Mac Copy and Paste Keyboard Shortcuts: The Complete Cheat Sheet

Every copy, cut, paste and screenshot shortcut on macOS in one place, including Paste and Match Style, moving files in Finder, copying styles and screenshots to the clipboard.

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Copy and paste shortcuts cheat sheet

Quick answer

Copy ⌘ C, cut ⌘ X, paste ⌘ V, paste without formatting ⌥ ⇧ ⌘ V, undo ⌘ Z. In Finder, move a copied file with ⌥ ⌘ V. Copy a screenshot instead of saving it by adding Control: ⌃ ⇧ ⌘ 4.

Bookmark this page. Every copy-and-paste shortcut on macOS worth knowing, grouped by where you'll use it. The symbols: ⌘ Command, ⌥ Option, ⇧ Shift, ⌃ Control.

Everyday text

ActionShortcut
Copy⌘ C
Cut⌘ X
Paste⌘ V
Paste and Match Style (no formatting)⌥ ⇧ ⌘ V
Select all⌘ A
Undo / Redo⌘ Z / ⇧ ⌘ Z
Copy style (formatting only)⌥ ⌘ C
Paste style⌥ ⌘ V

Copy Style and Paste Style work in apps that support them, such as TextEdit, Pages and Keynote: copy the look of one paragraph and apply it to another. In Finder, the same ⌥ ⌘ V does something different (see below).

Selecting text faster

ActionShortcut
Select word by word⌥ ⇧ ← / →
Select to start / end of line⌘ ⇧ ← / →
Select to start / end of document⌘ ⇧ ↑ / ↓
Select a word / paragraphDouble-click / triple-click

Files in Finder

ActionShortcut
Copy a file⌘ C, then ⌘ V in the destination
Move a file⌘ C, then ⌥ ⌘ V in the destination
Duplicate⌘ D
Copy while draggingHold ⌥ while you drag
Copy a file's pathSelect it, then ⌥ ⌘ C
Show what's on the clipboardEdit → Show Clipboard

Screenshots

ActionSave as fileCopy to clipboard
Whole screen⇧ ⌘ 3⌃ ⇧ ⌘ 3
Selected area⇧ ⌘ 4⌃ ⇧ ⌘ 4
A window⇧ ⌘ 4, Space⌃ ⇧ ⌘ 4, Space
Screenshot toolbar and options⇧ ⌘ 5

Can't find a saved screenshot? See where screenshots go on a Mac. Prefer to paste them straight away? See screenshot to clipboard.

Between devices

With Universal Clipboard, the normal shortcuts work across your Apple devices: copy on your iPhone, press ⌘ V on your Mac. Both need the same Apple Account, Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth on, and Handoff enabled.

Clipboard history shortcuts

The standard clipboard only remembers your last copy. These shortcuts get you further back:

ToolShortcut
Spotlight clipboard history (macOS Tahoe and later)⌘ Space, then ⌘ 4
EasyPaste: search and paste anything you've copied⌃ ⌘ V
EasyPaste: paste one of your 10 most recent clips⌃ ⌘ 1 … 0

Make your own shortcut for any menu command

If an app's Edit menu has a command without a shortcut (or one you'd like to change), you can add your own: System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → App Shortcuts → +, then type the menu command's exact name and press the keys you want. One popular use is making ⌘ V always paste without formatting. The steps are in how to paste without formatting on a Mac.

Keep reading

Screenshot to clipboard on Mac How to Take a Screenshot to the Clipboard on a Mac Add Control to any Mac screenshot shortcut to copy it instead of saving a file, then paste it anywhere. Plus how to make it the default, and how to keep past screenshots. Paste without formatting on Mac How to Paste Without Formatting on a Mac Use Option-Shift-Command-V to paste plain text in most Mac apps. Here are the shortcuts for Google Docs, Word and others, and how to make plain-text paste the default everywhere. How to copy and paste on a Mac How to Copy and Paste on a Mac: Every Method, Explained Keyboard shortcuts, the menu bar, right-click, drag and drop, files in Finder, and pasting between your iPhone and Mac. Everything you need to copy and paste on macOS.