Pasting into Microsoft Word no longer ruins your formatting by default

[Daniel Sims]

TL;DR: Anyone who regularly uses Microsoft Word probably knows the frustration of pasting text into a document only to see it ruin the formatting because it retained its original size, color, and font. The common mistake will likely occur less often now, as Microsoft recently responded to customer feedback by changing the software's default paste function.

Microsoft Word users should now begin noticing that text pasted into documents will match the document's formatting by default. Microsoft also recently altered some keyboard shortcuts to make room for a new paste option.

Pasting text into Word typically presents a few options to users. "Keep Source Formatting" inserts the text exactly as it originally appeared. "Merge Formatting" only retains bold, italics, and underlining elements. Finally, "Keep Text Only" completely discards the original formatting.

Before the recent update, "Keep Source Formatting" was the default method whenever users pasted content without accessing the paste menu, typically through the Ctrl + V shortcut. Microsoft seems to have finally realized that the feature is broadly unpopular. I don't know how often I've accidentally inserted text with the wrong formatting, had to click "Undo," and then manually use the paste menu. Eventually, I stopped using the shortcut and now always paste using the menu.

Also read: Top 10 Hacks for Microsoft Word

Word Version 2405 (Build 17624.20000) or later makes the merge option default. Those who like it the other way can set the default paste options under File > Options > Advanced > Cut, copy, and paste > Pasting from other programs. However, this option isn't available on the web and Mac editions.

In related news, Microsoft recently added a new shortcut for the "Keep Text Only," option. Hitting Ctrl + Shift + V (or Cmd + Shift + V on Macs) will now paste plain text. Since the shortcut originally opened the paste format painter, the company has had to shuffle several other paste shortcuts. Microsoft published a guide to the new shortcuts, but users can also view and customize them under File > Options > Customize Ribbon > Keyboard shortcuts > Customize.

The standalone version of Microsoft Office 2021, which includes Word with all the recent changes, is frequently on sale. The latest deal offers a one-device lifetime license to the Windows or macOS version for $49. Office 2024 ships later this year for $149.

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Pasting into Microsoft Word no longer ruins your formatting by default

 

[TomSEA]

About damn time. Very frustrating to have to do a bunch of re-formatting after a cut and paste.

 

[opckieran]

A rare example of Microsoft implementing something users actually wanted.

 

[Phylop]

Would be nice if they would do this for all of their Office apps, and add more preferences and control over the cut/copy/paste options. Teams has especially atrocious formatting when copying too and from it.

 

[daffy duck]

Only decent thing M$ has done since Balmer was in charge frankly and he didn't do much right, but Nadella, well hopefully he will be erased from the timeline one day.

 

[Argely]

Ctrl+Shift+V

 

[guillejp]

Nah, yeah fine it's a meme, and this will be better for the average Joe, but this has been pretty much solved since Office 2013 where when you paste anything, it shows the floating toolbar with the pasting modes and even allows you to preview the results of the different modes by hovering the buttons, so this is much less important news than it seems.