Copying and Pasting from Word

Copying text directly from Microsoft Word into a website editor can cause layout problems. Word adds a lot of hidden formatting that may not play well with your site’s design.

What to Watch For

When you paste from Word, you might see issues like:

• Font sizes and colors changing
• Weird spacing between lines or paragraphs
• Bullets or numbered lists not aligning properly

How to Paste Clean Text

Here are a few ways to avoid formatting problems:

• Use a plain text editor: First paste your content into Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac, in plain text mode), then copy and paste that into your website editor.
• Use the “Paste as Text” option: Some editors (like WordPress) have a button that removes formatting when pasting.
• Paste, then use formatting tools: If you forget to paste clean, just highlight the text and reapply formatting using your editor’s toolbar.

Pro Tip

If your website uses a WYSIWYG editor, check if there’s a “Clear formatting” button—this can help remove leftover Word styling quickly.