How To Copy Formulas Only In Google Sheets (without values or formatting) in few steps?

Question

I've found a way to copy formulas only in Google Sheets through Search and Replace Ctrl + H feature workaround as follows:

STEP 1:

Cells with Formulas to be copied

STEP 2:

Press Ctrl + H and Tick Also search within formulas

STEP 3:

Copy Formulas (formulas only are copied)

STEP 4:

Select a destination cell/range and paste the clipboard content

STEP 5:

Result: Formulas only are pasted

Please share any way you know to do it with less steps. Thanks a lot for your help much appreciated.

Pull

Answer 1

Honestly, I don't understand your need to use ctrl+h to do this. You could've just used ctrl+c and ctrl+v, since you are copying the cell content, which is the formula. I know it will also copy the cell's formatting, but if it's a previously blank cell, there should be no problem.

A fast way to do it is copying the range of cells you want to copy the formulas from, and the right click - special paste - past only the formula.

~Sorry for the portuguese menu. The option should be in the same spot, though.~

The only workaround you could need is copying the actual values given by the formula on these cells, and for that Sheets also has a keyboard shortcut: ctrl+shift+v, which is a special paste case, which pastes only the results, not the formula.

So unless you're lacking one or more of those keys, you should be fine. If you do, a mere select range - right click - copy - paste would do the trick. No need for extra long steps.

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Now, if what you're trying to accomplish is copying the formula and paste it as a string, you can use the =FORMULATEXT([CELL]).

Chiropteran

Thanks a lot @Rodrigo Biffi. You rock! The =FORMULATEXT([CELL]) did it. I needed the formula as input to copy and paste in another text editor (like sublime text) to quickly edit many formulas at once and then paste them back (edited) into google sheet. The issue with the right click > paste special > paste formula only method is that it returns the formula output when pasting directly into google sheet or an external editor — so your =FORMULATEXT([CELL]) method is the quicker way to go. Thanks again. Be well! – Pull

Paste Special → Formulas only will still not 1 to 1 copy the formula cell references. It updates to new cells. – Bubaline

I just learned about FORMULATEXT(). Thanks, @Rodrigo Biffi, for the reminder! Worked perfectly. – Semang

Answer 2

Even faster way

Use show formulas under the view menu

keyboard shortcut ctrl+`

Agranulocytosis

thanks @Agranulocytosis this is the fastest way. – Pull