Have you ever copied text from a website or Word document and pasted it into Notepad++, only to see all the formatting vanish? It’s a common frustration when dealing with plain text editors.
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Does Notepad++ strip formatting when pasting text?
Yes, Notepad++ automatically strips formatting when pasting text. Bold, italics, colors, hyperlinks, and other styles disappear because Notepad++ is a plain text editor, not a rich text processor like MS Word or Google Docs.
Why Does This Happen?
- Notepad++ only supports plain text, meaning no font styles, colors, or special formatting.
- The clipboard stores rich text metadata, but Notepad++ ignores it during pasting.
If you need to keep formatting, you’ll have to use workarounds (which we’ll discuss below).
Understanding Formatting in Text Editors
- What is text formatting?
- Formatting includes bold, italics, font styles, hyperlinks, tables, etc.
- Plain text vs. Rich text
- Plain text: Contains only characters and line breaks (e.g., Notepad, Notepad++).
- Rich text: Supports formatting like colors, fonts, and hyperlinks (e.g., MS Word, Google Docs).
Plain Text vs. Rich Text
| Feature | Plain Text (Notepad++) | Rich Text (MS Word) |
|---|---|---|
| Bold/Italics |  No |  Yes |
| Font Styles | No | Yes |
| Hyperlinks | No (URL only) | Yes |
| Tables | No | Yes |
Notepad++ treats all text as plain text, which is why formatting disappears when pasting from sources like Word or web pages.
- How different editors handle formatting
- MS Word: Retains formatting when pasting.
- Notepad++: Removes all formatting to keep the text plain.
Why Notepad++ Removes Formatting
Plain Text vs. Rich Text
- Plain text: No styling or formatting, only raw text.
- Rich text: Includes fonts, colors, bold/italics, hyperlinks, etc.
- Notepad++ is designed for code editing, so it removes all styling to ensure clean and efficient text processing.
Clipboard Handling in Notepad++
- Notepad++ pastes only raw text from the clipboard.
- It ignores formatting metadata, unlike Word/WordPad, which retain styles.
Comparison
| Feature | Notepad++ | MS Word | WordPad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain text only | Yes | No | No |
| Retains formatting | No | Yes | Yes |
How to Paste Text into Notepad++ Without Formatting Loss
Method 1: Default Pasting (Ctrl + V)
- Result: All formatting is stripped.
Method 2: Using Plugins (Optional)
- Install plugins like NppExport to export formatted text to RTF or HTML.
- Go to Plugins → NppExport → Copy all formats to the clipboard.
Method 3: Using Third-Party Tools
- Tools like PureText allow pasting as plain text system-wide.
- Keyboard shortcut (Windows):
Windows + V(Clipboard history may help select formats).
When You Want to Keep Formatting
If formatting is essential, consider these alternatives:
- Use a rich text editor like Word, Google Docs, or WordPad.
- Save as an HTML or RTF file (Notepad++ doesn’t support these directly).
- Take a screenshot if preserving layout is critical.
- Use Markdown or HTML mode in Notepad++ (for web-related formatting).
Common Scenarios & Fixes
1. Pasting from Excel or Word
- Issue: Tables and bullets turn into plain text.
- Fix: Paste into WordPad first, then copy from there to preserve basic formatting.
2. Pasting Code from Other Sources
- Issue: Syntax highlighting disappears.
- Fix: Use Notepad++’s built-in Language syntax highlighting feature.
3. Pasting from Webpages
- Issue: Hyperlinks become plain URLs.
- Fix: Convert text to HTML format before pasting.
Read More Article:-
Will Notepad++ 32-bit work on Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Does Notepad++ Add HTML Tags Automatically?
Will Notepad++ Read JSON Files? Your Ultimate Guide
FAQs
1. Can I force Notepad++ to preserve formatting?
No, Notepad++ is a plain text editor, but you can use plugins like NppExport to export text with formatting.
2. Does this behavior change with different clipboard formats?
No, Notepad++ prioritizes plain text by default. If you need rich text, use a different editor.
3. What about copying from Notepad++ to another app?
The copied text remains unformatted, but it can be formatted once pasted into a rich text editor.