Copy CONCAT Formula Results as Plain Text in WPS Office Spreadsheets
Question details
The user needs to copy the visible result of a CONCAT formula in WPS Office Spreadsheets as plain text, without extra quotation marks or delimiters being added by the formula-cell clipboard behavior.
- Product
- WPS Office Spreadsheets
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- The user has a formula-generated HTML string from CONCAT and wants to reuse the displayed output in another application without Excel or WPS adding quotes around the text.
- Observed behavior
- Copying the formula cell directly adds quotation marks because the spreadsheet treats the formula result as delimited text or includes clipboard metadata.
Open the workbook in WPS Office Spreadsheets and identify the exact cell containing the CONCAT formula result. If the result contains quotes, commas, line breaks, or other delimiters, copying the formula cell directly is more likely to add unwanted quotation marks.
Paste the CONCAT Result as Values Before Copying
Best for most users because it creates a static cell containing only the displayed text and removes the formula metadata that can trigger quotation marks.
Copying a formula cell places both the formula and the returned text onto the clipboard. Pasting values into a blank cell stores only the displayed result, so the next copy behaves like copying a normal text cell.
Open the workbook in WPS Office Spreadsheets and click the cell that contains the CONCAT formula.
Press Ctrl+C or right-click the selected cell and choose Copy.
Right-click an empty destination cell, choose Paste Special, and select Values. The cell now contains the visible formula result without the underlying formula.
Select the newly pasted value cell and press Ctrl+C. Paste into your target application to confirm that only the plain text is transferred.
Copy the Displayed Result from the Formula Bar
Use this after converting a formula result to a value, or when the cell already contains only the returned text and you want a quick keyboard-only copy.
Create a VBA Macro to Place the Displayed Result on the Clipboard
Use this when you regularly need to export CONCAT results and want a repeatable clipboard action without changing the worksheet content.
Copy CONCAT Formula Results as Plain Text in WPS Office Spreadsheets
WPS Office Spreadsheets supports the same CONCAT formulas and .xlsx files as Excel. Use Paste Special as Values or a short VBA macro to copy the displayed result to the clipboard without extra quotation marks.
- 1. Open your Excel workbook in WPS Office Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Office, click Open, and select the .xlsx file that contains the CONCAT formula.
- 2. Copy the formula cell: Click the cell with the CONCAT result, then press Ctrl+C or right-click and choose Copy.
- 3. Paste as values: Right-click the destination cell, choose Paste Special, and select Values to create a static text cell.
- 4. Copy the clean value: Select the pasted value cell and press Ctrl+C. The plain displayed result is now ready to paste into any editor.
- 5. Verify in Notepad: Paste into Notepad or a plain-text editor to confirm no quotation marks or delimiters were added.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does copying a CONCAT formula cell add quotation marks to my HTML string?
Excel and WPS Spreadsheets may treat formula results containing quotes, commas, or line breaks as delimited text when placing them on the clipboard. Pasting the result as values or using a clipboard macro removes the formula-cell clipboard behavior and copies only the displayed text.
How do I paste a CONCAT result as a value in WPS Office Spreadsheets?
Copy the formula cell, right-click the destination cell, choose Paste Special, and select Values. This replaces the formula with the resulting text so the next copy uses plain text.
Does using Paste Special as Values destroy the original CONCAT formula?
It does not destroy the original cell unless you paste over it. Paste values into a blank helper cell to keep the source formula intact and produce a plain-text copy.
Can I copy the displayed CONCAT result without changing the worksheet?
Yes. Use the VBA macro method that reads Range("A20").Text and writes it to the clipboard, or paste values into a temporary cell and then copy that cell.
Does WPS Office support the Microsoft Forms 2.0 library for clipboard macros?
WPS Office supports VBA macros in many versions, but clipboard object references can vary. If the Microsoft Forms 2.0 DataObject is unavailable, insert a user form or use the equivalent clipboard method available in your WPS macro editor.
