How to Copy Only Visible Cells in Excel (Alt+;)

To copy only the visible cells in Excel, select the range, press Alt+; (Alt and the semicolon key) to select just the visible cells, then press Ctrl+C and paste where you want. The menu route does the same thing: Home > Find & Select > Go To Special > Visible cells only > OK. Use it whenever rows or columns are hidden or filtered and you don't want them in the paste.

Steps: Alt+; or Go To Special

1. Select the cells you want, including headers if you need them.
2. Press Alt+;. Or select Home > Find & Select > Go To Special, choose Visible cells only, and select OK.
3. Check the selection. Excel now outlines each visible block separately, with gaps where hidden rows or columns sit.
4. Press Ctrl+C.
5. Click the top-left cell of the paste area, on any sheet or in another workbook, and press Ctrl+V.

Excel pastes the copied cells into consecutive rows and columns, so the result has no gaps.

Filtered rows vs hidden rows

Not every way of hiding rows behaves the same way when you copy:

The filtered case causes the most confusion. Current desktop Excel normally copies just the rows a filter shows, but Microsoft's own support article still says Excel copies hidden or filtered cells by default, and behaviour differs in Excel for the web. Pressing Alt+; before copying costs one keystroke and gives the same result everywhere it's available, so make it a habit for any range that has hidden rows.

Hidden columns work the same way. After a visible-cells copy, the columns to the right shift left in the paste. Formulas that pointed at a skipped column don't adjust, so paste values (below) if the copy is going to someone else.

Excel for the web

Excel for the web doesn't offer a visible-cells-only option for an ordinary range, so a copy picks up hidden cells. Microsoft gives two ways around it:

• Format the data as a table (Insert > Table) and filter it. Copying from a filtered table then copies only the visible cells.
• Open the workbook in the Excel desktop app and use Alt+; or Go To Special there.

Pasting values instead of formulas

A visible-cells copy keeps formulas by default, and formulas that referred to skipped rows can return different results in their new place. For a report or a hand-off:

1. Copy the visible cells as above.
2. Click the destination cell.
3. Press Ctrl+Alt+V to open Paste Special, choose Values, and select OK.

Copying Excel formulas vs values explains what each paste option puts on the clipboard. If the data started as a query result, copying SQL results with headers into Excel covers that step.

Pasting into a filtered range

The reverse problem catches people out too. If you paste a block of cells *into* a filtered list, Excel fills consecutive rows, including the hidden ones between the visible rows. Two approaches avoid that:

• Same value or formula in every visible row: select the target cells, press Alt+;, type the value or formula, then press Ctrl+Enter. Excel fills only the selected, visible cells.
• Different values per row: clear the filter and sort the data so the target rows sit together, then paste. Or add a helper column with a lookup formula that pulls the values in, instead of pasting.

When the copy still isn't right

• The paste still contains hidden rows. The copy happened before you selected visible cells. Select the range again, press Alt+;, then copy again. Whatever was copied first stays on the clipboard until the next copy.
• Excel copies thousands of empty rows. You selected entire columns. Select just the data, for example by clicking the first header and pressing Ctrl+Shift+End.
• You were copying from a website, not a sheet. That is a different problem; see how to copy a table from a website into Excel or Word.

FAQ

What is the shortcut to select visible cells in Excel?

Alt+; on Windows. It selects only the visible cells within your current selection. On a Mac, Microsoft lists Shift+Cmd+* for selecting only visible cells.

Does Ctrl+C copy hidden rows in Excel?

It can. Rows hidden by hand or by grouping are copied with a plain Ctrl+C. Filtered rows are usually left out in desktop Excel, but select visible cells first if it matters.

Why does pasted Excel data look different in Word or email?

Excel puts several formats on the clipboard, and Word and Outlook usually take the HTML table. What Excel copies keep in Win+V covers what clipboard history stores from a spreadsheet copy.

Related reading

• How to Copy Values, Not Formulas, in Excel
• Excel and Clipboard History: What Win+V Actually Keeps
• How to Copy a Table From a Website Into Excel or Word
• How to Copy SQL Query Results to the Clipboard

Sources

• Copy visible cells only (Microsoft Support) — Go To Special > Visible cells only, consecutive pasting, Excel for the web and filtered tables.
• Keyboard shortcuts in Excel (Microsoft Support) — Ctrl+Alt+V for Paste Special, Ctrl+Enter to fill a selection, Mac shortcut for selecting visible cells.

Copy. Stack. Drop.

Transform your clipboard into an interactive edge shelf. Stack, pin, and drag assets into any app with zero friction.

Download for Windows Get from Microsoft Store

How to Install Guide · First 10 Minutes Guide · Drag & Drop Guide · Edge Drop vs Win+V · Support