How do I paste column widths in Google Sheets?

Copy the source range, then use Edit > Paste special > Column widths only — the destination columns take on the source widths. With XLKeys installed you can skip the menu and press the Excel sequence Alt E S W instead.

Why does Alt E S W not work in Google Sheets?

Alt E S W is a legacy Excel menu accelerator (Edit > Paste Special > Column widths). Google Sheets has no Alt-key menu system, so the sequence does nothing until you add it with the XLKeys Chrome extension.

Does pasting column widths overwrite my data?

No. Only the column widths change — values, formulas, and formatting in the destination cells are preserved.

Is the Alt E S W shortcut free in XLKeys?

Paste column widths is part of the XLKeys Paste Special suite (Alt E S), an XLKeys Pro feature. Pro comes with a 30-day free trial — no credit card required.

All shortcuts

Paste Column Widths in Google Sheets

Pro

Windows

Alt→E→S→W

Mac

Option→E→S→W

Rebuilding a carefully sized table somewhere else usually means eyeballing every column width again. Google Sheets does have a fix: copy the source range, then go to Edit > Paste special > Column widths only, and the destination columns take on the source widths. It works — but it’s a mouse trip through the menu every time.

In Excel that same job is Alt E S W. XLKeys makes the sequence work in Google Sheets: copy the range, press Alt, then E, S, W, and the destination columns snap to the source widths — no menu digging.

Excel vs. Google Sheets vs. XLKeys

Where	Shortcut
Excel	`Alt`→`E`→`S`→`W`
Google Sheets (native)	No keyboard shortcut
Google Sheets + XLKeys	`Alt`→`E`→`S`→`W`

Google Sheets can paste column widths only via Edit > Paste special > Column widths only with the mouse — there is no native keyboard shortcut.

How to use it

Copy the range whose column widths you want (Ctrl + C).
Select a cell in the destination columns.
Press Alt, release it, then type E, S, W.
The destination columns resize to match the source — contents stay untouched.

Frequently asked questions

Related shortcuts

Paste Special

Alt→E→S

Paste Values

Alt→E→S→V

Paste Formatting

Alt→E→S→T

Autofit Column Width

Alt→H→O→I

Make Google Sheets feel like Excel

Install XLKeys to use paste column widths and 150+ other Excel-style shortcuts, Alt-key sequences, formula auditing, Goal Seek, Sensitivity Tables, and Workbook Health audits in Google Sheets.

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