To copy a column in Google Sheets, click the column letter at the top of the sheet to select the whole column, press Ctrl + C (Cmd + C on a Mac), click the letter of the destination column, and press Ctrl + V (Cmd + V). The values, formulas and formatting all come along.
If you only want the numbers and text without formulas or formatting, paste with Ctrl + Shift + V (Cmd + Shift + V) instead, which is the shortcut for “Paste values only.” If you want a copy that updates itself when the original changes, use a formula such as =A:A. This guide covers every option, including copying to another tab, to another spreadsheet and on your phone.
Quick Answer
- Click the column letter (for example, A) to select the entire column.
- Press Ctrl + C on Windows or ChromeOS, or Cmd + C on a Mac.
- Click the letter of the destination column, in the same tab or another tab.
- Press Ctrl + V or Cmd + V to paste everything.
- To paste only values, use Ctrl + Shift + V or Cmd + Shift + V, or go to Edit > Paste special for more choices.
In This Guide
- Before You Start
- Method 1: Copy and Paste a Whole Column
- Method 2: Paste Values, Formatting or Formulas Only
- Method 3: Create a Live Copy With a Formula
- Method 4: Copy a Column to Another Tab or Spreadsheet
- Method 5: Copy a Column on Android, iPhone or iPad
- Copying vs. Moving a Column (and Why Dragging Won’t Copy)
- Which Method Should You Use?
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Start
This guide covers Google Sheets in a web browser on a Windows PC, Mac or Chromebook, plus the Google Sheets app on Android, iPhone and iPad, as of September 2026. Menu names and shortcuts come from Google’s own Docs Editors Help pages.
Here’s what you need:
- Edit access to the spreadsheet you’re pasting into. If you can only view or comment, you can still copy from a file, but you’ll need to paste into a spreadsheet you can edit.
- An empty destination column, or one you’re happy to overwrite. Pasting replaces whatever is already in the target cells, so check first. If you need room, right-click a column letter and choose Insert 1 left or Insert 1 right to add a blank column.
- Google Chrome is easiest if you want to use the right-click or Edit menu to copy and paste. Google notes that most other browsers don’t let web apps use your clipboard through menus, so in those browsers you should rely on keyboard shortcuts.
A few terms used below:
- Column letter (column header): the gray box with a letter at the top of each column. Clicking it selects every cell in that column.
- Tab (sheet): one page within a spreadsheet file, shown at the bottom of the screen, such as “Sheet1.”
- Spreadsheet: the whole Google Sheets file, which can contain many tabs.
Method 1: Copy and Paste a Whole Column
This is the quickest way to make an exact duplicate of a column, including its values, formulas and formatting. It works within one tab, between tabs and between separate spreadsheets.
- Open your spreadsheet in Google Sheets in your browser.
- Click the column letter at the top of the column you want to copy. You can also click any cell in the column and press Ctrl + Space (the same keys on a Mac) to select the column. Expected result: the whole column is highlighted in blue.
- Press Ctrl + C (Windows or ChromeOS) or Cmd + C (Mac). In Chrome, you can also right-click the selection and choose Copy. Expected result: a moving dashed border appears around the column.
- Click the column letter of the destination column. To paste somewhere other than row 1, click the first cell where the data should start instead.
- Before pasting, make sure the destination is empty or that you want to replace its contents. Pasting overwrites existing data without asking.
- Press Ctrl + V or Cmd + V, or right-click and choose Paste. Expected result: the column appears in its new location with the same values and formatting.
If you copied formulas, check a few cells after pasting. Relative references (like A2) shift to match the new position, which is usually what you want. References to other columns may now point somewhere different, so confirm the results make sense. If you only want the results, use Method 2 instead.
To copy several side-by-side columns at once, click the first column letter, then hold Shift and click the last column letter before copying. For more copy and paste basics, see our guide on how to copy and paste in Google Sheets.
Method 2: Paste Values, Formatting or Formulas Only
Sometimes a straight copy isn’t what you want. You might need a frozen snapshot of today’s numbers, or you might want to reuse a column’s colors and number format on different data. That is what Paste special is for.
Paste values only with a shortcut
- Select the column by clicking its letter, then press Ctrl + C or Cmd + C.
- Click the destination column letter or starting cell.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + V (Windows or ChromeOS) or Cmd + Shift + V (Mac). Expected result: only the text and numbers are pasted. Formulas are replaced by their current results, and the destination keeps its own formatting.
Use the Paste special menu
- Copy the column as usual.
- Select the destination column or starting cell.
- Click Edit > Paste special in the menu bar (or right-click and look for Paste special).
- Choose the option you need. Expected result: only the chosen part of the copied cells is applied.
