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Paste Plain Text with Ctrl + Shift + V - Word and other Office 365 Apps [Solution]

Anonymous
2024-03-12T03:38:47+00:00

I have searched far and wide for a solution to paste plain text (or paste text without formatting) through Ctrl + Shift + V or another keyboard shortcut. While I found nothing, I happened to stumble upon the solution myself.

While a bit hacky, I set my own keyboard shortcut by going to File > Options > Customize Ribbon > Keyboard Shortcuts > All Commands > Paste Text Only and set the shortcut to Ctrl + Shift + V.

If any of you have a better or easier solution, please let us know. But for the time being, this works perfectly fine! (Sorry for the absence of images - they always failed to load when I attempted to add them).

You're welcome :)

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | Other | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-03-12T04:13:13+00:00

    You are absolutely right, but I personally (and many others) use paste plain text much more often and I have seen countless people searching for a plain text shortcut. And though a bit tedious, the paint formatting could also be assigned to a different shortcut. Thanks for the contribution! :)

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-07-11T15:02:03+00:00

    I've wondered the same thing. This is only for Outlook on Windows but have you tried going to the default paste options?

    When writing an email, under the Message tab > Paste > Set default paste

    Under the Cut, copy, and paste section, choose 'keep text only' for all the paste options. 'Merge formatting' is fine too if you want to keep your formatting but keep links etc.

    Image

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-07-18T15:44:56+00:00

    There is a built-in keyboard sequence to paste text only already. Press and release the following keys in this order: Alt, H, V, T. Text will be pasted using the documents formatting set at the point if pasting.

    OR

    I have an easy keyboard shortcut that Pastes without formatting (Paste Clean) that does not interfere with any other shortcuts and works in all my Word documents.

    I created the macro called PasteClean below:

    Sub PasteClean()

    Selection.PasteSpecial Link:=False, \_ 
    
      DataType:=wdPasteText, \_ 
    
      Placement:=wdInLine, \_ 
    
      DisplayAsIcon:=False 
    

    End Sub

    I assigned the keyboard shortcut Alt + P ( Alternate Paste).

    Now Ctrl + V for normal pasting with the formatting

    and Alt P for pasting using the formatting of the document being pasted into (aka: Pasting Clean).

    6 people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2024-04-27T15:31:58+00:00

    I have assigned it to CTRL +V, V. Makes my life easier copying words from an online dictionary into vocabulary lists while studying German.

    Dirk

    5 people found this answer helpful.
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  5. Charles Kenyon 166.7K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2024-03-12T03:52:59+00:00

    While that works, it also robs you of the built-in shortcut to paste formatting (like the format painter).

    I suppose you can always assign that one to something else if you want.

    Assigning Keyboard Shortcuts in Microsoft Word 2007-2021 (365)

    3 people found this answer helpful.
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