How to Add Copyright Symbol in Excel: 9 Best Ways

Are you looking to protect your work and add a professional touch to your Excel spreadsheets? In this Excel tutorial article, you’ll learn how to type the copyright symbol (©) in Excel.

Whether you want to indicate ownership of your data, protect your formulas, or simply adhere to copyright conventions, you need to add the copyright sign. Since the symbol isn’t available on your Windows or Mac keyboard, you can’t add it by pressing any key.

Also, if you haven’t used this symbol ever in Excel, you may just don’t know how to type the copyright symbol. Sometimes, you may know how to do it but you’re looking to automate the process.

So, read this article until the end to discover the best methods to add a copyright symbol without losing precious working hours searching Google for a solution.

Why You Might Need the Copyright Symbol in Excel

• Adding the copyright symbol indicates ownership of the content, data, or formulas within the Excel spreadsheet.
• The symbol serves as a visual reminder that unauthorized use or reproduction may have legal consequences.
• It showcases professionalism and attention to detail, emphasizing the expectation of respecting intellectual property rights.
• Adding the symbol ensures adherence to copyright conventions, especially when sharing or distributing Excel files externally.
• It aids in maintaining proper documentation and version control by identifying the creator or owner of the spreadsheet.
• The copyright symbol communicates data ownership, preventing unauthorized modifications or distribution.

How to Type Copyright Symbol Using A Shortcut Key

This is the simplest method to add the copyright symbol in an Excel worksheet cell, Find below the shortcut key and how to use it:

1. Double-click the cell where you want to insert the copyright symbol.
2. When the cursor appears, press the following shortcut key:

Alt + 0169

3. The copyright symbol will appear instantly.

Note: To use the shortcut key, simply press and hold the Alt key on your keyboard and type 0 1 6 9 on the Numpad.

If you’re using the Excel desktop app on a Mac, then use the following shortcut key instead:

Option + G

Add Copyright Symbol in Excel Using Symbols Tool

The Excel desktop app comes with a Symbol tool. It contains various special characters that you might need when working on Excel. Find below the quick steps to add the copyright symbol using this tool:

1. Highlight the cell where you want a copyright symbol.
2. Go to the Insert tab on the Excel ribbon and click the Symbol command inside the Symbols block.

3. On the Symbols dialog box, you should find the copyright symbol in the 3rd place from the top.
4. Double-click the symbol to insert it or select the symbol and hit the Insert button.

Insert a Copyright Symbol Using the Proofing Tool

If you need to enter the copyright symbol into your Excel worksheet frequently, you can also make use of the Proofing Tool in Excel. Using this method, you can designate one character or a set of characters to produce the copyright symbol.

Now, you just need to select a cell, activate the typing cursor, and press the selected character or set of characters to make the copyright sign.

Find below the steps to activate the method on your Excel desktop software:

1. Click the File tab on the Excel ribbon.
2. The left-side navigation pane of Excel will show up.
3. There, select the Options button at the bottom of the panel.

4. On the Excel Options dialog box, click the Proofing category.
5. Click AutoCorrect Options on the right side of the Proofing menu.
6. Inside the AutoCorrect dialog box, type the character(s) into the Replace field that should produce the copyright sign.
7. Now, type the copyright symbol inside the With field.
8. Click OK on the AutoCorrect dialog box and the Excel Options dialog box to close the windows.

9. Double-click a cell where you want the copyright symbol.
10. Type the designated characters you set previously and hit Enter.
11. Excel will insert the copyright symbol automatically by replacing the typed characters.

Note: Some versions of the Excel desktop app, like Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2021, Excel 2019, etc., already has this in the Proofreading Tool. If you type (c), Excel will convert it to a copyright symbol.

Add Copyright Symbol in Footer in Excel

Suppose you need to print a report from Excel using its print function. If the content you’re printing comes with intellectual property rights protection policy, then you need to add the copyright symbol with your company name and the year of the report.

To do this, you can use the Footer function in Excel along with the copyright symbol. Find below the steps to do this:

1. Select the Page Layout tab on the Excel worksheet to which you need to add the footer.
2. Click the Page Layout overflow arrow to open an extended version of the Page Setup.

