Email, Messaging, & Video Calls Texting & Messaging How to Copy & Paste Without a Mouse Stop right-clicking and use your keyboard instead by Heinz Tschabitscher Writer A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. our editorial process Heinz Tschabitscher Updated on April 11, 2021 reviewed by Ryan Perian Lifewire Tech Review Board Member Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions. our review board Article reviewed on Oct 06, 2020 Ryan Perian Tweet Share Email The Ultimate Guide to Keyboards The Ultimate Guide to Keyboards Introduction Keyboard Basics Common Keyboard Symbols How to Copy & Paste With Your Keyboard Typing Grave Accents on Any Keyboard How to Change Keyboard Language How to Use a Windows Keyboard With a Mac All About Mechanical Keyboards Keyboard Maintenance How to Clean a Computer Keyboard Keeping Your Mac Keyboard & Mouse Clean How to Clean a Mac Keyboard How to Clean a MacBook Keyboard How to Fix a Broken Keyboard Best Keyboards The Best Computer Keyboards The Best Mac Keyboards The Best Gaming Keyboards The Best Bluetooth Keyboards for Smartphones The Best Bluetooth Tablet Keyboards The Best Ergonomic Keyboards The Best Mechanical Keyboards The Best Wireless Keyboards The Best Keyboard Wrist Rests What to Know Shortcut to copy text: Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (macOS). Shortcut to paste text: Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (macOS). Shortcut to cut text: Ctrl+X (Windows) or Command+X (macOS). This article explains how to use keyboard shortcuts to copy, paste, and cut content on Windows or Mac computers. Most programs support the shortcuts included in this article, so you don't need to worry about learning other shortcuts for copying and pasting. How to Copy and Paste With the Ctrl/Command Key Follow these steps to copy and paste text or images in Windows and macOS. Highlight whatever you plan to copy. If the program doesn't let you use your mouse to highlight, select Ctrl+A on your keyboard to select all text, or Command+A if you're using a Mac. Long-press the Ctrl or Command key, and select the C key once. You've just copied the contents to the clipboard. Place your curser where you want to paste the copied content. Long-press the Ctrl or Command key, and select the V key once to paste the content. Michael Smith/Getty Images New How to Cut Content With the Ctrl/Command Key The above steps are useful if you want to keep the original content and just make a copy elsewhere. For example, if you want to copy an email address from a website and paste it into your email program. There's a totally different shortcut you can use to copy and paste and then automatically delete the original content, called cutting. This is useful when you're re-arranging paragraphs in an email and you want to remove the text or image and insert it elsewhere. To cut text or images use the Ctrl+X shortcut in Windows or Command+X in macOS. The moment you select Ctrl/Command+X, the information disappears and is saved in the clipboard. To paste the contents, use the Ctrl/Command+V shortcut. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit