+V speeds up common tasks, automatic use can hide the risk of losing formatting or accidental overwrites when users work across different spreadsheets.

Moreover, the video addresses the tension between automation and control: applying mass paste operations can normalize data quickly, yet it may also make it harder to spot subtle structural issues or broken formulas. Accordingly, Benaim recommends verifying results after large-scale pastes and using absolute or mixed references when copying formulas to avoid unintended references.

Practical challenges and tips for real workbooks

Throughout the video, Benaim demonstrates common pitfalls such as hidden row heights, unexpected number formats, and broken links when pasting across files. He shows concrete ways to preserve column widths and validation rules, which prevents layout surprises and maintains data integrity in reports.

He also explains the difficulty of teaching these tricks at scale: many users do not explore the full Paste Special dialog and therefore miss helpful options. To address this, the video suggests small practice exercises and saving frequently used actions as part of routine templates, which helps teams stay consistent without relying on memory alone.

Takeaways for users and teams

In closing, Benaim urges viewers to practice a few targeted paste techniques until they become second nature. By learning both the quick keys and the full dialog options, users can reduce repetitive clean-up work and make data greener for analysis.

Ultimately, the video offers a practical roadmap: adopt simple shortcuts for speed, use detailed Paste Special options when precision matters, and combine these techniques with careful verification to balance efficiency and accuracy. For teams that manage many spreadsheets, this balanced approach reduces errors and improves productivity.

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