Copy-and-paste rendered version (no markdown) from the editor

Bug graveyard
23

In my case I would use both (and I currently use plugins for both, Copy Document as HTML and Enhancing Export to export to word).

I have some notes where I would want to copy just part of the note with full formatting, and others where I’d want to export the entire note to a word doc

24

I am having the same issue. The mentioned fix of “Copy Document as HTML” plugin only works when you want to export a whole note. I often need to copy a line or two (Bibliography citations) but I am either stuck with the markdown [editor view] or without any of the italicized formatting [Reading view].

I would love a solution either in the form of a plugin or as a built in feature.

25

To clarify, I actually can copy from the reading view to get the correct formatting - however it gets unwanted formatting like text color and font.

So ideally (for me), reading view should only copy formatting that includes bold, italicized, underlined. I may be missing something, maybe indentation falls into this category as well.

26

Copy Document from HTML does allow you to copy just selected text. If you bind the keyboard shortcut for “copy selection or document”, it will automatically copy just the selected text (if text is highlighted), or the entire document (if no text is highlighted):

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image1580×108 9.62 KB

However, copying selected text only works when you’re in the editing view (it doesn’t work in reader view for some reason)

27

@bwat47 Thanks so much, that makes things a whole lot easier :slight_smile:

28

I think that would be ideal here would be if obsidian could copy just the semantic markup

IMO, in most cases, when copying text from Obsidian to another app that supports rich text formatting, it is not desired to have any of the internal Obsidian theme formatting included. Users would typically expect that only the text formatting (bold, italics, formatted lists, etc…) is included.

Copying from the reading view currently generates bloated HTML with all of the Obsidian theming included. The HTML generated from copying from the reading view has significant compatibility issues when pasting into many common applications, for example:

  • Pasting into Gmail: bullet points for unordered lists don’t come over at all. For some reason, the first character of headings also doesn’t come over.
  • Pasting into Outlook (web): Again, bullet points for unordered lists don’t come over at all, and numbered lists get bullet points instead of numbers…
  • Pasting into Google docs: Both numbered and unordered list get bullet points
  • Pasting into some apps will include your Obsidian theme’s background color which is really annoying (there’s another thread on this: Copying from obsidian reading mode also copies the background color - #8 by thoughtship)

The only apps I’ve tried where formatting actually comes over as expected when copying from Obsidian’s reader view is MS Word and Outlook (win32 versions).

Ideally, obsidian would have something like Typora’s “Copy without theme styling” option which copies only the semantic text markup, e.g:

<p><strong>Test bold text</strong></p>
<ol>
<li><p>Test</p>
</li>
<li><p>List</p>
<ul>
<li>Test unordered list</li>
<li>ABC</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>

This would be widely compatible with pasting into other apps that support rich text (e.g. emails), without unwanted elements like internal Obsidian theme styling.

EDIT: Related feature request: Allow pasting to other rich text editors without background styles from reader (whether dark or light mode) - #14 by ironmaus

EDIT: I realized that copy document as HTML can do this, if you enable the setting for “Copy HTML fragment only”, it copies just the semantic formatting without styling.

29

I am new to Obsidian, and I planned to use it to take more reading notes for teaching, especially for making slides. This issue is truly a deal breaker for me. Even though you can copy and paste the formatted text in reading mode, I need to constantly switch modes whenever I want to edit or copy text in Obsidian. (Even with the shortcut Ctrl + E, it is a pain and really disturbs the flow of my thoughts.) It is truly surprising and shocking for me to find out that Obsidian didn’t even consider meeting such a basic need.

30

Also same issue with Android app in general:

  • Copying in edit mode only considers selected content whereas “Select all” doesn’t select everything in contrast to reading mode
  • Copying in reading mode just copies plain text without formatting. The plugin “Copy document as HTML” is not supported on mobile devices.
31

First option also only copies markdown of course and would have been converted by 3rd party tools first.

32

Will be implemented in v1.12.2. ETA unknown.
The regular copy will place an html version in the clipboard as well.