Reformatting text that you've copied into Blogger

Copying text among writing tools can interfere with various text formats. For example, if you copy word-processor text and then paste it into Google Blogger, it is not formatted the same as text that you type directly into Blogger. This document can help you work around the formatting incompatibilities among writing tools. For example, it can help you reformat text that you've copied into Blogger.

Note: Although this document specifically applies to reformatting text copied into Blogger, it generally applies to reformatting text copied among other writing tools. No two writing tools, whether online or off, are fully compatible. Online writing tools include Google Blogger, Google Docs and Wordpress. Offline writing tools include LibreOffice Writer, Microsoft Word and Appache OpenOffice Writer.

Copying text into Blogger
To copy text from a word processor into Blogger, do the following:

1. Write the text in the word processor in any online or offline word processor, such as Google Docs in Google Drive, Writer in LibreOffice, or Word in Microsoft Office. 
2. In your word processor, select (highlight) the text to copy, such as the example LibreOffice Writer text in Figure 1, and then press Ctrl+C to copy that text.

   

   Figure 1 - Selecting text within LibreOffice Writer

3. In Blogger, place you cursor where you wish to insert the text, and the press Ctrl+V to paste the text into Blogger as shown in Figure 2.

   

   Figure 2 - Pasting text from LIbreOffice Writer into Blogger.

4. Remove the formatting from the copied text according to the section below.

Removing the copied formatting
To remove all formatting from your pasted text, do the following:

1. Add several blank lines below the text you had copied from your word processor as shown in the top portion of Figure 3.

   

   Figure 3 - Copying word-processed text (top portion) from within Blogger,
   and then pasting it as text-only text (bottom portion) to within Blogger.

2. Select the copied text and then press Ctrl+C.
3. Below your copied text, place your cursor at the start of a blank line.
4. Press Ctrl+Shift+V to paste the text as text-only, which removes its formatting as shown in the bottom portion of Figure 3.
5. Reformat your new text-only text according to the section below.

Reformatting your new text-only text

After you make a text-only copy for you word-processor text according the section above, you need to reformat that text. As demonstrated in the Example subsections below, separately select each item (such as word, phrase, or list) that you need to reformat, and then use the icons in the Blogger Compose toolbar (Figure 4). Tool-tip text describes each icon as you move your mouse pointer over it.

Figure 4 - The Blogger Compose toolbar consists of formatting icons.

Example italic formatting - In the first paragraph of the word-processor-text, within the top portion of Figure 3, you find an italicized sentence, "This sentence is italicized." To match that formatting within the bottom portion, you would do the following:

1. Find the same sentence in the first paragraph of the text-only, bottom portion.
2. Select This sentence is italicized, and then click the Italic icon.
3. Verify the reformatted italic text as shown within the first line of Figure 5.

   

   Figure 5 - Text-only text reformatted to italic.

Example bold and italic formatting - In the first paragraph of the word-processor-text, within the top portion of Figure 3, you find a bold and italicized sentence, "This sentence is bold and italicized." To match that formatting within the bottom portion, you would do the following:

1. Find the same sentence in the first paragraph of the text-only, bottom portion.
2. Select This sentence is bold and italicized, click the Bold icon and then click the Italic icon.
3. Verify the reformatted bold and italic text as shown within the second and third lines of Figure 6.

   

   Figure 6 - Text-only text reformatted to bold and italic.

Example list formatting - The word-processor-text in the top portion of Figure 3 includes both an ordered, numbered list and an unordered, bulleted list. To reformat these lists in the bottom portion of Figure 3, you would do the following:

1. Find the text for the numbered-list items in the text-only, bottom portion.
2. Select the numbered-list items, and then click the Numbered list icon to number and indent the items.
3. Find the text for the bulleted-list items in the text-only, bottom portion.
4. Select the bulleted-list items, and then click the Bullet list icon to bullet and indent the items.
5. Verify the reformatted lists as shown in Figure 7.

   

   Figure 7 - Text-only lists reformatted to numbered and bulleted lists.

Deleting unwanted line spaces from lists
If the text you've copied into Blogger includes any numbered or bulleted lists, you need to delete all unwanted line spaces from those lists. For more information, see Deleting unwanted line spaces from Blogger lists.

Note: As shown in Figure 7, you cannot see the unwanted line spaces in your lists until after you have closed your post for the first time after reformatting your pasted lists. Therefore, to avoid possible future confusion, you should immediately delete your unwanted line spaces.

To delete unwanted line spaces from the lists in your pasted text, do the following:

1. Click Save and then Close. This initial closing makes the unwanted line spaces visible.
2. Reopen your post to edit it. You should now see unwanted line spaces similar to those in Figure 8. When there are no unwanted line spaces in each list, there is only one line space above, and one below.

   

   Figure 8 - Unwanted line spaces in Blogger lists.

3. Above each list, place your cursor immediately below the preceding paragraph, and then press Backspace.
4. Below each list, place your cursor immediately above the following paragraph, and then press Backspace.
5. Verify that line spacing is again correct, as shown in Figure 7.

Note: After reformatting all your text-only text, such as the bottom portion of Figure 3, you can delete the text you had originally copied from your word processor, such as the top portion of Figure 3.