Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Quickly Copying Worksheets.

Quickly Copying Worksheets

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 5, 2025)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021


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If you need to make a copy of a worksheet, you probably use the Format tool on the Home tab of the ribbon, in the Cells group. That tool includes the option to move or copy a worksheet. There is a quicker way to make a copy, however. All you need to do is follow these steps:

  1. Select the tab of the worksheet that you want to copy.
  2. Hold down the Ctrl key and use the mouse to drag the worksheet tab left or right. A small plus sign should appear next to the mouse pointer.
  3. Release the mouse button when the pointer is between the tabs where you want the worksheet copy to appear.

That's it! Excel makes an exact copy of the worksheet, depositing it at the point where you released the mouse button.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11145) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Quickly Copying Worksheets.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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What is seven minus 4?

2021-04-26 10:24:38

B Becker

I have been struggling with getting the page layout (landscape printing) to stay with the new worksheets I create in several workbooks. No matter how I created the new worksheet, it would always default to portrait. This makes an exact copy, including the page layout. Thrilled! Thank you!


2021-02-02 14:33:50

Kit

As usual with Excel, there are many ways to do things. Another is to copy from the tab.
Right click on the tab,
Choose "Move or Copy",
Choose if the copy should remain in this document or go into another book,
Choose in what order the copy should be placed.
Click the "Create a Copy" box, then OK.

Alan way of using the Ctrl and drag is faster if only creating a duplicate and leaving it in the same book. :)


2021-01-09 19:52:52

John Mann

Great. I could have used this tip just the other day, and many times before


2020-10-04 13:11:19

Sameer Usmani

Great tip! Much time saving.


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