How to Format Headings, Tables of Contents and Text in Google Docs

To clear formatting in Google Docs, select the text and press Ctrl + \ (Command + \ on a Mac), or click Format > Clear formatting. The text goes back to the document’s normal style. To copy formatting from one spot to another, use the Paint format tool (the paint roller) or press Ctrl + Alt + C and Ctrl + Alt + V.

This guide covers clearing formatting, pasting text without formatting, removing just highlighting, typing or removing superscript exponents, and copying formatting. The shortcuts and Paint format steps come from Google’s Keyboard shortcuts for Google Docs, Copy and paste text and images, and Change how paragraphs & fonts look pages.

How to Clear Formatting in Google Docs

1. Select the text. Press Ctrl + A (Command + A on a Mac) to select the whole document.
2. Press Ctrl + \ (Command + \ on a Mac). Or click Format > Clear formatting.

Result: Bold, italics, underlines, text colors, highlighting, and font changes are removed, and the text matches the document’s normal text style. If you clear too much, press Ctrl + Z to undo.

There is also a toolbar button for the same command: the slanted T with a line through it.

What Clear formatting doesn’t remove

Clear formatting leaves some things in place:

• Links: the text stays linked.
• Images: they stay in the document.
• Headings and bullet points: These aren’t touched. To turn a heading back into body text, choose Normal text from the style menu in the toolbar.

Apply a Heading Style in Google Docs

On a computer, select the heading text in your Google document. Open the toolbar’s Normal text or current paragraph-style menu and choose the intended Heading 1–6 level. Alternatively, use Format > Paragraph styles > Heading 1–6 > Apply for the chosen level, as shown in Google’s heading guide. Check the style menu with the cursor in that paragraph; making text larger or bold alone does not assign a heading style. Use levels in a sensible hierarchy. To turn a heading into body text, choose Normal text; Undo reverses an accidental change. This is document structure, not a guarantee of search ranking when the document is published elsewhere.

Show and Use a Google Docs Outline

Apply Heading 1 to major sections and Heading 2 or Heading 3 to their subsections using the style instructions above. On a computer, choose View > Show outline (called Show document outline in older layouts). The outline opens on the left and automatically lists headings; click an entry to jump to its paragraph. Google’s outline instructions explain these controls and note that Subtitle is not included. Check that the intended sections appear in the right hierarchy after edits. The same View choice hides the outline without removing headings. If a heading was removed from the outline, select its text, right-click and choose Add to document outline. An outline is a navigation panel, separate from inserting a table of contents into the document.

How to Paste Text Without Formatting

If the formatting is coming from text you copy from a website or email, strip it as you paste instead:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + V (Command + Shift + V on a Mac), which Google lists as Paste without formatting.
• Or click Edit > Paste without formatting.

Result: Only plain text is pasted. This also drops links. Pasted text picks up the surrounding font. If Docs turns web addresses you type into links, you can turn off link detection in the Google Docs AutoCorrect settings.

Google also says that after a normal paste, you can click the Paste icon that appears to change the formatting of what you just pasted.

How to Remove Highlighting Only

1. Select the highlighted text.
2. Click Highlight color (the marker icon) in the toolbar.
3. Choose None.

Result: The highlight disappears, but bold, italics, and other styling stay. To remove a different single style, such as strikethrough, select the text and apply the same command again; see how to use strikethrough in Google Docs.

Type or Remove Superscript Exponents in Google Docs

For a simple exponent in a computer browser, type the base and exponent as normal text, such as x2. Select just the 2 and press Ctrl + . on Windows or ChromeOS, or Command + . on Mac. It becomes a raised exponent, as in x². Google’s Docs shortcut guide lists these Superscript commands and notes that some keyboards may differ.

You can apply the same Superscript command again to remove it without clearing the other formatting. If you turned it on before typing, turn it off again before continuing ordinary text. A multi-character or negative exponent works the same way: select the whole exponent, including its minus sign. Superscript changes how the text looks; it does not calculate the power.

For a complete mathematical expression, Google’s equation instructions use Insert > Symbols > Equation, with equation-toolbar choices and shortcuts. An equation is separate from ordinary superscript text. Use the targeted Superscript toggle for one exponent; use Clear formatting above only when you also want to remove the other character styling.

How to Copy Formatting With Paint Format

1. Select the text that has the formatting you want.
2. Click Paint format (the paint roller) in the toolbar. Google says your cursor changes to show you’re in paint format mode.
3. Select the text you want to change.

Result: The selected text takes on the same formatting. To paste it in several places, Google says to double-click Paint format, then click it again when you’re done.

Keyboard alternative from Google: Ctrl + Alt + C copies formatting and Ctrl + Alt + V pastes it (Command + Option + C and Command + Option + V on a Mac).

Troubleshooting

• Ctrl + \ doesn’t work: make sure text is selected first. Some keyboard layouts put the backslash in a different spot; use Format > Clear formatting instead.
• The heading is still big: Clear formatting doesn’t change paragraph styles. Pick Normal text from the style menu.
• The font still doesn’t match: the document’s normal style may use a different font. See how to change the default font in Google Docs.

Insert, Format and Refresh a Google Docs Table of Contents

Apply the Heading 1, Heading 2 and other appropriate paragraph styles to your section titles using the heading instructions above; bold text alone does not supply that structure. Click where the contents list belongs and choose Insert > Page elements > Table of contents, then select its appearance. Older menus placed Table of contents directly under Insert. Google’s headings and contents guide documents the current route. Check that the intended sections appear in the right order and that an entry leads to its heading.

Click the table of contents, choose More table of contents options > More options to its left, then use the right-hand panel to adjust its format, heading indents and displayed heading levels. These formatting options are unavailable in Pageless mode; use File > Page setup > Pages if you need them. After editing or adding headings, click the list’s Refresh control and inspect the updated entries. Do not assume it refreshes automatically. Let the document finish saving and check its exported PDF if distributing a fixed copy. To remove the list, right-click it and choose Delete table of contents; the document’s headings remain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I clear formatting in the Google Docs mobile app?

The mobile app automatically drops formatting when you paste text into a document, so pasted text arrives plain.

Is there a shortcut to open the Format menu?

Yes. Google lists Alt + O in Chrome on Windows and Ctrl + Option + O on a Mac. From there, choose Clear formatting.

Related Guides

• How to change the default font in Google Docs
• How to remove text color in Google Docs
• How to indent the second line in Google Docs

Using Outlook instead? Here’s how to remove formatting from an email in Outlook.

Can’t see your cursor in a document? See why your cursor is white in Google Docs.