Copy and paste using the clipboard

The Copy Copy, Cut Cut, and Paste Paste commands use the clipboard to copy and paste selected features or table records to the same layer or table, respectively. These commands are available on the ribbon Edit tab, in the Clipboard group and the context menu when you right-click a map.

When you use these commands, consider the following

  • To paste features to a different layer or table, use the Paste Special command Paste. To learn more, see Paste Special.
  • To copy and paste editing templates or other properties between layers or tables in the Contents pane, use the Paste Properties command Paste Properties. This method deletes existing templates in the target layer and replaces them with templates from the source layer. For steps to copy editing templates and not overwrite existing templates, see Copy editing templates.
  • If you exit ArcGIS Pro with a large amount of information on the clipboard, you are asked whether you want to save the information to be able to paste it later.

Copy selected features or records

To select features or table records and copy them to the clipboard, complete the following steps:

  1. Click the map to ensure it is current.

    The current map tab appears dark blue.

  2. Click the ribbon Edit tab.
  3. In the Selection group, click the Select tool Select, and select the features to be copied.

    To select records in a table, click the row header (the small gray square containing the row number) in the table adjacent to the record you want to select. To select consecutive records, click and drag. To learn more about selecting records in a table, see Select records in a table interactively.

    The Copy and Cut commands appear enabled.

  4. In the Clipboard group, click Copy Copy or press Ctrl+C.

    Alternatively, right-click the map and click the command on the context menu.

    Note:

    To copy the selected features or table records to the clipboard and delete them from the map or table in one step, click Cut Cut or press Ctrl+X instead.

    The selected features or table records are copied to the clipboard.

Paste clipboard contents

To paste features or table records on the clipboard to the same layer or table, complete the following steps:

  1. Click the ribbon Edit tab.
  2. In the Clipboard group, click Paste Paste or press Ctrl+V.

    Alternatively, right-click the map and click the command on the context menu.

    Pasted features draw in the map coincident with the source features from which they were copied and are the currently selected features. Table records are pasted to the bottom of the source table.

  3. To move features pasted in a map, click the Move tool Move in the Modify Features pane.
    Move tool
    Note:

    By default, the Move tool Move automatically runs after pasting features. For steps to turn this optional setting on or off, see Run the Move tool after pasting features.

  4. Click Finish Finish or press the F2 key to finish the edit.

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