Recently a client asked me how to copy and paste items into a CMS system without formatting problems, here is the answer.
Often when you copy and paste content from various applications such as Microsoft Word and Google Docs, you also transfer unwanted formatting by copying. There may be a mismatch with the fonts and colors of your CMS system theme, which is a problem that is easily solved.
In this article, I will share how to easily copy and paste the text into a CMS system without unwanted formatting and styles so let’s get started.
Understanding Copying and Pasting in CMS Systems
Copy and paste mean copying text from one place to another without the need to type again.
To copy text from a document or webpage, you need to select it with the mouse. Then simply right-click and select “Copy” from the menu. Or you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + C (Command + C on a Mac) to copy the highlighted text.
To paste the text into the CMS system, you can right-click and select “Paste” from the menu. Or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + V (Command + V on a Mac) to paste the copied text.
When you copy text, the text formatting is copied with it. The problem is that sometimes you end up with formatting that you don’t want.
This unwanted formatting can affect the display of your text on other devices.
Some CMS users choose to avoid copying and pasting. Instead, they publish their posts directly on the CMS system and the desired page.
Others prefer to draft using a separate tool, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, which allows you to work offline and can make it easier to share work for comments and revisions before posting.
It is also important to avoid adding unnecessary formatting as this affects the size of your page which also means a slower website speed.
How To Check and Correct Formatting Errors in Copying and Pasting
Let’s see how to check and correct formatting errors now.
All text in your CMS is formatted using HTML (hypertext markup language). HTML tags enclose words formed in a certain way.
For example, bold text in WordPress posts looks like this in HTML code
<strong> bold text </strong>
To check and correct formatting errors after copying and pasting, you need to check the HTML code for your post. All CMS systems have the option to switch from visual content entry to text mode in which you are free to paste the text or see if the previous one is neatly formatted.
An application such as Notepad on a computer (or Text Editor on a Mac) is often used in parallel with input, in which text from Word is pasted before copying into the CMS system to clear the text of the format.