topic Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro in ArcGIS Pro Questions

Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

MatthewWalls — Sun, 31 May 2020 11:52:09 GMT

I feel this is a ridiculous question, but I can't figure copying and "paste special". All I want to do is copy and paste between feature classes. Sometimes it works - I copy select everything, then "paste special" lights up and I can click on it an bring up the dialog box. But most of the time, it just stays greyed out. I can copy, I can paste, but I can't "paste special". I can't figure out what the difference is. Sometimes if I close down the program and reopen it, it suddenly works. I've looked through forums can get the sense people are struggling with the same thing, but I never see a clear answer... just links to the copy/paste/pastespeical page that doesn't answer my question.

Thanks!

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

Katie_Clark — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 13:27:08 GMT

I've had issues with this in the past as well, but I just went in to Pro and tested out my workflow and it worked for me. I selected my features using the rectangle select tool and then clicked copy. Then the paste special option appeared for me in the drop down.

I think I remember having issues with it not showing up previously when I tried selecting my features within the attribute table. When you say it works intermittently for you, are you following the exact same workflow every single time?

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

Anonymous User — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 17:32:20 GMT

Paste is context sensitive.
If you have features on the clipboard and you want to paste them into a map, focus the map you wish to paste them into.

The screenshot below shows a map called "Layers" has focus (the solid blue view tab) and paste is enabled.

The screenshot below shows the Contents pane has focus (the thin blue bar at the top of the pane) and paste is disabled because there are features in the clipboard and you cant paste them to the contents tab. Its expecting to copy/paste layers only.

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

SunniBoulton — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 22:31:17 GMT

Thankyou - I have been battling with this too.

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

DavidNicholls1 — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 03:05:59 GMT

Thank you for these points. Well that makes sense - BUT I can select and copy rows (my required features) to the clipboard but despite making sure that I have selected the map frame - I only have one map window and the thin blue line is across the top of the map window. Yet, the Paste icon remains stubbornly greyed out.

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

DavidNicholls1 — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 04:10:07 GMT

A crucial difference is that when I copy from selected rows in the attribute table (despite been told that the selected rows are copied to the clipboard) it fails to activate the Paste icon, (Katherine Clark 2020-01-06, above, warns on this distinction). Selecting the features in the map window and copying (with the clipboard tools (top left) does activate the Paste (Paste Special).

Is the logic that coping from the attribute table copies the attributes but not the spatial geometry - and sensibly you cannot paste attribute(s) alone into a map?

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

AnnabelleStewart1 — Wed, 12 May 2021 20:35:16 GMT

This caught me up as well. Turned out I didn't have a valid template to paste into, even though my layer was valid. You may need to create a new template. This issues I'm having is as soon as I 'paste special' a feature, my next tool takes about 30 seconds to initialize. I have to open/close the program to get back up to speed.

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

SunniBoulton — Sun, 16 May 2021 23:54:00 GMT

Very good point!! I always forget about the templates (which is another grrr topic unto itself).

One can perform so many tasks without bothering to create feature templates (I'd say 95% of my work) but I get reminded of my lack of templates when Sharing to publish a web layer.

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

Anonymous User — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 16:56:13 GMT

I have had this problem as well. Not sure why. But I usually have to click on the Select tool (arrow) and then click on my feature again in the map, even though it shows it's selected. And then it will let me Paste Special.

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

AshleyPattersonTheMapNERD — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 18:59:11 GMT

WOW this one hung me up for way too long. Here is what helped me......

Excuse the ugly snip but I was in a hurry to make up ground.

I made sure that I was under the MAP TAB on the TOP rather than edit etc and Then Pro decided to enable "paste special for me"..... wasn't that nice of her? Sheesh, this was driving me over the edge- hope this helps someone else.....

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

Anonymous User — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 23:06:07 GMT

Thank you! I had to set unique symbol symbology for both layers. I left both layers as ''all other values", as their types were different. I also had to select the features with the select tool in the map window. VERY FRUSTRATING - but happy to get it to finally work.

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

jarlgeorge — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 07:50:32 GMT

Were you able to find the answer to this?

What I notice is that if I select a number of features, I have to wait for quite a while for the Paste Special to light up.

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

LarsArneson — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 23:53:00 GMT

I've found that even if I follow all of the steps above I run into an issue. I believe it relates to the amount of objects I'm trying to paste is over 200. I could be wrong about this but I've tested a ton of differences and I only get a "not appropriate template available" when I have more objects.

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

Anonymous User — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 15:58:55 GMT

I figured this part out - if I have the contents pane active Pro thinks I'm trying to copy/paste a layer in my map, instead of copying and pasting the data I have selected in my map. That's why if I reselect the data in the map with the select tool arrow then it will let me paste special. I have copy/pasted layers in my map before by accident that's why it occurred to me.

I think an editing toolbar that would let the software know we were only dealing with the data in the map would be helpful.

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

MapsInRaleigh — Tue, 02 May 2023 02:19:53 GMT

Thank you for this - I felt the same as OP. I thought it was a bug, but I only have the issue when I need to turn on a layer after selecting features in the map. This was causing the catalog to be in focus without my noticing. Now I am adding to the workflow "click back on the map" after turning on a layer to properly paste special.

Thanks!

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

KeithAddison1 — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 15:50:33 GMT

I've been having this problem since using Pro. Sometimes the various solutions here and elsewhere on the web work, other times it seems random. Eventually I can fix it by flailing randomly: switching tabs back and forth, clicking around windows, restarting the program, and/or just waiting until the Arc gods smile upon me. Also wondering why of late the Append tool says my SDE target polygon layer is read only when I know its not and no one else is in it, but copy/paste operations will let me add item to it another weird ghost I've been dealing with. Appears to be a new problem since updating to Pro 3.1.

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

VaLoyBriscoe — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 17:12:55 GMT

Make sure your "Map" tab is selected (blue).

See ESRI video: https://mediaspace.esri.com/media/t/1_dhj6ylwo

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

AmyNewsam — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 21:53:34 GMT

This STILL drives me crazy! Using the "select all" option to copy, sometimes paste special works and then all of a sudden it doesn't anymore. I can still individually select features and copy/paste special... so weird.

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

LarsArneson — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 19:19:48 GMT

Almost 5 years since the post! Maybe this year Paste will work as expected.

Re: Paste special in ArcGIS Pro

NancyBellegarde1 — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:34:07 GMT

If I shut down ArcGIS Pro and open it again, it seems to work fine. 😐