How to Copy PlainText on Windows, Mac, and Mobile

Copy PlainText: Quick Ways to Strip Formatting from Any Text

What it means

Copy PlainText means copying text so it contains only characters and line breaks, with no fonts, styles, colors, links, or embedded objects — just raw text.

Why you’d do it

• Consistency: Paste into documents or code without unexpected styling.
• Compatibility: Ensure text works across apps that don’t support rich formatting.
• Privacy/safety: Remove hidden metadata or tracking in formatted content.
• Simplicity: Clean text for processing, search, or automation.

Fast ways to strip formatting

1. Paste special / Paste as plain text
   • Windows: use Ctrl+Shift+V in many apps (or Edit → Paste Special → Unformatted Text).
   • Mac: use Command+Shift+Option+V or “Paste and Match Style” in many apps.
2. Use a plain-text editor
   • Paste into Notepad (Windows), TextEdit in plain-text mode (Mac), or any code editor, then copy again.
3. Clipboard utilities & extensions
   • Install clipboard managers or browser extensions that include “Copy as plain text” or automatic stripping.
4. Keyboard shortcuts and system settings
   • Enable or remap global shortcuts that force plain-text paste.
5. Online tools and scripts
   • Use lightweight web tools that accept pasted content and return plain text, or run a small script (e.g., a one-liner in Python/Node) to remove HTML and formatting.

Quick tips

• When copying from web pages, use the browser’s “Copy link text” or select text carefully to avoid hidden elements.
• For repeated workflows, automate with a clipboard manager or a simple macro.
• When preserving line breaks matters, choose tools that keep newline characters while stripping styles.

Example: one-line Python to strip HTML tags

python
Copy CodeCopied
import re plain = re.sub(r’<[^>]+>’, “, html_input)

Use whichever method fits your platform and frequency: one-off users often prefer Paste Special or Notepad; frequent users benefit from clipboard tools or a global shortcut.