The three basic moves: cut, copy, and paste
Copy makes a duplicate of text or files and leaves the original where it is. Cut removes text or files from one place and prepares them to move somewhere else. Paste places whatever you cut or copied into a new location. All three work the same way on Windows, Mac, and Linux — the keyboard shortcuts are slightly different, but the idea is identical.
These three actions are among the most useful things your computer can do. Once you know them, you'll use them dozens of times a day: moving files into folders, duplicating text in emails, rearranging paragraphs in documents, copying a web address to send to a friend.
Each action uses a temporary holding area called the clipboard. When you copy or cut something, it sits on your clipboard until you paste it or copy something else. Your clipboard holds only one thing at a time, so if you copy a new item, the old one disappears.
Key Takeaways
- Copy leaves the original in place; cut removes it and prepares it to move, and paste puts it in the new location.
- On Windows and Linux, use Ctrl+C to copy, Ctrl+X to cut, and Ctrl+V to paste; on Mac, use Command+C, Command+X, and Command+V.
- You can copy and paste text within documents, between different programs, and with files and folders in your file manager.
- Your clipboard holds only one item at a time, so copying or cutting something new will replace what was there before.
Copy and paste on Windows and Linux
Select the text or file you want to copy by clicking and dragging across it, or by clicking once and then Shift+clicking at the end of what you want. The selected text will highlight in blue (or another color depending on your program). Then press Ctrl+C on your keyboard. Nothing visible happens — the text is now on your clipboard.
Click or navigate to where you want the copy to appear. This could be a different part of the same document, a different document entirely, or even a different program. Then press Ctrl+V. The text appears in the new location, and the original stays where it was.
To move something instead of copying it, select it and press Ctrl+X instead of Ctrl+C. The text will disappear from its original location (it may look faded or grayed out for a moment). Navigate to the new location and press Ctrl+V. The text now appears only in the new place.
Copy and paste on Mac
The process on Mac is identical to Windows and Linux, except you use the Command key (marked with ⌘) instead of Ctrl. Select the text or file, then press Command+C to copy. Navigate to the new location and press Command+V to paste.
To cut on Mac, press Command+X. The selected text disappears and moves to your clipboard. Navigate to the new location and press Command+V to complete the move.
If you're using an older Mac keyboard or an external keyboard, the Command key may be labeled differently, but it's always the key with the ⌘ symbol on it.
Using the mouse or trackpad instead of keyboard shortcuts
If you prefer not to use keyboard shortcuts, you can right-click (or on a Mac trackpad, two-finger click) on selected text or a file. A menu will appear with options including Copy, Cut, and Paste. Click the one you want.
On Windows, you can also use the Edit menu at the top of most programs. Click Edit, then select Copy, Cut, or Paste from the dropdown menu. On Mac, the menu is usually called File or Edit depending on the program.
The keyboard shortcuts are faster once you learn them, but the right-click menu works just as well if you find it easier to remember.
Copying and pasting files and folders
The same shortcuts work for files and folders in your file manager (File Explorer on Windows, Finder on Mac). Select a file or folder by clicking it once. Press Ctrl+C (Windows/Linux) or Command+C (Mac) to copy it, or Ctrl+X / Command+X to cut it.
Navigate to the folder where you want the file to go. Press Ctrl+V (Windows/Linux) or Command+V (Mac) to paste. If you used cut, the file moves to the new location. If you used copy, the file appears in both places.
You can select multiple files at once by holding Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or Command (Mac) and clicking each file you want. Then copy or cut them all together and paste them into a new folder.
Copying text from websites and other programs
You can copy text from a web page, an email, a PDF, or almost any program on your computer. Select the text the same way you would in a document — click and drag, or click and Shift+click. Press Ctrl+C or Command+C, then navigate to where you want to paste it and press Ctrl+V or Command+V.
When you paste text from a website into a document, the formatting (colors, fonts, sizes) sometimes comes along with it. If you want only the plain text without formatting, most programs have a "Paste Special" option. Right-click where you want to paste and look for "Paste Special" or "Paste as Plain Text." This removes colors, fonts, and other styling and leaves only the words.
Some websites and programs prevent copying for copyright reasons. If you try to select text and it won't highlight, or if copy doesn't seem to work, the website or program has copy protection turned on. In those cases, you'll need to type the text manually or look for a "Share" or "Export" button the program provides.
What to do if paste isn't working
If you press Ctrl+V or Command+V and nothing happens, the most common reason is that you haven't copied anything yet, or you copied something and then copied something else without pasting the first thing. Remember: your clipboard holds only one item at a time.
Try copying something simple first, like a single word from a document. Then paste it somewhere else to confirm the shortcuts are working. If that works, the problem was probably that you forgot to copy before pasting.
If even a simple copy and paste doesn't work, try restarting your computer. Clipboard problems sometimes clear up after a restart. If the problem continues, the program you're using may have a bug, and you can try using the right-click menu instead of keyboard shortcuts, or try a different program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I copy and paste between different programs?
Yes. Copy text from a web browser, paste it into an email. Copy from a document, paste it into a chat program. The clipboard works across all programs on your computer, so you can move text and files between any of them.
What happens to what I copied if I turn off my computer?
Your clipboard is erased when you shut down or restart your computer. If you copy something and then restart before pasting it, that copied text is gone. If you need to save something for later, paste it into a document and save the document instead of relying on the clipboard.
Can I copy and paste images the same way as text?
Yes. Select an image by clicking it, then press Ctrl+C or Command+C to copy it. Navigate to where you want to paste it and press Ctrl+V or Command+V. This works for images in documents, on websites, and in file managers.
Is there a way to see what's on my clipboard right now?
On Windows 10 and later, press Windows key+V to open your clipboard history and see the last few things you copied. On Mac, there's no built-in way to view the clipboard, but you can paste into any document to see what's there. On Linux, it depends on your desktop environment, but many have a clipboard manager you can install.