Google lists these Paste special options:
| Option | What it does | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Paste values only | Pastes only the text and numbers | Freezing formula results, cleaning up imported data |
| Paste format only | Copies cell formatting without changing existing text | Making a new column look like an existing one |
| Paste all except borders | Pastes everything except cell borders | Keeping the destination’s border style |
| Paste column widths only | Resizes the selected columns to match the original | Matching layout after a regular paste |
| Paste formula only | Pastes the formulas from the copied cells | Reusing calculations without the source formatting |
| Paste data validation only | Pastes data validation rules, such as drop-down lists | Copying a drop-down to a new column |
| Paste conditional formatting only | Applies only conditional formatting rules | Reusing color rules on another column |
| Paste transposed | Pastes a rotated version of the copied cells | Turning a column into a row |
Two things to know. First, there’s no dedicated keyboard shortcut for “Paste format only,” so use the menu for that one. Second, Google says Paste special works only within a single spreadsheet. If you copy from one spreadsheet and try to use Paste special in a spreadsheet open in another browser tab, it won’t work. In that case, paste normally or use Method 4.
Method 3: Create a Live Copy With a Formula
A formula-based copy is “live”: when someone edits the original column, the copy updates automatically. You can’t type directly into the copied cells, because they’re controlled by the formula, but that is often exactly what you want for dashboards and summary tabs.
Mirror an entire column
- Click the first cell of an empty column, such as D1. Make sure every cell below it is empty, because the results need room to spill down.
- Type =A:A (replace A with the letter of the column you want to copy) and press Enter. Expected result: column D fills with the contents of column A, top to bottom.
- To skip a header row, type =A2:A instead, which starts at row 2 and runs to the bottom of the sheet.
Blank cells in the source may appear as blanks or zeros, depending on the data. Formatting such as colors and number formats isn’t copied by a formula, so apply formatting to the new column separately (Paste format only works well here).
Use ARRAYFORMULA for calculations
ARRAYFORMULA lets a formula that normally works on one cell return results for a whole range. Google describes it as enabling “the display of values returned from an array formula into multiple rows and/or columns.” For example:
- =ARRAYFORMULA(A2:A) mirrors column A from row 2 down.
- =ARRAYFORMULA(UPPER(A2:A)) creates an uppercase version of column A.
- =ARRAYFORMULA(A2:A*1.1) copies a column of numbers and adds 10 percent to each value.
Tip: while editing a formula, pressing Ctrl + Shift + Enter adds ARRAYFORMULA( to the start for you. Many array formulas, including a simple range like =A:A, already expand on their own without it.
Turn a live copy into a normal copy
If you want to keep the current values but stop the link, select the formula column, copy it, and paste it back in the same place with Ctrl + Shift + V or Cmd + Shift + V. The formulas are replaced by their current values.
Method 4: Copy a Column to Another Tab or Spreadsheet
To another tab in the same spreadsheet
The copy and paste steps from Method 1 work the same way across tabs: copy the column, click the destination tab at the bottom of the screen, select the target column letter and paste.
For a live link instead, reference the other tab by name. Google’s syntax is the sheet name, an exclamation point and the range:
- In the destination tab, click the first cell of an empty column.
- Type =Sheet1!A:A, replacing Sheet1 with the source tab’s name and A with the source column.
- If the tab name contains spaces or special characters, wrap it in single quotes, like =’Sales Data’!A:A.
- Press Enter. Expected result: the column appears and stays in sync with the source tab.
To a different spreadsheet
For a one-time copy, open both spreadsheets, copy the column in the first, switch to the second and paste with Ctrl + V or Cmd + V. Remember that Paste special won’t work across two different spreadsheets.
For a live link between files, Google requires the IMPORTRANGE function:
- Copy the URL of the source spreadsheet from your browser’s address bar.
- In the destination spreadsheet, click the first cell of an empty column.
- Type a formula like =IMPORTRANGE(“paste-the-URL-here”, “Sheet1!A:A”), keeping both parts in double quotes.
- Press Enter. The first time you connect two files, you’ll see a prompt saying you need to connect these sheets. Click Allow access. Expected result: the column loads from the other file.
Keep these limits in mind: you need access to the source file (if you don’t own it, you may need to request access), each request can receive up to 10 MB of data, and imported data refreshes about every hour while the file is open. Google’s IMPORTRANGE help page has the full details.
Method 5: Copy a Column on Android, iPhone or iPad
The Google Sheets app supports basic copy and paste. The steps differ slightly between platforms, so follow the section for your device.
Android
- Open the spreadsheet in the Google Sheets app.
- Tap the column letter to select the whole column. Expected result: the column is highlighted and a menu appears.
- Tap Copy. If you don’t see it right away, touch and hold the selection to bring up the menu.
- Touch and hold the destination cell or tap the destination column letter.
- Tap Paste. Expected result: the column appears in the new spot.
iPhone and iPad
- Open the spreadsheet in the Google Sheets app.
- Tap the column letter to select the column.
- Tap Copy in the menu that appears.
- Tap where you want to paste, such as another column letter.
- Tap Paste.
Paste special options on phones and tablets are more limited than on a computer, and labels can vary by app version. If you see a Paste special option in the menu, you can use it; otherwise, do value-only or format-only pastes on a computer. Formulas like =A:A work the same in the app as on the web.
