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How to keep formula and formatting when copying and pasting in Excel?

Author: Kelly Last Modified: 2024-08-09

As we know, when copying and pasting a range with both formula and formatting in Excel, the formulas will be changed but formatting kept normally (See the second screen shot below). Some users may try the Paste Special > Value & Source Formatting, this way keeps the formatting and formula results but loses the formulas (see the third screen shot below).

a screenshot showing the original data and the data after pasting

Is there a way to remain both formula and formatting when copying and pasting in Excel? Here I will introduce a couple of methods to solve it.

Keep formula and formatting when copying by changing formula reference

Keep formula and formatting when copying by Kutools for Excel


Keep formula and formatting when copying by changing formula reference

If formula calculates with absolute references, the formula and formula results will be reserved when we copying and pasting in Excel.

1. Select the Range that you will copy with keeping formula and formatting.

2. Click the Kutools > More > Covert Refers; and in the opening Convert Formula References dialog box check To absolute option and click the Ok button or Apply button. See left screenshot:

a screenshot showing how to convert the formula references to absolute references

Kutools for Excel - Packed with over 300 essential tools for Excel. Enjoy permanently free AI features! Download now!

Note: If you do not have Kutools for Excel installed, you can double click a cell with formula in the Specified range, highlight the formula (see below screen shot), and press the F4 key. And change each formula reference to absolute one by one.

a screenshot of selecting the reference cells in a formula

Now each formula in the specified range is changed to absolute as below screen shot shown:

a screenshot showing the absolute references in the formula

Step 3: Now select the specified range, copy with pressing Ctrl + C keys simultaneously, select a blank cell and paste with pressing Ctrl + V keys simultaneously.

Now the specified range is copied and pasted with remaining its formula and formatting as below screen shot shown:

a screenshot showing data retained by formulas and formats after pasting data

Note: If necessary, you can change the pasted formulas and original formulas to relative references with selecting them and clicking Kutools > Convert Refers > To relative > OK.


Keep formula and formatting when copying by Kutools for Excel

If you have Kutools for Excel installed, its Exact Copy utility can help you keep formula and formatting when copying and pasting easily in Excel.

Kutools for Excel - Packed with over 300 essential tools for Excel. Enjoy permanently free AI features! Download now!

Step 1: Select the range you will copy with formula and formatting.

Step 2: Click Kutools > Exact Copy, and in the throwing up Exact Formula Copy dialog box check the Copy formatting option and click the Ok button. See below screen shot:

a screenshot showing how to exact copy the selected range with Kutools

Step 3: Now the second Exact Formula Copy dialog box comes out, select a blank cell, and click the OK button.

a screenshot of selecting a destination cell

Now you will see the selected range is copied and pasted with remaining exact formula and formatting as below screen shot shown:

a screenshot of pasting results retaining formulas and formatting

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