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Lesson 62 of 104 2 min Updated Completed

How to Copy Visible Cells Only

When you copy a range with hidden rows, Excel copies the hidden rows too. Here’s how to copy only what you can see.

  1. In this sheet, row 2 is hidden.

    A sheet with row 2 hidden

  2. If you copy A1:A4 and paste it into A6 the usual way, the hidden cell comes along: Alpha (A2) appears in A7.

    The hidden cell Alpha pasted along with the others

To leave the hidden cell out:

  1. Select A1:A4.

  2. On the Home tab, click Find & Select > Go To Special.

    Choosing Go To Special from the Find & Select menu

  3. Choose Visible cells only and click OK.

    Choosing Visible cells only in the Go To Special dialog box

  4. Press Ctrl + C to copy, select A6, and press Ctrl + V to paste.

    Only the visible cells pasted

Result: this time, Excel leaves out the hidden cell Alpha.

Tip: Shortcut: select the range and press Alt + ; to select visible cells only, then copy. In a filtered list, Excel already copies only the visible rows.