3. On the Page Setup dialog box click the Header/Footer tab.
4. Select the Custom Footer button.
5. You can enter the footer inside the Left section, Center section, or Right section.
6. Choose your option and type the footer in it.
7. Let’s choose the Right section in this tutorial.
8. Type your copyright warning information as mentioned below:

©ACME technologies, 2025

9. Click OK to close the Custom Footer editor.

10. You should now find a preview of the footer on the Page Setup dialog box.
11. Click OK to finalize the footer.

Insert a Copyright Symbol Using the CHAR Function

Do love to use various formulas in Excel for data analytics purposes? Then, you’ll also love to use this cool formula to generate a copyright symbol. Find below the formula and steps to get a copyright sign:

1. Double-click the cell where you want the copyright symbol.
2. Copy and paste the following formula into the cell and hit Enter:

=CHAR(0169)

3. Excel populates the copyright sign in the designated cell.

How to Make Copyright Symbol Using Windows Character Map App

On Windows 10 and 11 PCs, you can also use the Character Map app to include a copyright symbol inside a cell in Excel. Here are the steps you must follow:

1. Click the Start menu of Windows 10 or 11 PC.
2. Type Character and you should see the Character Map app on the Start menu.

3. Click the app to open the Character Map dialog box.
4. There, click the copyright symbol and choose the Select button.
5. Now, click the Copy button to copy it to the clipboard.

6. Go to the target cell on your Excel worksheet and press Ctrl + V to paste the symbol.

Create a Copyright Symbol on Excel Using Format Cells

You can format specific cells in Excel to always show the copyright symbol whenever you type any number or text. Here’s how:

1. Select the cell where you want to populate the copyright sign.
2. Press Ctrl + 1 to bring up the Format Cells dialog box.

3. Under the Category column, select the Custom category.
4. Into the Type field, type the following code:

"©"

5. Click OK on the Format Cells dialog box to save and close the cell formatting window.

6. Now, type anything into the cell and hit Enter.
7. You should get the copyright symbol in the cell.

Add Copyright Symbol in Excel Using Excel VBA

Do you need to automate the method of adding a copyright symbol in a cell in Excel? You can use the Excel VBA on any Excel desktop app. Find below the script and the steps to use it:

1. Press Alt + F11 to bring up the Excel VBA Editor tool.
2. There, click the Insert button and choose Module.
3. This should generate a blank module on the VBA Editor.
4. Copy and paste the following script into the blank module:

Sub InsertCopyrightSymbol()
    Range("B2").Value = ChrW(169)
End Sub

5. Click the Save button on the Excel VBA interface.
6. Close the Excel VBA tool.

7. Now, hit Alt + F8 to open the Macro dialog box.
8. There, select the InsertCopyrightSymbol macro.
9. Click the Run button to add the copyright symbol to the selected cell.

In this VBA script, you must change the target cell where you’d like to add the copyright symbol.

To do that, add the designated cell address in the Range("B2") code element. If you need the symbol in D2, then the code element should Range("D2").

How to Type Copyright Symbols Using Office Scripts

Though Excel VBA is a reliable way to code and automate data analytics in Excel, it doesn’t work on the Excel for the web app.

Hence, Microsoft came up with the Excel Automate or Office Scripts tool in the Excel web app and the desktop app.

However, you can only get this tool if you possess Microsoft 365 Business Standard or a better subscription. If you see the Automate tab, you’re good to go. Try these steps:

1. Go to the Automate tab on the Excel ribbon.
2. Click the New Script button inside the Scripting Tools command block.
3. On the Code Editor tool that shows up on the right side, copy and paste the following code:

function main(workbook: ExcelScript.Workbook) {
	let selectedSheet = workbook.getActiveWorksheet();
	// Set range A1 on selectedSheet
	selectedSheet.getRange("B2").setFormulaLocal("=CHAR(169)");
}

4. Click the Save script button to save the Office Scripts code.
5. Select the Run button to execute the code.
6. You should see the copyright symbol inside the B2 cell.

If you need the copyright symbol in any different cell, like D2, then edit the selectedSheet.getRange("B2") code element to selectedSheet.getRange("D2").

Conclusion

By following the methods outlined in this Excel tutorial, you now have the knowledge to confidently insert the copyright symbol in Excel.

Whether you’re safeguarding your data, adhering to copyright conventions, or simply adding a touch of legal recognition, incorporating the copyright symbol demonstrates your ownership and sets clear boundaries for the use of your work.