How to Copy and Paste Text in WordPress

Recently a reader asked us how to copy and paste text in WordPress without causing formatting issues?

Often when you copy and paste content from a desktop application or web page, you end up pasting the unwanted formatting as well. It does not match the fonts and colors of your WordPress theme which now just seems strange.

In this article, we will share together how to easily copy and paste in WordPress without any unwanted formatting and styles.

But before, if you have never installed WordPress discover How to Install a WordPress Blog in 7 Steps et How to search, install and activate a WordPress theme on your blog 

Then back to why we are here.

Understanding the copy paste method in WordPress

The Copy Paste method means copying text from one place to another without having to type everything again.

To copy text from a document or web page, you need to highlight it with your mouse. Then just right click and select 'To copy' in the menu. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + C (Command + C on a Mac) to copy the highlighted text.

To paste text in WordPress you can right click and select "Paste" in the menu. Or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + V (Command + V on a Mac) to paste the copied text:

When you copy text, the formatting of the text is copied with it. The problem is, sometimes you'll end up with the formatting that you don't want.

Read also: How copyright works on your WordPress website

This unwanted formatting can affect the display of your text on other devices.

Some WordPress users choose to avoid copying and pasting everything. Instead, they write their articles right in their WordPress website.

However, you may prefer to write using a separate tool, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs. This allows you to work offline and can make it easier to share your work for comments and revisions before posting.

Discover more Why and how to organize virtual events in WordPress

It's also important to avoid adding unnecessary formatting, as it impacts your page size, which means slower website speed.

That's why we've created this ultimate guide on how to properly copy and paste text in WordPress.

How to Copy and Paste from Word to WordPress (Block Editor)

Copying text from Microsoft Word to WordPress is pretty straightforward.

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For years, WordPress has allowed you to copy rich (formatted) text from Word documents directly into the editor. This is a great advantage if you enjoy writing and formatting your articles in Microsoft Word.

Copying your post from Word to WordPress allows you to keep things like headers, bold and italic text, links and lists. It will get rid of all styling options like colors, spacing, etc.

Here is a document that we will copy from Word to WordPress:

This document is formatted in two sections and has bold, italicized text, a bulleted list, and a link.

We're just going to copy all of the content from the Word document and paste it inside the WordPress block editor.

Note that some formatting was not copied. The image was left out, but WordPress created a picture block in the right place.

Also read How to embed PDF files in WordPress

Tip: Always use "Heading styles" in Word to create your captions. Do not highlight the text and manually increase the font size.

How to Copy and Paste from Google Docs to WordPress (Block Editor)

Google Docs is a very popular word processing tool. Just like with Word, it's easy to copy and paste from Google Docs into WordPress block editor.

Here is our text in Google Docs. It is identical to the one we used in Word, above.

When we copy and pass the text from Google Docs to WordPress, again WordPress formatted the text correctly.

This time the image has also been uploaded to WordPress.

Copy and paste in the classic editor

Are you still having formatting issues and errors after copying and pasting text in WordPress? So you are probably using the classic editor.

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The classic editor handles Word documents well and shouldn't add unnecessary code. However, it doesn't do such a good job with text copied from Google Docs.

Here's what our text from Google Docs looks like when pasted into the classic editor:

Headers, link, bold text, and italicized text all have the air correct.

However, unnecessary additional formatting has been added and is not visible.

How to check and fix copy and paste formatting errors

Let's take a look at how to review and fix formatting errors now.

All the text in your WordPress posts is formatted using HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). HTML tags surround words that are formatted in a particular way.

For example, bold text in WordPress posts looks like this in HTML code:

Ceci est un <strong>en gras</strong> dans cette phrase.

The words "in bold" will appear in bold.

To find and fix formatting errors after copy and paste, you need to check your article's HTML code.

Checking the HTML code in the block editor

In the block editor, it is easy to view the HTML code of any block. First, click on the block. Then click on the three vertical dots to the right of the block menu.

You will see a drop-down menu. Here you just need to click on the option 'Edit as HTML':

You will now see the HTML code for the block. With the Block Editor, you should normally see that no unwanted formatting has been added.

Here, the paragraph correctly begins with the opening tag and ends with the closing tag. <p></p>

The phrase in bold is also correct. It starts with an opening tag and ends with a closing tag.<strong></strong>

To return to the normal view of your block, just click again on the three vertical dots. Then go ahead and select the option 'Edit visually'.

Checking the HTML code in the classic editor

In the classic editor, it is easy to display the HTML code of an article by clicking on the “Text” tab at the top of the area containing the text of the publication. This is the HTML code for our article copied from Google Docs:

The major tags here are extra, unnecessary code.

In comparison, here is the code produced when copying Word instead of Google Docs in the classic editor. There are no unnecessary formatting tags, and the bold and italic tags were rendered correctly.

If you copied your post from Google Docs, you'll need to go through the HTML code and manually correct the formatting.

To speed up the process, you must first copy and paste the HTML code into a text editor.

Copy and paste plain text

Plain text is text without formatting. To avoid any possibility of incorrect formatting, you may prefer to copy and paste plain text.

This is also a very useful option if you are copying a section of text from another website. For example, you can include a quote from someone else in your content.

Copy and Paste plain text in the block editor

The WordPress block editor does not have a button or option to paste plain text. However, it is easy to do it yourself.

The quickest method is to use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + V (PC) or Command + Shift + V (Mac) to paste your text. This will automatically paste in plain text format.

Alternatively, some browsers offer the option of pasting in plain text. If you are using Google Chrome, just right click and select the option "Paste as Plain Text"

Both of these methods will work for pasting plain text into a single paragraph block.

Pro Tip: Copy, Paste, and Clone Entire WordPress Websites

Although the beginner's guide above shows you the basics of copy paste, WordPress also offers a lot of advanced copy, paste, and clone features.

There is also a way to create a duplicate WordPress page with just one click.

If you are using the Block Editor, you can also create reusable blocks that you can use on several publications.

2. Pan Zoom Image

This plugin allows you to easily add a panoramic zoom feature for images on your WordPress blog via a shortcode. You can for example integrate it in your article or your page.

As functionalities, you will have among others: the panoramic zoom on a single image or a gallery with unlimited images, the position of the control bar can be top, right, bottom and left, the bottom of the container can be dark, light and none of that; the live preview in the dashboard, the example of multiple pan zooming on the same page, etc.

Discover also our 5 shortcodes premium WordPress plugins

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3. Slider Pro

The Slider Pro solution offers you an all-in-one platform to help you create and edit slides or sliders that will appeal not only to bloggers, but to those who do not just publish articles.

Ce WordPress Plugin premium avoids unnecessary frills, which are often an obstacle for users who are looking for the information they need. Additionally, it focuses on the simplicity and performance, while offering a wide range of customization possibilities.

See also How to create a slideshow with Slider Revolution on WordPress

His management of Urls on the search bar of the browser is one of the features that stood out for us on the latter. As the name suggests, this is the professional solution you need.

Read also our 5 WordPress plugins to create FAQs on a blog

Its features are: optimized image loading, easy customization, smooth animations, multiple layouts and more.

Download | Demo | Web hosting

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