Copy and Paste FAQ

You can copy one or more rows (records) from a list or a single field on a page, and then paste what you copied into the same page, another page, or an external document (like Microsoft Excel and Outlook email).

In short, to copy, you select Ctrl+C (cmd+C in macOS) on your keyboard. To paste, you select Ctrl+V (Cmd+V in macOS). There are several other keyboard shortcuts for copying and pasting that help you save time when entering data. For more information about these, see Keyboard Shortcuts. This article answers common questions you might have about copying and pasting.

What can I copy and paste?

You can copy and paste this type of data:

  • Copy one or more rows in Business Central to the same list, or to any list with identical columns.
  • Copy one or more rows in Business Central and paste into Excel or other applications.
  • Copy one or more rows in Excel and paste into a Business Central list.
  • Copy the value of an individual field in Business Central and paste it anywhere.

Does copy and paste work with tiles?

Yes, but only for a single selected tile.

How do I copy a row?

To copy a single row, select it, and then select Ctrl+C.

If you want to copy more rows, you can:

  • select Ctrl+Click on another row or select Shift+Click to select the row and all rows in between. See Keyboard Shortcuts for more mouse and keyboard combinations for selecting rows.
  • Select Show more options in the first column, choose Select More, select the check box next to each row that you want to copy, and then select Ctrl+C.

How do I paste rows?

Select an empty row, with focus in any cell, and then select Ctrl+V.

If you want to replace existing rows, select the rows, and then select Ctrl+V. In this case, you can only paste the same number of rows that you selected.

Note

The list that you are pasting into must be editable.

Can I paste rows into an Outlook email?

Yes. This is pasted as a nicely-formatted table that preserves indentation, numeric alignment and colouring, just as you would see in Business Central.

In which lists can I copy and paste rows?

You can copy rows in any kind of list, including worksheets, FactBoxes, or list that are embedded on a page (like lines of a sales order). However, to paste rows, the list must be editable.

On some pages, the application design may prevent you from pasting rows. Contact your administrator or application developer to change the Editable property on the page or PasteIsValid property on the source table.

On which clients is copy and paste available?

Copy and paste are available in the browser or the Business Central app for Windows 10.

What is the maximum number of rows that can be copied?

You can copy as many rows as you have scrolled into view. For example, to copy all 1000 rows on a page, you must first scroll to the bottom of the page and wait for the rows to appear before copying. The maximum number of rows you can copy is only limited by the memory of your device.

Must I have the exact same number of columns when pasting rows?

Yes. Whether you are copying from Business Central, from Excel, or from some other table source, the rows that you paste into Business Central must have the exact matching columns - no more no less.

Why do I get errors when pasting rows?

When pasting into Business Central, each row is checked to make sure that values in each column are valid. If a column contains a value that is not valid, the pasting is stopped, and an error message is displayed. To avoid this, make sure that the columns have valid values before you paste them.

Yes. For more information, see Sharing Business Data from Business Central.