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Paste Special Shortcut Key

EditingWord, Excel, browsersPlain textChecked 2 Nov 2026

Word, Excel, PowerPoint

CtrlAltV

Plain text in browsers

CtrlShiftV

Keep text only in Word

CtrlV

Then press Ctrl, then T

Word for Mac

CommandControlV

In Office programs the paste special shortcut key is Ctrl + Alt + V. After copying, press it to choose how to paste: as plain text, as a picture, as a link, or in Excel as values or formats.

Outside Office, the most common special paste is plain text, which strips colours and fonts. Most browsers, chat windows and online editors give you that with Ctrl + Shift + V. Word adds a quick trick: paste with Ctrl + V, then press Ctrl and T to keep text only.

Quick facts

  • Office paste special

    Ctrl + Alt + V

  • Plain text paste

    Ctrl + Shift + V

  • Word keep text only

    Ctrl + V, then Ctrl, then T

  • Excel values

    Ctrl + Alt + V, then V

  • Undo a paste

    Ctrl + Z

  • Mac Word

    Command + Control + V

Paste special shortcut key by program

Special paste keys
ProgramKeysMain use
WordCtrl + Alt + VUnformatted text, picture, link
ExcelCtrl + Alt + VValues, formats, transpose
PowerPointCtrl + Alt + VPicture or embedded object
Chrome, Edge, chat appsCtrl + Shift + VPlain text
Word for MacCommand + Control + VSame choices as Windows

How to use Paste Special in Word

  1. Grab the text or table with Ctrl + C.
  2. Put the cursor at the destination.
  3. Press Ctrl + Alt + V. The Paste Special box lists the formats.
  4. Highlight Unformatted Text and confirm with Enter.

The text arrives in the style of the surrounding paragraph, with no stray fonts, colours or web links. Paste as Picture is useful for charts you do not want anyone to edit, and Paste Link keeps an Excel table in Word updated when the workbook changes.

Keep text only after a normal paste

In Word, Outlook and PowerPoint, a small Paste Options button appears after every paste. Press Ctrl to open it, then a letter: T keeps text only, K keeps source formatting, M merges formatting. It is the quickest way to fix a paste you already made. You can also set plain text as the default under File, Options, Advanced, Pasting from other programs.

Copy a table from a website into Excel rather than Word: Excel keeps the rows and columns, and you can then format it cleanly.

Paste special in Excel

Excel's box has its own letters, such as V for values and T for formats, followed by Enter. The paste special in Excel page lists them all, including transpose. Pasting values is the most common reason Excel users need this box.

When paste special does not work

Problems and fixes
ProblemFix
Ctrl + Shift + V does nothingThe program does not support it; paste into Notepad first and copy again
Paste Special greyed outNothing is copied yet
Box shows only one choiceThe copied item has only one format
Paste Options button missingTurn it on in Word Options, Advanced, Show Paste Options button
A content writer copies quotes from several websites into a report. Using Ctrl + Alt + V and Unformatted Text for each one keeps the whole report in the same font without any clean up afterwards.

Frequently asked questions

What is the paste special shortcut key?
Ctrl + Alt + V in Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
How do I paste without formatting?

Use Ctrl + Shift + V where it is supported; in Word, choose Unformatted Text from Paste Special.

What is keep text only in Word?

Paste with Ctrl + V, then press Ctrl and T.

What is special paste shortcut key in Excel?
Ctrl + Alt + V, then a letter such as V for values.
Which keys open paste special in Word for Mac?
Command + Control + V in Word for Mac.
Can I make plain text the default paste in Word?

Yes, under File, Options, Advanced, in the pasting settings.