How to Paste Without Formatting on a Mac (Every App)
Quick answer: To paste without formatting on a Mac, press Option+Shift+⌘V (Paste and Match Style) in most Mac apps. In Chrome, Firefox, Slack and Google Docs, press ⌘⇧V. In Excel, use Cmd+Ctrl+V and choose Values.
Pasting from a web page or document often drags along fonts, colours and sizes you do not want. These shortcuts strip that out.
Shortcut by app
| App | Shortcut | Menu command |
|---|---|---|
| Notes, Mail, Pages, TextEdit, Safari | Option+Shift+⌘V | Edit ▸ Paste and Match Style |
| Chrome, Firefox | ⌘⇧V | Paste as plain text |
| Google Docs | ⌘⇧V | Paste without formatting |
| Slack | ⌘⇧V | Paste as plain text |
| Excel | Cmd+Ctrl+V, then V, Return | Paste Special ▸ Values |
| Word | Cmd+Ctrl+V | Paste Special ▸ Unformatted Text |
Why there are two shortcuts
Mac apps built on Apple's text system use Paste and Match Style from the Edit menu, whose shortcut is Option+Shift+⌘V. Browsers and many web apps implement their own plain-text paste, which uses ⌘⇧V. If one does not work, try the other.
Make it one shortcut everywhere
You can give Paste and Match Style the browser-style shortcut:
Open System Settings ▸ Keyboard ▸ Keyboard Shortcuts ▸ App Shortcuts.
Click +, select All Applications, and enter the menu title Paste and Match Style.
Press ⌘⇧V as the shortcut and click Add.
The menu title must match exactly, including capitalisation.
In Excel and Word
Excel: copy, press Cmd+Ctrl+V, choose Values and press Return. See Paste Values Shortcut in Excel for Mac (Plus Formulas, Formats and Transpose).
Word: press Cmd+Ctrl+V to open Paste Special and choose Unformatted Text.
FAQs
What is Paste and Match Style?
A command in the Edit menu that pastes text using the formatting of the place you paste into, not the source.
Why does ⌘⇧V paste with formatting in some apps?
Because that app does not use ⌘⇧V for plain text. Use Option+Shift+⌘V or the Edit menu.
Can I paste without formatting in Finder?
Finder pastes files, not text. For moving files, see Copy, Paste and Paste Special Shortcuts on Mac: Finder, Excel, Browsers and More.