Document Editing Problems

How to Copy and Paste Nonadjacent Word Table Rows Correctly

John Wilson Sep 30, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to select noncontiguous rows within a table and paste them into another table while preserving the original table-row structure.

How to Copy and Paste Nonadjacent Word Table Rows

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Reorganizing table data by extracting specific, separate rows from a source table and moving them to a destination table.
Observed behavior: When selecting nonadjacent rows, copying, and pasting them, Word only pastes the text contents of the cells and fails to retain the actual table formatting and row structure.

Before you start

Ensure you have your destination document or table open. Note that Word has a known clipboard limitation where noncontiguous table selections are treated as plain text rather than structural table elements.

Solution 1Recommended

Copy and Paste Each Row Individually

The most reliable method to ensure the table row structure is maintained upon pasting is to handle each row one at a time.

Because Word's clipboard cannot reliably maintain table layout data for noncontiguous selections, attempting to paste them all at once often results in broken cells or plain text. Moving them individually guarantees the table structure is captured.

Select the first required row

Hover your cursor in the left margin next to the first row you want to copy until the cursor turns into a right-pointing arrow, then click to highlight the entire row.

Copy the row

Press Ctrl + C on your keyboard, or right-click the selected row and choose 'Copy'.

Paste into the destination table

Navigate to your destination table, place your cursor where you want the new row to appear, and press Ctrl + V. If prompted by Paste Options, select 'Insert as New Rows' to maintain formatting.

Repeat for remaining rows

Go back to your source table, select the next nonadjacent row (e.g., the third row), and repeat the copying and pasting process.

Merging Rows: If the pasted rows create split tables, you can easily combine them by deleting the paragraph break between the tables.

Solution 2

Use a Spreadsheet as an Intermediary

If you have a large table and copying rows individually is too time-consuming, transferring the table to a spreadsheet application makes filtering and handling nonadjacent rows much easier.

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1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free office suite.
2. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing Word (.docx) file containing the tables.
3. Edit your tables: Use the intuitive Table Tools ribbon to easily insert, extract, or reorganize your table rows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does pasting nonadjacent rows remove the table borders and formatting?

When you select multiple noncontiguous rows in Word, the clipboard prioritizes extracting the text data over the complex structural data of the table. As a result, it pastes only the cell contents, stripping away borders and table alignment.

How do I select multiple separate rows in my Word table?

You can select nonadjacent rows by highlighting the first row, then holding down the 'Ctrl' key (on Windows) or 'Command' key (on Mac) while clicking the margins next to the other rows you wish to select.

Is there a shortcut to merge pasted rows into an existing table?

When pasting a row into or right below an existing table, a small 'Paste Options' icon usually appears. Clicking it and selecting 'Merge Table' or 'Insert as New Rows' ensures the pasted row merges seamlessly with the current table's formatting.

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