This is the ‘Paste’ command, and the text you selected should now be inserted. How to copy and paste using keyboard shortcuts: on a Mac. To copy and paste using the keyboard on a Mac you need to locate the following 3 keys on the keyboard: Command key (the one with the squirly pattern on it). To copy the entire screen, press Command-Control-Shift-3. The screen shot will be placed on your clipboard for you to paste into another program like PowerPoint, Word, Photoshop, etc. Portion of the screen: To capture a portion of the screen, press Command-Shift-4. A cross-hair cursor will appear and you can click and drag to select the area. Use function key shortcuts. Excel for Mac uses the function keys for common commands, including Copy and Paste. For quick access to these shortcuts, you can change your Apple system preferences so you don't have to press the FN key every time you use a function key shortcut. Use the Command Key. There are two ways to copy/paste, first is by selecting the file and using Command+C to copy, then Command+V to paste where you want the copy to be.
- Commands For Copy And Paste On A Mac
- Mac Copy And Paste File
- Mac Copy Paste Not Working
- Commands For Copy And Paste On A Mac Os
- What Are The Keyboard Commands For Copy And Paste On A Mac Computer
- Commands For Copy And Paste On A Mac Keyboard Shortcut
Copy or cut
Start by selecting the text or other item to be copied or cut. Then use one of these steps to save the item to your Clipboard so that it can be pasted elsewhere.
I’m sure most Mac users know Command-C means copy and Command-V means paste, but there’s a host of other useful shortcuts that make a Mac user’s life much easier. I’ve assembled this short.
Copy
- Press Command-C.
- Or choose Edit > Copy from the menu bar.
- Or Control-click (or right-click) the item you selected, then choose Copy from the shortcut menu.

Cut
- Press Command-X.
- Or choose Edit > Cut from the menu bar.
- Or Control-click (or right-click) the item you selected, then choose Cut from the shortcut menu.
Paste, or paste and match style
First click to place your insertion point, then use one of these steps to paste your copied item at that location. When you paste and match style, the pasted item matches the font, color, size, or other style of the surrounding content.
Paste
- Press Command-V.
- Or choose Edit > Paste from the menu bar.
- Or Control-click (or right-click) the item you selected, then choose Paste from the shortcut menu.

Paste and Match Style
- Press Option-Shift-Command-V.
- Or choose Edit > Paste and Match Style from the menu bar.
Learn more
- You can also drag and drop items to move or copy them to another location.
- If you press and hold the Control key while taking a screenshot, the screenshot is saved to the Clipboard, ready to be pasted.
- With Universal Clipboard, you can copy and paste content between your Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Website and copywriting tasks are much quicker if you know how to copy and paste using keyboard shortcuts.
You can save yourself a huge amount of time if you know how to copy and paste using keyboard shortcuts.
In this blog post you will find step-by-step instructions, as well as a video to show you how to copy and paste using keyboard shortcuts.
Common things you might want to copy and paste include:
- Sending a website address (URL) in an email, or putting it in a document.
- Someone’s contact details, such as their website address or phone number, from their email signature.
- Information from an old document (e.g. a proposal, letter, or fact sheet) into a new document.
- Keywords you’ve brainstormed into a keyword research tool.
… There are limitless ways in which copying and pasting is useful!
And if you know how to do it quickly and efficiently, it can save you a lot of time.
Note: Giving instructions on how to copy and paste using keyboard shortcuts might seem quite basic to some readers here… If that’s the case, give yourself a pat on the back from being so smart. I know for a fact that there are a lot of people out there who don’t know how to copy and paste at all – let alone with keyboard shortcuts!
We all have to begin somewhere, and this video and article will make it nice and easy for you to learn…
Why use keyboard shortcuts to copy and paste?
You don’t have to use the keyboard shortcuts to copy and paste… you can use your mouse and go to Edit > Copy and then Edit > Paste. But this method is very time-consuming. If you do a lot of copying and pasting in your day (like I do), then using the keyboard is far more efficient, and it will save you time for more important things.
You’ll still need your mouse to highlight the text and position the cursor, but by using keyboard commands for copying and pasting (instead of navigating to the Edit menu), it’ll be quicker for you.
First things first: how to select the text you want to copy
Commands For Copy And Paste On A Mac
You use your mouse to control the cursor on screen to select the text you want to copy. There are a number of different ways to select the text:
- Click the left mouse button and drag the mouse to select the text you want to copy.
- To select a whole word, double-click on it with the left mouse button.
- If you want to select a whole paragraph or website address (URL), triple-click on it with the left mouse button.
You can tell which text you have selected, as it will be higlighted, as per this example:
How to copy and paste using keyboard shortcuts: on a PC
To copy and paste using the keyboard on a PC you need to locate the following 3 keys on the keyboard:
- Control (often labelled as ‘Ctrl’)
- The letter ‘C’
- The letter ‘V’
Step-by-step instructions for PC:
- Select the text you want to copy (as per the instructions above).
- Press down the ‘Control’ and letter ‘C’ buttons together at the same time: this is the ‘Copy’ command, which puts the data on your computer’s clipboard.
- Then navigate to where you want to paste the information: place your cursor with the mouse.
- Press down the ‘Control’ and letter ‘V’ buttons together at the same time. This is the ‘Paste’ command, and the text you selected should now be inserted.
How to copy and paste using keyboard shortcuts: on a Mac

Mac Copy And Paste File
To copy and paste using the keyboard on a Mac you need to locate the following 3 keys on the keyboard:
Mac Copy Paste Not Working
- Command key (the one with the squirly pattern on it)
- The letter ‘C’
- The letter ‘V’
Step-by-step instructions for Mac:
- Select the text you want to copy (as per the instructions above).
- Press down the ‘Command’ button and letter ‘C’ buttons together at the same time: this is the ‘Copy’ command, which puts the data on your computer’s clipboard.
- Then navigate to where you want to paste the information: place your cursor with the mouse.
- Press the ‘Command’ button and letter ‘V’ buttons together at the same time. This is the ‘Paste’ command, and the text you selected should now be inserted.
Video tutorial on how to copy and paste using keyboard shortcuts:
Commands For Copy And Paste On A Mac Os
Voila! It’s that easy!
What Are The Keyboard Commands For Copy And Paste On A Mac Computer
There are many more keyboard shortcuts, and many are universal between apps.
Commands For Copy And Paste On A Mac Keyboard Shortcut
But copying and pasting is the one keyboard shortcut I use the most – and it’s likely to be the shortcut you’ll use the most too.