Guide
How to paste without formatting on Windows and Mac (every shortcut)
Updated on
Short answer: on Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + V in most browsers, Google Docs and recent Microsoft 365 apps. On a Mac, use Option-Shift-Command-V ("Paste and Match Style") in Apple apps and many others, or Command-Shift-V in Google Docs and recent Microsoft 365 apps. If an app doesn't support it, paste into a plain-text editor first, or use a system-wide tool such as PowerToys Advanced Paste on Windows.
Why formatting comes along
When you copy from a web page, an email or a document, the clipboard usually holds several versions of the same content: plain text, rich text and HTML. A normal paste picks the richest version the destination accepts, with its fonts, sizes, colors, links and sometimes tables. "Paste without formatting" (also called "paste as plain text", "paste special: unformatted text" or "paste and match style") asks for the plain version instead.
Quick reference
| Where | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome, Edge, Firefox (web pages, webmail) | Ctrl + Shift + V | Option-Shift-Command-V (Command-Shift-V in some apps) |
| Google Docs / Slides | Ctrl + Shift + V | Command-Shift-V |
| Google Sheets (paste values only) | Ctrl + Shift + V | Command-Shift-V |
| Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365) | Ctrl + Shift + V | Command-Shift-V |
| Microsoft Word (any version) | Ctrl + Alt + V, then "Unformatted Text" | Control-Command-V (Paste Special) |
| Excel (Paste Special) | Ctrl + Alt + V, then Values or Text | Control-Command-V |
| Apple apps (Pages, Notes, Mail, TextEdit) | — | Option-Shift-Command-V |
| Anywhere (system-wide, Windows) | Windows + Ctrl + Alt + V with PowerToys Advanced Paste | — |
Shortcuts can differ by app version and keyboard layout. When in doubt, look in the app's Edit menu or right-click menu. Sources: Apple – Mac keyboard shortcuts, Microsoft – Word for Mac shortcuts, Microsoft – Excel shortcuts, Google Sheets shortcuts.
Windows in detail
Ctrl + Shift + V
Works in Chrome, Edge and Firefox (so in webmail, chat web apps and most online tools), in Google Docs, and in recent Microsoft 365 versions of Word, OneNote and other apps. Microsoft announced plain-text paste with Ctrl + Shift + V in Word for Microsoft 365.
Paste Special in Office
In Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Ctrl + Alt + V opens Paste Special. Choose Unformatted Text (Word) or Values (Excel). You can also right-click and pick the Keep Text Only icon (an "A" on a clipboard).
Make it the default in Word
File > Options > Advanced > Cut, copy, and paste: set "Pasting from other programs" to Keep Text Only.
System-wide: PowerToys Advanced Paste
Microsoft's free PowerToys includes Advanced Paste. Once it's enabled, Windows + Ctrl + Alt + V pastes the clipboard as plain text in any app, without opening a window. Windows + Shift + V opens its menu with more formats such as Markdown and JSON (Microsoft Learn). The plain-text paste runs locally and doesn't use AI.
Mac in detail
Paste and Match Style: Option-Shift-Command-V
In Apple apps and many others, Edit > Paste and Match Style pastes the text with the formatting of the surrounding text. The shortcut is Option-Shift-Command-V.
Command-Shift-V
Google Docs and recent Microsoft 365 apps for Mac (Word, OneNote) use Command-Shift-V. Some other apps do too. Check the Edit menu.
TextEdit as a cleaner
Open TextEdit, choose Format > Make Plain Text (Shift-Command-T), paste, then copy again. Old-school, but it works everywhere.
Spotlight clipboard history
On macOS Tahoe and later, several reviewers report that items pasted from Spotlight's clipboard history (Command-Space, Command-4) lose their formatting. Apple doesn't document this, so treat it as a side effect, not a feature.
The universal fallback (any OS)
- Paste into a plain-text editor: Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit in plain-text mode (Mac).
- Select all and copy again.
- Paste into the destination.
This strips everything except the characters.
Common problems
- Ctrl + Shift + V does something else: in some apps it's assigned to another command. Use Paste Special or the Edit menu.
- Line breaks look wrong: plain text keeps line breaks but loses paragraph spacing. Use Find and Replace to fix them in bulk.
- Links disappear: that's expected. Plain text keeps the link text but not the URL behind it. Copy the URL separately if you need it.
- Bullets become symbols or vanish: lists are formatting. Reapply them in the destination.
A note on clipboard history
If you often lose the original text while fiddling with formatting, clipboard history helps: you can always go back to what you copied before. Use Windows + V on Windows (guide), Spotlight on Mac (guide), or a clipboard manager such as Ditto, Maccy or Clipster (history, search and Pins on Windows, Mac and iPhone; download).
Checked against Microsoft Learn, Microsoft 365 announcements and Apple documentation in October 2026. Something out of date? Tell us at contact@clipster-app.com.
FAQ
What is the shortcut to paste without formatting on Windows?
Ctrl + Shift + V in most browsers, Google Docs and recent Microsoft 365 apps. In older Office versions, use Ctrl + Alt + V (Paste Special) and choose Unformatted Text.
What is the shortcut to paste without formatting on a Mac?
Option-Shift-Command-V (Paste and Match Style) in Apple apps and many others, or Command-Shift-V in Google Docs and recent Microsoft 365 apps.
How do I always paste as plain text in Word?
In File > Options > Advanced, set "Pasting from other programs" to Keep Text Only.
Is there a system-wide plain-text paste on Windows?
Yes, with Microsoft PowerToys: enable Advanced Paste and use Windows + Ctrl + Alt + V.
Why doesn't Ctrl + Shift + V work in my app?
Not every app supports it. Use the app's Paste Special option, the Edit menu, or paste into Notepad or TextEdit first.
Disclosure: We make Clipster, a clipboard manager mentioned briefly at the end. This guide is about built-in shortcuts.
Try it on your own devices
Available on Mac, Windows and iPhone.
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Details checked on official websites in October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us: contact@clipster-app.com