An easily solved question that often arises is can Google Sheets copy a row to another sheet? The answer is yes! And, it’s a really simple process.
Copying a row is something that you might do if you entered information into the wrong section of a sheet — or if you just needed to duplicate information between sheets.
We’ve provided 3 simple methods how to copy and paste multiple rows in Google Sheets. Read on to find out more.
How Does Google Sheets Copy a Row to Another Sheet?
To understand how to copy and paste multiple rows in Google Sheets you first have to know how to copy over a single row.
Let’s start with a simple list. In this example, we’re a camp counselor. We have a list of three campers that we had for our Fall 2020 semester. We want to be able to copy “Mary” into our Spring 2021 semester because we know that she’s going to be coming back.
Here’s the easiest, most direct way for Google Sheets to move a row to another sheet:
Select the information and press Ctrl+C
Go to where you want that information and press “CTRL+V.”
This is actually the way that you copy any information from one place in Google Sheets to another.
This is actually the way that you copy any information from one place in Google Sheets to another.
CTRL+C and CTRL+V are just short-hand for “copy” and “paste” on your computer. You can use this in Google Docs, Google Sheets, and pretty much everything else.
But there’s something important you should know.
Let’s say we already had data in row 1 — a brand-new camper named David. If we wanted to copy-paste Mary onto the top of the list, and we tried to do so, we would overwrite David entirely.
To do this properly (if we wanted Mary at the top), we would have to first insert a row above David.
Then we would be able to copy-paste Mary to the row above David. And we can always copy-paste Mary below.
Right-Click and Copy
There’s another way that we can do this and it’s actually (while a little more cumbersome) the appropriate way.
We go to Mary’s row and right-click.
Then we select “Copy.”
The reason this is the “right” way is that it automatically selects the entire row. Before, we were manually selecting the data. If you want Google Sheets to copy the row to another sheet based on cell value, this isn’t the method to use.
Now we can right-click on the row again and select “Paste.”
Note that we can also “Paste Special.”
When we paste special, we can paste just the text, while ignoring the formatting. We can also choose to paste just the formatting (it’s a fast, easy way to copy over styles).
Using the Edit Menu
Finally, if you ever forget any of that, you should be aware that the copy and paste functions are also available through the Edit menu as a method of how to copy a row in Google Sheets and paste it into a new sheet.
The edit menu gives you access to Cut, Copy, and Paste.
Undoing Your Copy and Paste
Every once in a while, you might make a mistake when you copy and paste. The most common type of mistake is overwriting other data.
Let’s say you copy two rows and you try to paste it into one. Rather than moving everything down, it’s going to overwrite two entire rows.
The easiest way to undo this is just to press the “Undo” button in Google Sheets. You can undo any action this way.
How to Cut and Paste Multiple Rows
What if Mary wasn’t supposed to have been entered into Fall 2020 at all but instead Spring 2021?
If that’s the case, we can instead “Cut and Paste” to copy rows from one sheet to another.
We cut the row that we want to remove.
And after we’ve pasted that into the Spring 2021 sheet it will be gone.
Now we can delete the row that is left behind.
How to Copy and Paste Multiple Rows in Google Sheets
You can copy and paste multiple rows in Google Sheets using the CTRL+C and CTRL+V feature outlined above. You would simply select multiple rows when you’re copying and pasting. Just make sure that you have enough space.
Google Sheets Copy Row to a New Sheet FAQ
How Do You Select Multiple Rows in Google Sheets?
There are a few ways you can do this. The easiest method is to click and drag along the rows you wish to select on the row markers on the far left of the page. Just like in this GIF:
How Do I Paste Multiple Lines in Google Sheets Into Multiple Cells?
- Follow the method above (clicking and dragging over the desired rows) then press Ctrl+C
- Click the row you wish to be the at the top of your pasted data and press Ctrl+V
Can Google Sheets Automatically Copy a Row to Another Sheet?
Yes, but you will have to use Google Scripts. Google support shows you how to do that here. But, honestly, it’s much easier to just use the copy and paste method each time. If you have to copy and paste into new sheets all the time, it may be better to make a template instead.
To do this:
- Make an empty spreadhseet with all of the data groups you need
- Navigate to File>Make a copy
You just need to do the second step every time you need a new sheet with the same information.
What Next?
That’s it! That’s all there is to know about how to copy and paste multiple rows in Google Sheets. If you found this guide useful, let us know in the comments and check out our other Google Sheets tips!
