When it comes to flipping the rows and columns your data in Excel you have two options: The Paste Special feature and the TRANSPOSE formula. Transposing in this sense means rotatating a range of values columns to rows or vice versa. In this guide, we’re going to show you how to transpose Excel data using the Paste Special feature.
Let’s see how you can use the Paste Special feature to transpose Excel data and switch columns and rows.
- Start by selecting your data range
- Copy it by clicking the Ctrl + C combination, or selecting Copy from the context (right-click) menu
- Either select the transpose icon in the context menu, or press the key combination: Ctrl + V, Ctrl, T
Things to consider when transposing data
- Please note that Cut action in this case actually doesn’t work. You can’t transpose Excel data that was cut - So use copy instead.
- Usually formatting options, such as borders can change as you copy the data, and note that you may need to edit these settings. Also, be sure to check the Conditional Formatting rules for the data you are transposing.
- Formulas can also be transposed. However, please note that things can go wrong, and you might see unexpected calculations. This is especially true if you are using absolute references. Thus, we also recommend double checking the calculations.
- Unfortunately, you can’t transpose an Excel Table. You will need to convert the table into a range first.
For transposing a data table using the TRANSPOSE formula, check our video guide: How to transpose the rows and columns of a data table.
