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Clean Text on Paste: Remove Hidden Formatting | Rune
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Clean Text on Paste: Remove Hidden Formatting | Rune

Learn how Rune's Word Counter auto-cleans pasted text, removing HTML tags and hidden formatting for accurate word counts.

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2 min read

You copy text from a website, paste it into a word counter, and the results are way off. Why? Hidden formatting. HTML tags, invisible characters, and extra whitespace all throw off your count. Rune's "Clean text on paste" feature solves this problem automatically.

The Problem with Web Content

When you copy text from a webpage, you're often copying more than just visible words:

  • HTML tags: <p>, <span>, <div> tags are invisible but present.
  • Non-breaking spaces: &nbsp; looks like a space but isn't.
  • Extra whitespace: Multiple spaces, tabs, line breaks.
  • Formatting codes: Bold, italic, and other rich-text markers.

These hidden characters inflate your character count and can even affect word count.

How Clean Text on Paste Helps

When enabled, Rune's Word Counter automatically:

  1. Strips all HTML tags – Removes <p>, <div>, <span>, and all other markup.
  2. Normalizes whitespace – Converts multiple spaces to single spaces.
  3. Removes invisible characters – Eliminates non-breaking spaces and zero-width characters.
  4. Preserves actual content – Only the words you see remain.

How to Use It

  1. Open Rune's Word Counter.
  2. Toggle on "Clean text on paste."
  3. Copy text from any source (website, Word, email).
  4. Paste with Ctrl+V (or Cmd+V).
  5. Text is automatically cleaned, and accurate stats appear.

When to Use Clean Text

Scenario Recommendation
Copying from websites Always enable
Copying from Microsoft Word Enable if stats seem off
Copying from Google Docs Optional (usually clean)
Copying from Notepad Not needed (plain text)
Typing directly Not needed

Real-World Example

Before Cleaning

You paste an article from a blog. The word counter shows:

  • Words: 523
  • Characters: 3,456

But the article is clearly shorter.

After Cleaning

You enable "Clean text on paste" and paste again:

  • Words: 487
  • Characters: 2,890

The hidden HTML tags were adding 36 false words and 566 false characters!

Why Accuracy Matters

  • Academic submissions: Inflated counts can appear as padding.
  • SEO reports: Misleading metrics hurt analysis.
  • Client work: Billing by word count requires precision.

Conclusion

Hidden formatting is a silent word count killer. Rune's Word Counter eliminates the problem automatically with "Clean text on paste." Enable it once and never worry about inaccurate counts again.

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