On a PC, Ctrl + C to copy and Ctrl + V to paste. On a Mac, replace Ctrl with the Cmd. These keyboard shortcuts They work everywhere and save you a ton of time when copying and pasting text, a link, or a file.
| Computer Type | Copy | To stick on |
|---|---|---|
| computer | Ctrl + C | Ctrl + V |
| Mac | Cmd + C | Cmd + V |
How do I copy and paste from the keyboard on my PC?
On a computer running Windows, copy-and-paste can be done with two keyboard shortcuts. They work everywhere: in a document, on a web page, or in any application.
Step 1: Select the text or element
First, open the file, folder, or page that contains what you want to copy. Then select the text or item. There are two ways to do this:
- To select everything at once, press Ctrl + A. This shortcut selects all the content.
- To select a specific word or line, place your cursor to the left or right of the text, then tap Ctrl + Shift + arrow key (right or left, depending on the cursor's position).
You can also select text with the mouse by clicking and dragging. The keyboard is still faster when you want to select an entire block of text.
Step 2: Copy and paste content
Once the text is selected, it takes just three steps to copy data from one place to another:
- Press Ctrl + C to copy the text or element.
- Move to the’destination location.
- Press Ctrl + V to stick.
This method works for text, an image, a file, or an entire folder in File Explorer. The last item you copied remains in memory, so you can paste as many times as you want.
Paste without formatting
When you copy text from a browser, it often retains its original formatting. To paste only plain text into Word or the tools Office, goes through the pasting options and select “Keep text only.”.
That's what's called the special collage.
View the history and copy multiple items
Windows 10 and 11 remember everything you copy. Press Windows + V to open the Clipboard and select a previous item from the list. This is handy for pasting several blocks of text in a row.
How do I copy and paste on a Mac computer?
On Mac, the principle is the same as on a PC. The only difference is the Command (Cmd) key Replaces Ctrl. The steps are as follows:
- Select the text or element. Press Shift + Cmd + left or right arrow to select a word, or on Cmd + A to select everything at once.
- Press Cmd + C to copy the text to the clipboard.
- Place your cursor where you want to go, then press Cmd + V to stick.
Need to glue without keeping the original formatting (color, font, size)? Use Cmd + Option + Shift + V. The text then adopts the formatting of the destination document, which prevents unsightly pasted-in text from the web.
macOS keeps only one item in memory and does not have a built-in clipboard history. To retrieve multiple copied items, you'll need to use a third-party app such as Paste, which begins its history with Cmd + Shift + V by default.
If you often type special characters, find out how to insert a accent on a capital letter from the keyboard.
How do you cut and paste on a Mac and a PC?
the cut and paste It works exactly like copy and paste, with just one difference: you replace the VS by a X in the shortcut. Instead of duplicating the text, you move it to another location.
- On a PC (Windows): Ctrl + X to cut, then Ctrl + V to stick.
- On Mac : Cmd + X to cut, then Cmd + V to stick.
Here's how it works: Select the text or file, then cut it using Ctrl + X (Where Cmd + X (on a Mac), place your cursor where you want to paste, then paste using Ctrl + V.
The original text disappears from its original location. This is the fastest way to move data without using the mouse.
If you want to take your keyboard skills to the next level, check out the switches for mechanical keyboards to help you choose the equipment that best suits your needs. You can also find other similar tutorials on our page Practical Web.





