SharePoint Document Issues

How to Fix SharePoint List Text Cut Off in Multiple Lines Columns

Algirdas Jasaitis Oct 10, 2026 870 views

Question details

Users need to display complete text and prevent HTML tags from showing in multiple-lines-of-text columns within SharePoint lists.

How to Fix SharePoint List Text Cut Off in Multiple Lines Columns

Product: SharePoint Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Viewing a migrated SharePoint Online list where multiple-lines-of-text columns contain extensive information or rich text formatting.
Observed behavior: The text in multiple-lines-of-text columns is truncated in the list view, and rich text formatting incorrectly renders as raw HTML code.

Before you start

Ensure you have Edit or Full Control permissions for the SharePoint list to modify column settings and adjust view formatting.

Solution 1Recommended

Change the Column Type to Plain Text

Switching the column from rich text to plain text ensures that long content displays without rendering raw HTML tags in the list view.

SharePoint Online column formatting does not fully support rich text rendering in custom list views. Migrated lists from SharePoint Server often experience this fallback behavior where HTML tags are exposed.

Access List Settings

Navigate to your SharePoint list, click the Gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner, and select 'List settings'.

Select the Column

Scroll down to the 'Columns' section and click on the name of the multiple-lines-of-text column that is displaying HTML or cutting off text.

Switch to Plain Text

Under 'Specify the type of text to allow', select the 'Plain text' radio button.

Save Changes

Click 'OK' at the bottom of the page to apply the changes. Return to your list view to verify the text now displays cleanly.

Formatting Removed: Changing to plain text will remove bold, italics, and embedded links, but will permanently fix the raw HTML display issue.

Solution 2

Use a Dedicated Hyperlink Column for URLs

If you need to maintain clickable links without triggering rich text HTML issues, utilize SharePoint's native Hyperlink column type.

Solution 3

View the Full Item Details

Bypass list view limitations entirely by opening the individual list item to view the fully formatted rich text.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my SharePoint list text show raw HTML tags?

Modern SharePoint list views and custom column formatting have limited support for rendering rich text. When lists are migrated from older SharePoint servers or custom JSON formatting is applied, the rich text formatting breaks and defaults to displaying the underlying HTML code.

Can I keep clickable hyperlinks in a plain text column?

No, plain text columns only display the raw text of the URL and are not clickable. To maintain clickable links in a list view without HTML rendering issues, you must use a dedicated 'Hyperlink' column type.

How do I stop long text from getting cut off in my SharePoint list view?

You can manually widen the column by dragging the boundary on the column header. Alternatively, formatting the view to use the 'Gallery' layout or opening the item's detail pane will allow you to read the full text without truncation.

Will I lose my data if I switch a rich text column to plain text?

You will not lose the textual content, but you will permanently lose any rich text formatting (like bold, italics, font colors, and embedded links) that was previously applied to the text within that column.

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