Background colour that appears after you paste text into Word is usually highlighting, paragraph shading or formatting copied from a web page. Select the text, then set Home > Text Highlight Color to No Color. If the colour remains, set Home > Shading to No Color. To avoid it next time, paste with Keep Text Only.
Quick Answer
Select the text > Highlight > No Color. Still there? Shading > No Color, or Ctrl + Space and Ctrl + Q to clear formatting.
Steps to Remove the Background Colour
- Select the pasted text (Ctrl + A for the whole document).
- On Home, click the arrow next to Text Highlight Color and choose No Color.
- If the colour is still there, click the arrow next to Shading (paint bucket) and choose No Color.
- If it fills the whole paragraph width, open Design > Page Borders > Shading, set Fill to No Color and Apply to: Paragraph.
- If the text is in a table, select the cells and set Table Design > Shading to No Color.
Which Type of Colour Is It?
| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Colour only behind the letters | Highlight or character shading | Highlight > No Color, then Shading > No Color |
| Colour across the full line width | Paragraph shading | Borders and Shading > Shading > No Color |
| Colour inside a box | Table cell shading | Table Design > Shading > No Color |
| Whole page coloured | Page colour | Design > Page Color > No Color |
If the pasted text is also bold, see how to remove bold in Word.
Troubleshooting
- Nothing removes it: Select the text and press Ctrl + Space and Ctrl + Q to clear character and paragraph formatting, or use Home > Clear All Formatting.
- Page looks dark, not the text: That may be dark mode. See switching Word to light mode.
- Paragraph shading details: See removing paragraph shading in Word.
- Border around the text: See removing a text box border.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I stop pasted text bringing its colour?
Right-click and choose Keep Text Only, or press Ctrl + Shift + V where supported. You can set the default in File > Options > Advanced > Cut, copy, and paste.
Will Clear All Formatting remove bold and links?
It removes bold and other font formatting. Hyperlinks usually remain.
Does this work in Word for Mac?
Yes. The Highlight and Shading buttons are on the Home tab there too.
Summary
- Select the text.
- Set Highlight to No Color.
- Set Shading to No Color if needed.
- Paste with Keep Text Only next time.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.