Copying vs. Moving a Column (and Why Dragging Won’t Copy)
It’s easy to mix up copying and moving:
- Copying leaves the original column in place and creates a duplicate somewhere else.
- Moving relocates the original column. Nothing is duplicated.
In Google Sheets, dragging a selected column letter to a new position moves it. You can also select a column and use the move options in the Edit menu (Google’s example for rows is Move row up; the column options work the same way). Google’s help doesn’t document a drag shortcut that copies a column, so if you’re used to holding Ctrl while dragging in other programs, don’t rely on it here. Use copy and paste, then delete the original if you really wanted a move.
If you want to move data around without accidentally wiping out other cells, read how to move cells in Google Sheets without overwriting data.
A related shortcut is fill down: select a cell with a value or formula plus the empty cells below it, and press Ctrl + D (Cmd + D on a Mac) to copy the top cell down the column. That duplicates one cell down a column rather than copying an entire column elsewhere.
Which Method Should You Use?
| Goal | Best method | Updates automatically? |
|---|---|---|
| Exact duplicate with formatting | Copy and paste (Ctrl/Cmd + C, then V) | No |
| Numbers only, no formulas | Paste values only (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + V) | No |
| Same look, different data | Edit > Paste special > Paste format only | No |
| Mirror in the same tab | =A:A or =ARRAYFORMULA(A2:A) | Yes |
| Mirror in another tab | =Sheet1!A:A | Yes |
| Mirror in another file | IMPORTRANGE | Yes (about hourly while open) |
| Quick copy on a phone | Tap column letter, Copy, Paste | No |
As a rule of thumb, use a static copy (Methods 1 and 2) when you need a snapshot or plan to edit the new column. Use a formula (Methods 3 and 4) when the new column should always match the original.
Troubleshooting
The right-click Copy or Paste option doesn’t work
Many browsers other than Chrome block web apps from using the clipboard through menus. Use Ctrl + C, Ctrl + X and Ctrl + V on a PC, or Cmd + C, Cmd + X and Cmd + V on a Mac, instead. Google explains this in its copy and paste help article.
Paste special is grayed out or does nothing
You probably copied from a different spreadsheet. Paste special only works within one spreadsheet. Paste normally, then fix the formatting, or copy the data into the same file first.
A formula copy shows an error or doesn’t expand
Array results need empty space. If any cell below your formula already contains data, the formula can’t spill into it and shows an error (often #REF!) instead of results. Clear the cells below the formula, or move the formula to a fully empty column. Hidden columns can hold data too, so check for them; our guide on showing hidden columns in Google Sheets explains how.
IMPORTRANGE shows a loading or access error
Click the cell and look for the Allow access prompt. If it doesn’t appear, check that you have access to the source file, that the URL and tab name are correct and in quotes, and that the range isn’t too large. Google caps each IMPORTRANGE request at 10 MB of data.
The pasted formulas give wrong results
Relative references shift when you paste into a new position. Either use Paste values only to keep the original results, or edit the formulas so they refer to the right cells.
Pasting overwrote data I needed
Press Ctrl + Z (Cmd + Z on a Mac) right away to undo. You can also restore an earlier version of the file from its version history, found under the File menu. Next time, insert a blank column first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the keyboard shortcut to select a column in Google Sheets?
Click any cell in the column and press Ctrl + Space. Google lists the same keys for Windows and Mac. You can also just click the column letter.
How do I copy a column without the formulas?
Copy the column, select the destination, and press Ctrl + Shift + V (Cmd + Shift + V on a Mac), or choose Edit > Paste special > Paste values only. Only the current results are pasted.
Can I copy only the formatting of a column?
Yes. Copy the column, select the target column, and choose Edit > Paste special > Paste format only. The existing text in the target stays the same.
How do I keep two columns in sync?
Use a formula. In the same tab, type =A:A. In another tab, use =SheetName!A:A. In another spreadsheet, use IMPORTRANGE. Each copy updates when the original changes.
Can I drag a column to copy it?
Dragging a column letter moves the column rather than copying it. Google doesn’t document a modifier key that turns the drag into a copy, so use copy and paste instead.
Can I turn a column into a row?
Yes. Copy the column, click the first cell where the row should begin, and choose Edit > Paste special > Paste transposed.
Does copying a column copy its width too?
A normal paste doesn’t always match column widths. After pasting, copy the original again and use Edit > Paste special > Paste column widths only on the new column.
Summary
- Select the column by clicking its letter or pressing Ctrl + Space.
- Copy with Ctrl + C (Cmd + C on a Mac).
- Select the destination column and paste with Ctrl + V (Cmd + V).
- Use Ctrl + Shift + V or Edit > Paste special for values, formats or formulas only.
- Use =A:A, =SheetName!A:A or IMPORTRANGE for copies that stay in sync.
- On a phone, tap the column letter, tap Copy, then tap Paste at the destination.
Next step: open your spreadsheet, insert a blank column where you want the copy, and try Method 1. If you need the copy to update automatically, replace it with a formula from Method 3. Google’s Google Sheets keyboard shortcuts page lists more time-saving keys.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.