# Does NotchStar keep rich text formatting

> NotchStar stores copied text as plain text. Fonts, bold and colours are dropped, so clicking a row pastes without formatting.

Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-rich-text-plain-text/
Last updated: 2026-11-04

Published 2026-11-04.

NotchStar keeps the words you copy and drops the formatting. If you copy a bold, coloured paragraph from a web page or a document, the Clipboard tab stores it as plain text. Clicking the row puts the plain text back on the clipboard.

## What is kept and what is lost

- **Kept:** the characters, spaces and line breaks.
- **Lost:** fonts, sizes, bold, italics, colours and links hidden behind words.

A link you copy by its address, such as one from the address bar, is kept in full, and shows a link icon.

## A side effect you may want

Because the text goes back as plain text, pasting from the NotchStar list is a way to paste without formatting. Copy the formatted text, open Clipboard, click the row, and paste. The pasted text takes on the style of the place you paste into.

## A side effect you may not want

If you need the formatting, paste straight after copying, before you click anything in NotchStar. Clicking a row replaces the clipboard with the plain version. NotchStar does not keep the formatted version.

## Copies with text and an image

When one copy has both, NotchStar keeps the text and not the image. See [images](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-images-notchstar/).

## Limits

Two copies of the same words with different formatting count as one item, since only the characters are compared. See [what copying twice does](https://www.notchstar.com/help/copy-again-moves-clipboard-item-to-top/).

The tool is on the [Clipboard feature page](https://www.notchstar.com/features/clipboard/).

## Quick answers.

### Can I paste without formatting using NotchStar?

Yes. Click the row in Clipboard and paste. The text goes back as plain text.

## Keep reading.

- [Clipboard history that lives in your notch](https://www.notchstar.com/features/clipboard/): Searchable clipboard history in the Mac notch: text, links, images and files. Skips password manager copies. Click any item to copy it again.
- [How NotchStar clipboard history handles images](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-images-notchstar/): NotchStar keeps images you copy in clipboard history at a reduced size, shows a thumbnail, and keeps only the 10 newest. Search finds them with the word image.
- [How to paste an older item from NotchStar clipboard history](https://www.notchstar.com/help/paste-from-notchstar-clipboard-history/): Open the notch, pick Clipboard, click the item you want, then press Command V where you want it. NotchStar copies the item back and does not paste for you.
- [What NotchStar does with files you copy in Finder](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-files-copied-in-finder/): NotchStar records files copied in Finder as files, with their icon, not as text names. Click a row to copy the file again. Search matches name and path.

## More in Clipboard.

- [How to search your clipboard history in NotchStar](https://www.notchstar.com/help/search-your-clipboard-history/): Open the notch, pick Clipboard and type to filter 50 recent copies. Search ignores capitals and accents, and typing image finds copied images.
- [How many items NotchStar clipboard history keeps](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-limit-50-items/): NotchStar keeps the 50 most recent clipboard items, at most 10 of them images. Older items drop off, and the list shows the 30 newest matches at a time.
- [Why your NotchStar clipboard history clears when you quit](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-clears-on-quit/): NotchStar keeps clipboard history in memory only, so quitting the app clears it. Nothing is written to disk, and password manager copies are skipped.
- [How to paste an older item from NotchStar clipboard history](https://www.notchstar.com/help/paste-from-notchstar-clipboard-history/): Open the notch, pick Clipboard, click the item you want, then press Command V where you want it. NotchStar copies the item back and does not paste for you.
- [What happens when you copy the same thing twice in NotchStar](https://www.notchstar.com/help/copy-again-moves-clipboard-item-to-top/): Copy the same text, image or file again and NotchStar moves it to the top of the clipboard list instead of adding a duplicate. Here is how it matches.
- [What NotchStar does with files you copy in Finder](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-files-copied-in-finder/): NotchStar records files copied in Finder as files, with their icon, not as text names. Click a row to copy the file again. Search matches name and path.