Cut and Copy text and images Word Online

Cutting and copying text and images is fairly simple. There are a lot less steps to selecting these than there are for selecting tables. This page covers the different ways to cut and copy text and images in Microsoft Word Online.

• Subscribers to this Website can learn how to select tables and their contents by clicking here.
• Pasting also is easy to do in Word Online. Like cutting and copying, there are several ways to do it. However, only the keystroke way works in some browsers. Click here to learn the different ways to paste.

Here are the expanded and minimized views of the Home ribbon and the copy, cut, and paste items in that ribbon. The third image is of the right-click menu.

Text

Before cutting or copying text, it needs to be selected. Symbols and Emojis, that are found in the Insert ribbon, are treated as text.

1. Move the cursor to the left of the first character that you want to select.
2. Hold down the left mouse button or left button on the trackpad.
3. Drag the cursor to the right and down to select all the desired characters. Now the selection is ready to be cut or copied.
   1. If you need to add to the selection, move the cursor to the right of the last character you of the additional text that you want to add.
   2. Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard. This is the same on Windows, Mac, and Linux distros.
   3. Click the left button on the mouse or trackpad.

NOTE: Only sections that are directly above or below what is already selected can be added, like they can in the desktop versions of Word and LibreOffice. Holding down the Ctrl key (or Cmd key in Mac) and selecting non-adjacent text will not work in Word Online.

Cut 

This removes the selected text from the document and places it on the clipboard. 

1. Click the clipboard item in the Home ribbon to expand the drop-down menu. Go to step 2, if you are in the expanded view. You also can right-click on the selected text to reveal a menu.
2. Click Cut. The third way is to use keystrokes. Click Ctrl+X if you are using Windows or a Linux distro. Click Cmd+X, if you are using a Mac. 

Copy 

This places the highlighted text on the clipboard, so it can be pasted elsewhere in the document and in other documents. The original copied text will remain in its places. 

1. Click the clipboard item. Go to step 2, if you are in the expanded view. You also can right-click on the selected text to reveal a menu.
2. Click Copy. The third way is to use keystrokes. Click Ctrl+C if you are using Windows or a Linux distro. Click Cmd+C, if you are using a Mac. 

Images

Word Online only allows you to select one image at a time. Simply click the desired image.

Cut 

This removes the selected text places it on the clipboard. 

1. Click the clipboard item in the Home ribbon to expand the drop-down menu. Go to step 2, if you are in the expanded view. You also can right-click on the selected text to reveal a menu.
2. Click Cut. The third way is to use keystrokes. Click Ctrl+X if you are using Windows or a Linux distro. Click Cmd+X, if you are using a Mac.

Copy 

This places the highlighted text on the clipboard, so it can be pasted elsewhere in the document and in other documents. The original copied text will remain in its places. 

1. Click the clipboard item. Go to step 2, if you are in the expanded view. You also can right-click on the selected text to reveal a menu.
2. Click Copy. The third way is to use keystrokes. Click Ctrl+C if you are using Windows or a Linux distro. Click Cmd+C, if you are using a Mac.