Pasting as plain text removes the styling that comes along when you copy from the web, a document, or a chatbot. Here are the shortcuts and the limits.
The universal shortcuts
- Windows / Linux:
Ctrl + Shift + V - Mac:
Cmd + Shift + V
These work in most modern apps and browsers. A few apps differ:
- Microsoft Word:
Ctrl + Shift + Vin recent versions, or Paste Special > Unformatted Text. - Google Docs:
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + V. - Some Mac apps:
Cmd + Option + Shift + V("Paste and Match Style").
Set plain text as the default
If you paste constantly, make it automatic:
- Word: File > Options > Advanced > set pasting to Keep Text Only.
- Browsers and many editors: look for a "paste without formatting" or "match style" setting.
- System-wide (Mac): tools like a clipboard manager can strip formatting on every copy.
What plain-text paste actually removes
It removes rich formatting: fonts, colors, sizes, bold, links, and styled spacing. The result adopts the destination's formatting.
What it does not remove
This is the catch people miss. Plain-text paste does not strip characters that live inside the text:
- zero-width spaces and other invisible characters
- non-breaking spaces masquerading as normal ones
- em dashes, smart quotes, and the ellipsis glyph
Those survive a plain-text paste because they are part of the text content, not the styling.
When you need more than plain text
If your destination is code, a CMS, a database, or an email tool, plain-text paste alone can still leave hidden characters that cause errors or odd rendering. In those cases, paste the text into a cleaner first. textscrubr strips the invisible characters and normalizes punctuation in your browser, then you copy the clean text out, with your lists and code structure preserved.
Rule of thumb
Use plain-text paste for everyday formatting clashes. Add a cleaner pass whenever the text is going somewhere that cares about the exact characters, not just the look.