How to remove vlookup formula and keep data?

Hey! I remember when I first learned this trick - it felt like magic! Here's my simple way of thinking about it:The "baking the cake" analogy:- VLOOKUP formula = Recipe for a cake (instructions to get the result)- Paste Special Values = The actual baked cake (final result without instructions)My step-by-step for beginners:1. Click the first cell with VLOOKUP2. Drag to select all the formula cells3. Ctrl+C (you'll see the "marching ants" around your selection)4. Keep the cells selected (don't click elsewhere!)5. Right-click exactly on the selected cells6. Look for the clipboard icon with "123" on it - that's "Values"7. Click that icon - formulas gone, values remain!What actually happens:Excel replaces =VLOOKUP(A1,Sheet2!A:B,2,FALSE) with whatever value was showing, like "John Smith" or "125.00".Common mistakes I made:- Clicking elsewhere after copying (loses the selection)- Using regular Paste (Ctrl+V) which keeps the formulas- Not checking if I needed the formulas laterWhy this is useful:- Share files without exposing your formulas- Improve performance - static values calculate faster- Prevent errors if source data might change incorrectly- Create snapshots of data at specific timesOnce you do this a few times, it becomes second nature. It's probably one of the most useful Excel skills beyond the basic formulas themselves!

As an Excel power user who works with VLOOKUP daily, here are several methods to remove the formula but keep the values:Method 1: Copy and Paste Special (Most Common)1. Select the cells with VLOOKUP formulas2. Ctrl+C to copy3. Right-click → Paste Special → Values (or Alt+E+S+V then Enter)4. The formulas are replaced with static valuesMethod 2: Drag and Replace1. Copy the VLOOKUP cells2. Right-click on the destination3. Choose "Values" from paste options (the clipboard with "123" icon)Method 3: Using Ribbon1. Select your VLOOKUP range2. Go to Home tab → Copy (or Ctrl+C)3. Home tab → Paste dropdown → Paste ValuesMethod 4: Keyboard Shortcut1. Copy with Ctrl+C2. Alt+E+S+V then Enter (older Excel versions)3. Or Ctrl+Alt+V then V then Enter (newer versions)Method 5: Convert Entire Column1. Select the entire column with VLOOKUPs2. Copy then Paste Special → Values3. This preserves all data in that columnImportant considerations:- Backup your file first - once formulas are gone, you can't undo after saving- Dependencies will break - other formulas referencing these cells will now reference static values- Data becomes static - it won't update if source data changesPro tip: I often keep the original formula columns hidden as backup, then use the paste-special-values for reporting or sharing files with others who don't need the live formulas.