Copy Formatting in Google Docs (Shortcut)

When working with Google Docs, if you have already formatted some of the text and you want to repeat the same formatting to some other text, you can easily do this.

This can save you a lot of time when you’re trying to format a document, and it’s pretty easy to do.

In this article, I will show you some techniques you can use to copy formatting in Google Docs.

Copy Formatting in Google Docs Using Keyboard Shortcut

Below is the keyboard shorcut to copy and paste formatting in Google Docs:

Control + ALT + V

Here is how to use this keyboard shortcut to copy formatting:

  1. Select the text that has the formatting that you want to copy
  2. Copy the text (you can use the shortcut Control + C or right-click and then copy)
  3. Select the text on which you want to paste the copied formatting
  4. Use the keyboard shortcut Control + ALT + V (hold the Control and the Alt key and then press the V key)

The above steps would instantly paste the copied formatting on the text that you selected in Step 3.

Note that you can continue to use this keyboard shortcut to copy and paste the formatting on multiple places in Google Docs.

Copy Formatting in Google Docs Using Paint Format

Google Docs has a paint format option that allows you to quickly copy the formatting from the selected text and then apply it on any other text in your Google docs document.

Below I have an example where I have the first line that has a specific format applied to it (it has been bold and has a blue color font).

Text where formatting needs to be copied in Google Docs

Now I want to copy the formatting from the first line and then apply it on the second line which does not have any formatting applied to it already.

Here are the steps to copy formatting in Google Docs using Paint Format:

  1. Select The text that has the formatting that you want to copy
  2. In the menu bar, click on the Paint Format icon. doing this would change your cursor and you will see an additional paint format icon along with the cursor
Click on Paint Format
  1. Select the text on which you want to copy the formatting
Formatting applied to the selected text

The above steps would easily copy the format from any text that you selected in step one and then paste that copied formatting on the selected text in Step 3

Note that this is only a one time operation, which means that when you click on the Paint Format icon and then you go and select any text, the formatting would be copied to that text, and then the Paint Format would be disabled

But what you want to copy the formatting to multiple text in the Google Docs?

This is often the case when you have the text scattered in the Google Docs and you want to apply the formatting to them one by one.

You can either repeat the same steps again, or you can use the method I cover next where I’ll show you how to keep the paint format icon enabled so that you can copy the formatting to multiple places in Google Docs.

Keep Paint Format Active (for Multiple Actions)

Here is the trick.

If you want to keep the Paint Format icon enabled so that you can continue to copy and paste the format on multiple text, you need to double click on the paint format icon.

When you double-click on it, you would notice that it becomes blue and it remains active unless you go back to the menu and press the paint format icon again.

Paint Format icon remains active
Also read: 10 Biggest Font Styles in Google Docs

Important Things to Know When Using Copy Formatting in Google Docs

  • Paint format (or the keyboard shortcut) is only able to pick up one formatting from the selected text. for example, if you have text where you have some text in blue color and then some in red color, and then you select this entire text and then use the paint format option, it will only copy the blue color formatting.
  • Paint format is also available in Google Slides and you can use it the same way as mentioned above to copy the formatting there. It is also available in Microsoft applications such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint and works the same way

Other Google Docs articles you may also like:

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