Tip: Configure Paste Options in OneNote for Windows 10

Several readers responded to my recent complaints about how the new OneNote—OneNote for Windows, a Store app that is replacing the traditional desktop application—handles copying and pasting text from other applications.

If you’re familiar with how traditional desktop versions of Office behave, you know that they come with rules about how text and other content will appear when pasted, depending on the source. Additionally, these traditional Office applications provide a pop-up Paste Options toolbar that let you change how the content is pasted on-the-fly.

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

OneNote for Windows 10 does not work like that. Instead, it will paste text and other content into a notebook page using its own internal rules. If you want to paste something differently, you need to remember to right-click and choose Paste and then the type of paste you wish to make from a context menu.

Unsophisticated and almost completely non-discoverable? You bet. And for that reason, I recommended that anyone who needed to paste plain text into OneNote for Windows 10 should consider using a third-party utility.

But here’s some good news: Microsoft recently updated OneNote for Windows 10 to somewhat address this issue: You can now configure the default paste behavior in OneNote settings (in Options > Paste Options). And one of the choices is “Keep Text Only.” Which is exactly what I want.

You can and should also consider disabling the option “Include link to source,” if you don’t want those goofy little links to the original document online that OneNote always includes.

Thanks to everyone who wrote in about this.

 

Tagged with

Share post

Please check our Community Guidelines before commenting

Conversation 13 comments

  • ken_kelly

    27 May, 2019 - 4:23 pm

    <p>Great tip! This one was driving me crazy. Now if they could just get rid of the highlighted text menu pop-up, that would be awesome. </p>

  • Simard57

    27 May, 2019 - 4:50 pm

    <p>are you using the full OneNote or the Windows 10 Version?</p><p><br></p>

  • timo47

    Premium Member
    27 May, 2019 - 5:26 pm

    <p>The lack of the "Paste Options toolbar" in the OneNote for Windows 10 app is my number 1 reason for sticking with the OneNote 2016 desktop app. I regularly need to switch between all 3 paste options, so setting a default is not enough.</p><p><br></p><p>Aside from that, I can't stand the Fisher-Price like interface of the UWP app. It feels "off". </p><p><br></p><p>And on a desktop I want my sections on top. The navigation system on the left side takes up way too much space.</p>

    • Simard57

      27 May, 2019 - 6:24 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#430848">In reply to timo47:</a></em></blockquote><p>"<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">If you want to paste something differently, you need to remember to right-click and choose Paste and then the type of paste you wish to make from a context menu."</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">it is there! just not on the menu!</span></p>

  • dxtremebob

    Premium Member
    27 May, 2019 - 6:12 pm

    <p>Thanks!</p>

  • Simard57

    27 May, 2019 - 6:35 pm

    <p>what I want fixed is cutting/pasting into tables. it is different than how other office apps work. how about some consistency — oh never mind!</p><p><br></p>

    • RonH

      Premium Member
      28 May, 2019 - 3:45 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#430853">In reply to Simard57:</a></em></blockquote><p>The option thave or not have the link is good</p>

  • Byron Adams

    27 May, 2019 - 8:16 pm

    <p>Paste Youtube video and have it show the title as a link is broken for me in OneNote 2016, but at least I can still use the toolbar to insert a video.</p>

  • pherbie

    Premium Member
    27 May, 2019 - 8:17 pm

    <p>Hey, I like the "goofy little links". They tell me where i got stuff from. What other tool does that????</p>

  • Byron Adams

    27 May, 2019 - 8:18 pm

    <p> The biggest feature that I will miss in the OneNote Win10 version is the ability to click a link and launch explorer to a folder or start an application. I have lots of partial manual workflows in OneNote.</p>

  • pbeiler1

    Premium Member
    27 May, 2019 - 11:47 pm

    <p>I’ve been asking for the keyboard shortcut, CTRL+ALT+V, (paste special), since OneNote 2013, apparently not very popular. I prefer keyboard shortcuts to any series of mouse clicks. </p>

  • Rug

    Premium Member
    28 May, 2019 - 9:34 am

    <p>One annoyance down. Now, if I could just send to this OneNote from Outlook…</p>

  • wwwmadhavbansal

    29 May, 2019 - 5:22 pm

    <p>Thanks For helpful Information.</p><p><a href="https://www.technologyexplain.com/&quot; target="_blank">https://www.technologyexplain.com/</a></p&gt;

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thurrott © 2024 Thurrott LLC