Clean up unwanted text formatting
My text isn't formatting how I want it
- When I apply a heading style, why does it also apply to other text?
- Why can't I apply bullet list styles to the text I want?
- Why are there empty lines in my text I can't seem to get rid of?
- Why are there big gaps between paragraphs?
The answer to all of the above questions relates to the way HTML tags are added when you paste text from somewhere else. By default, most HTML tags are automatically removed when you paste content to ensure your formatting is nice and clean. One tag, however, that often remains is the <br> tag.
What is the <br> tag?
<br> stands for 'break' and creates a line break in your text without actually starting a new paragraph. The built-in formatting styles for headings apply at the level of the paragraph. So, it might look like two sections are different paragraphs but they may simply be separated by a <br> tag. If this is the case, when you apply a new style it will apply to the whole paragraph.
How do I remove the <br> tag and make two paragraphs?
Option 1: use the rich text editor.
- Place your cursor where you think there might be a <br> tag and hit backspace until there is no space between the characters that were before and after the break. this will have deleted the <br> tags.
- Then, hit enter (just once). This should create a new paragraph
Option 2: use the HTML editor
- Switch into HTML mode
- Locate the <br> tags and delete them
- Add an opening <p> or a closing </p> as required to complete any paragraphs