How to keep text only when pasting from other programs in Outlook?

When pasting content in email message body in Outlook from other programs, you can choose to keep text only and remove all format of the copied content. You can not only manually keep text only while pasting, but also set the keep text only by default when pasting from other programs. In this article, we will show you how to manually and automatically keep text only when paste from other programs in Outlook.

Manually keep text only when pasting from other programs

Keep text only by default when pasting from other programs

Manually keep text only when pasting from other programs

When pasting content from other programs in Outlook email body, you will see there is a Paste Options button displaying at the end of the pasted content. You need to:

1. Copy the content you need, and then press Ctrl +V to paste it, the formatting will be pasted as well, then click on the Paste Options button, and choose Keep Text Only button in the drop-down menu. See screenshot:

2. Then you will see all formats in the content are removed and just keep the text only in your email body.

Note: If you can’t see the Paste Options button after you pasting the content, you can copy the content first, and then put the cursor on the place where you need to paste and right click, then choose Keep Text Only icon in the right-clicking menu. Then only the text is pasted, and other formatting is removed.

Keep text only by default when pasting from other programs

If you want to keep text only by default when pasting from other programs, you need to do the following configurations.

1. In Outlook 2010 and 2013, please click File > Options.

In Outlook 2007, please click Tools > Options.

2. In the Outlook Options dialog box in Outlook 2010 and 2013, click Mail in the left bar, then click the Editor Options button in the Compose messages section.

In Outlook 2007, click the Editor Options button under Mail Format tab.

3. In the Editor Options dialog box, click Advanced in the left bar, then go to the Cut, copy, and paste section, select Keep Text Only in the Pasting from other programs drop-down list. Finally click the OK button.

4. When it returns to the Outlook Options dialog box, click the OK button.

From now on, when you pasting contents from other programs into Outlook email body, it will be automatically keep the text only by default.

Note: If you want to keep text only when pasting within the same e-mail, pasting between emails or pasting between e-mails when style definitions conflict, you can select Keep Text Only from the below options one by one. See screenshot: