Formatting Issues

How to Remove a Box or Border Around Pasted Text in Word

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to remove an unwanted box or border that appears around text after pasting it into a document.

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Pasting text from a webpage into a Word document.
Observed behavior: The pasted text appears inside a box. When moving individual lines, additional boxes are generated, indicating it is likely a paragraph border inherited from the web rather than a standard text box or table.

Before you start

Before attempting to clear the formatting, make sure to highlight all the affected text so the changes are applied uniformly to the entire pasted section.

Solution 1Recommended

Use a Keyboard Shortcut to Clear Paragraph Formatting

This is the fastest method to instantly strip away any unwanted paragraph borders or web-inherited formatting from your text.

When you copy text from the internet, Word often carries over hidden HTML formatting, such as CSS borders. The 'Clear Paragraph Formatting' shortcut resets the selected text to your document's default paragraph style without deleting the text itself.

Select the affected text

Click and drag your mouse cursor to highlight all the pasted text that is currently enclosed in the unwanted box.

Press Ctrl+Q

With the text selected, press the 'Ctrl' and 'Q' keys on your keyboard simultaneously. This will instantly remove the paragraph border.

Retains Character Formatting: Pressing Ctrl+Q only removes paragraph-level formatting (like borders and line spacing). It keeps character formatting like bold, italics, and font colors intact.

Solution 2

Remove the Border Manually via the Paragraph Menu

If the shortcut does not remove the box, you can manually disable the border through the Home tab settings.

Seamless Document Editing

Manage Text Formatting Effortlessly with WPS Writer

WPS Writer offers a highly intuitive word processing experience, allowing you to paste text without unwanted web formatting, clear paragraph borders in a single click, and edit professional documents with ease.

1. Open your document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open the document where you need to manage pasted text.
2. Paste without formatting: To avoid borders entirely, right-click in your document when pasting and select 'Keep Text Only'.
3. Use the Clear Formatting tool: If the box is already there, select the text, navigate to the Home tab, and click the 'Clear Formatting' eraser icon.
4. Manage Borders easily: You can also highlight the text, click the Borders icon in the Home tab, and select 'No Border' to instantly clean up the paragraph.

Paste text without messy backgrounds using the 'Keep Text Only' optionFully compatible with Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) file formatsEasily clear unwanted borders and formatting with intuitive ribbon toolsFree, lightweight, and features a user-friendly tabbed interface

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does a box appear when I paste text from a website into Word?

Webpages often use HTML elements and CSS to create visual structures, like borders or background boxes. When you copy and paste this text directly into a word processor, it tries to preserve the original web layout by applying paragraph borders, resulting in the unwanted boxes.

How can I prevent borders from appearing when pasting text?

Instead of using the standard Paste command (Ctrl+V), you can right-click in your document and choose the 'Keep Text Only' clipboard icon under Paste Options. This completely strips all web formatting, including borders, fonts, and colors, pasting only the raw text.

What is the difference between a text box and a paragraph border?

A text box is a floating graphical object that contains text and can be dragged anywhere on the page. A paragraph border is a formatting style applied directly to the inline text. If pressing Ctrl+Q removes the box, it was a paragraph border. If it remains and you can click its edges to drag it, it is a text box.

Does clearing paragraph formatting also delete my bold text or font colors?

No, pressing Ctrl+Q only resets paragraph-level formatting, such as line spacing, alignment, and borders. Your character-level formatting, like bolding, italics, or specific font colors, will remain untouched. To remove character formatting, you would use Ctrl+Spacebar instead.

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