How to use the Paste Options button when pasting into a bulleted or numbered list (284752)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Word 2003
  • Microsoft Word 2002
This article was previously published under Q284752

SUMMARY

This article explains how to use the Paste Options button in Microsoft Word when you paste data into a bulleted or numbered list.

MORE INFORMATION

The Paste Options button

The Paste Options button appears as a standard paste icon when you rest the mouse pointer near text that you have pasted. When you move the mouse pointer over the button, an arrow for a drop-down menu appears.

The Paste Options button allows you to decide whether to paste your data as you originally copied it, to change the style so that it fits the style of the document into which you have pasted the data, or to apply specific characteristics to the data based on the content.

For example:
  1. Copy a list, and then paste it as a second list in a Word document.

    A Paste Options button appears.
  2. Click the button, and then select the option that you want for your pasted information.

Pasting into bulleted and numbered lists

When you copy a bulleted or numbered list and paste it into an existing list or paste it as a new list, the paste options may vary. The paste options are based on whether the list is being copied to a different document with different bulleted or numbering formatting, or if it is being pasted to the same document.

The default Paste Options settings are as follows:
  • When you paste a numbered or bulleted list to a new document, the default paste option is Keep Source Formatting.
  • When you paste a numbered or bulleted list into a blank paragraph in a list that is numbered, the default paste option is Continue List.
  • When you paste a different type of list to a new or existing document that already contains a list, the default paste option is Merge with Existing List.
The following list provides an overview of the various Paste Options settings that are available when you paste into a bulleted or numbered list:

Keep Source Formatting: Merges the pasted list into the existing list when you paste into the same area of the document as an existing list.

Match Destination Formatting: Pastes the list with bullets or numbering, but the list is not merged into the existing list.

Keep Text Only: Pastes as unformatted text.

Continue List: Pastes the list without restarting numbering.

Paste as a New List: Pastes the list but restarts the numbering to create a new list.

Merge with Existing List: Pastes the list with different formatting and merges the new list with the existing list; the entire merged list adopts the formatting of the destination list.

Paste List Without Merging: Pastes the list with different formatting but does not merge with the existing formatting of the destination list. Formatting of the pasted list is left intact.

Apply Style or Formatting: Displays the Styles and Formatting task pane so that additional formatting can be applied.

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:9/25/2006
Keywords:kbhowto kbinfo KB284752
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