How to Fix Format Text Options Disabled in SharePoint 2016
Question details
The user is unable to use format text commands on a SharePoint 2016 page and needs to restore rich text editing capabilities.
- Product
- SharePoint 2016
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to edit text formatting on a SharePoint 2016 site page or document library.
- Observed behavior
- The Format Text options and commands appear grayed out or are completely unavailable during page editing.
Ensure you are logged into your SharePoint 2016 environment with an account that has at least Edit or Contribute permissions for the specific site page.
Verify Page Permissions and Checkout Status
Ensure you have the right permissions to edit the page and check it out if versioning is enabled.
In SharePoint 2016, if content approval or versioning is turned on, a page remains locked for formatting until you explicitly check it out.
Navigate to Site Settings and verify your account has 'Edit' or 'Contribute' permissions for the specific page or library.
If content approval or versioning is enabled, click the 'Check Out' button from the SharePoint ribbon before attempting to edit the page.
Click the 'Edit' button on the page ribbon to ensure the page is actively in Edit mode so the text formatting options become active.
Verify Field Formatting Support and Page Layouts
Check if the specific text field supports rich text or if the page layout is restricting edits.
Consult Your Farm Administrator
Contact your IT department to verify Server-side configurations or publishing feature restrictions.
Format Your Documents Locally with WPS Office
If you are facing ongoing issues with online document formatting and disabled ribbons in SharePoint, consider downloading your files and editing them seamlessly offline with WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, free alternative to Microsoft Office.
- 1. Download your file: Go to your SharePoint document library and download the file you need to format.
- 2. Open with WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open your downloaded file to access unrestricted formatting tools.
- 3. Save and upload: Apply your text formatting, save the document locally, and re-upload it to your SharePoint library.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are format text options grayed out only on specific SharePoint pages?
This typically happens when the page utilizes a customized layout or the specific text column is configured to accept plain text only. Standard site pages usually allow rich text formatting by default.
Do I need to check out a page to format text in SharePoint 2016?
Yes, if your SharePoint document library or Pages library has versioning or content approval enabled, you must check out the page before the Edit mode and formatting options become fully available.
Can I apply SharePoint Online troubleshooting steps to SharePoint 2016?
No, SharePoint 2016 is an on-premises server environment, while SharePoint Online is cloud-based. Troubleshooting publishing features, permissions, and farm configurations differ significantly between the two.
How do I change a plain text field to a rich text field in SharePoint 2016?
You need to modify the list or library settings. Go to List Settings, select the specific multi-line text column, and change its setting to 'Enhanced rich text (Rich text with pictures, tables, and hyperlinks)'.
