PlayInfoBox

Home /Utilities /How to Paste Text Without Formatting in Word

How to Paste Text Without Formatting in Word

Tap through each step to paste text into Word without carrying over its original formatting.

  1. Copy text from a webpage or another document

    Select the text you want to bring in and copy it with Ctrl+C.

  2. Place your cursor where you want to paste in Word

    Click the spot in your document where the text should go.

  3. Press Ctrl+Shift+V to paste without formatting

    Instead of a regular paste (Ctrl+V), this shortcut inserts plain text only, stripped of the source formatting.

  4. Or use the paste-options icon

    Right after pasting, click the small icon that appears and choose "Keep Text Only" for the same result.

  5. Why this is useful

    Copying text straight from a website can drag along odd fonts or colors that clutter your document. Pasting without formatting lets the text blend naturally into your document's existing style.

Where mismatched formatting usually comes from

Webpages and PDFs carry embedded styling β€” font, size, color, hyperlinks β€” that gets copied along with the text whether you want it or not. This becomes especially noticeable once you're compiling a document from several different sources, and the mismatched styles start competing with each other on the page.

A faster habit: set it as your default paste behavior

Word lets you change the default paste behavior under Word Options > Advanced > Cut, copy, and paste, so a regular Ctrl+V always keeps text only from then on, removing the need to remember the shortcut every single time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this shortcut also remove hyperlinks?

Yes β€” pasting as plain text also strips any hyperlink formatting, leaving just the plain wording behind (the visible URL text itself, if there was any, still comes through, just no longer clickable).

Can I still undo it if I paste with formatting by mistake?

Yes, pressing Ctrl+Z immediately after pasting removes it, and you can then paste again using the plain-text shortcut instead.