Have you ever copied text from a website and pasted it into a document, only to bring along mismatched font sizes and dark background highlights? Manually resetting fonts and stripping colors disrupts your workflow. Here is how to paste just the clean text so it instantly matches your document.
Quick Summary
- Web browsers, Google Docs, modern MS Word:
Ctrl + Shift + Von Windows,Cmd + Shift + Von Mac- Native Mac apps (Pages, Notes, etc.):
Option + Shift + Command + V(Paste and Match Style)- Hancom Office Hangul (HWP): Press
Ctrl + Alt + V, then select Unformatted Text in Paste Special- Windows Clipboard history: Press
Win + V, click the three dots (…), and select ‘Paste as text’
Why Does Formatting Follow When You Copy and Paste?
When you press Ctrl + C on a webpage or in a PDF, your computer copies more than just text. Font sizes, text colors, highlight backgrounds, and hyperlinks are all bundled into your clipboard as formatting metadata.
It is like trying to shove a box wrapped in thick paper and large ribbons into a tight drawer. To fit everything neatly, you need to strip away the wrapping and keep only the item inside.
Pasting without formatting strips away that original styling metadata. The inserted text immediately adopts the font, size, and line spacing of your active document.
Shortcuts by App: How to Paste as Plain Text
The most common standard shortcut is simply adding the Shift key to your usual paste command. This works across web browsers like Chrome and Edge, as well as Google Docs, Gmail, and Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft Word added official support for Ctrl + Shift + V (Cmd + Shift + V on Mac) as "Keep Text Only" in March 2023. However, older perpetual-license versions like Office 2016, 2019, or 2021 may not support this shortcut by default.
| Program / Environment | Shortcut to Paste Without Formatting |
|---|---|
| Chrome, Edge, Google Docs, Gmail, Teams | Windows: Ctrl + Shift + V / Mac: Cmd + Shift + V |
| MS Word (Modern versions) | Windows: Ctrl + Shift + V / Mac: Cmd + Shift + V |
| macOS Native Apps (Pages, Notes, etc.) | Option + Shift + Command + V |
| Hancom Office Hangul (HWP) | Ctrl + Alt + V (Paste Special) |
On Mac, the shortcut depends on the application. Web browsers and Google Docs use Cmd + Shift + V, but native macOS apps like Pages and Notes require Option + Shift + Command + V for "Paste and Match Style."
Related Reading
How to View Windows Clipboard History with Win + V
How to Paste Text Copied on a Smartphone Directly to PC
Can You Set Plain Text as the Default Paste Setting?
If you write or edit documents all day, pressing three keys every time can be tedious. Microsoft Word lets you change the default behavior so standard Ctrl + V always pastes plain text.
Go to File > Options in Word. Select Advanced on the left pane and scroll down to the Cut, copy, and paste section.
Look for "Pasting from other programs" and set it to Keep Text Only or Merge Formatting. Once saved, pasting text from web pages or external apps will never drag unwanted fonts or colored backgrounds into your document.
Using Built-in Windows Tools to Paste as Plain Text
If you forget the shortcuts, the built-in Clipboard History feature in Windows 10 and 11 is a great alternative. Press Win + V to open a small popup displaying your recently copied items.
Clipboard History saves up to 25 items (up to 4 MB per item). Click the three-dots (…) menu next to an entry and select Paste as text to insert it without formatting.
For system-wide control, you can also use "Advanced Paste" from Microsoft PowerToys. It lets you open a dedicated paste menu with Win + Shift + V or instantly paste plain text using Win + Ctrl + Alt + V.
Next time you copy text from the web, add Shift to your usual shortcut and press Ctrl + Shift + V instead.
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