Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Getting Rid of the Paste Options Box.

Getting Rid of the Paste Options Box

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 21, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021


9

If you copy and paste information from place to place in a document, you may have noticed that whenever you complete a paste operation, Word helpfully displays a "paste options" tool right next to whatever you pasted. Use this tool and you can apply some variations to what you pasted.

Some people find the paste options to be distracting in some versions of Word. (The appearance of the paste options tool is different in different versions of Word.) Fortunately for them, Word allows you to turn them off. Follow these steps:

  1. Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 or a later version display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
  2. Click Advanced at the left side of the dialog box.
  3. Scroll through the available options until you get to the Cut, Copy, and Paste section. (See Figure 1.)
  4. Figure 1. The Cut, Copy, and Paste section of the Word Options dialog box.

  5. Clear the Show Paste Options Buttons check box.
  6. Click OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (5967) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Getting Rid of the Paste Options Box.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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What is eight more than 2?

2025-09-12 09:19:31

NNF

I have tried the above-mentioned procedure several times with Windows 11. I have also restarted my computer. Nothing works and the options box keeps appearing next to where I am typing (and often covering the text that I want to change, copy, etc.). Any additional tips ?


2023-09-14 21:23:50

w

Great advice. Thanks


2021-01-15 14:04:07

Andrew

Pat, you can get to the paste-special options anytime you want very simply, even with the box turned off, either through the ribbon, or easiest of all, by right clicking where you want the paste to be - in which case the past options will be towards to top of the menu that pops up.

Andy.


2021-01-14 20:25:47

Pat

The problem with doing this is that once you do, you lose access to paste-special functions even if you have set up a keyboard shortcut for them! You can no longer paste without retaining unwanted formatting. For instance, all of my documents are set up to default to the Normal template of Times New Roman 12 pt, yet for no reason I can see, Office products constantly force text to be in Calibri. When I copy-paste from one doc that is all Times New Roman into another, it will change the pasted text into Calibri **if I turn off the "Show Paste Options" box**. When I let the box appear, then my default paste option is set to strip out the unwanted source formatting. However, then about every fourth paste, the box interferes and slows me down.

It is MADDENING there is no way to hide this box - a HORRIBLE feature - WITHOUT losing your ability to access 'paste special' functions, especially if you have pre-programmed keyboard shortcuts to them.


2020-05-21 16:20:06

Marry

Worked great for me in Word 2019. To turn it back on, click on the drop down arrow under the Paste icon which will give you "Set default Paste" option. This will take you to the Advanced tab where you can check the "Show Paste Options Buttons" check box.


2020-02-07 18:24:27

Avenne

Is there a way to hide this only when not needed? I often use this function, however sometimes I don't need it and/or it pops up when none of the options are correct. I don't see a way to get rid of it unless I type something somewhere else, and it's often in my way right where I want to type.


2019-10-27 14:40:18

Nathan Lenz

Doesn't work.


2019-10-11 12:40:10

James

Thank you for this explanation. This was very helpful.


2019-06-17 10:41:00

Willem

There is no "Options" when I click on the File tab in Word 2010


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