Word for Windows Now Uses ‘Merge Formatting’ Paste Option By Default

Microsoft is changing the default paste option in Word for Windows to make pasted content match the formatting of the rest of a document. If you use Word a lot, you’re probably aware that the current paste option that keeps formatting that was applied to the copied text can quickly create chaos when copying text from another document or webpage.

“We’ve heard from many of you that the current Keep Source Formatting default setting is not meeting your needs, and you would prefer for the default option to be Merge Formatting when pasting from other programs. We heard you and are happy to deliver,” explained Ali Forelli, a Product Manager on the Word team on the Microsoft 365 Insider blog (via The Verge).

In practice, Merge formatting retains formatting that is considered emphasis, such as bold and italic, but the pasted text will match the style of the text (font, size, color, etc.). This option also retains linked text as well as list and table structure.

This new default paste option is available in available in Word for Windows version 2405 (Build 17624.20000), and users can still change the default paste option back by going to File > Options > Advanced > Cut, copy, and paste. If you’re using Word for Mac or the Word web app, you’re out of luck as these versions currently don’t allow users to change the default paste option.

Microsoft may probably be inspired to also change the default paste option in OneNote. If you’re bothered about the app keeping source formatting when you paste content, Paul previously wrote a guide for configuring the default paste behavior in OneNote settings.