How to copy ChatGPT into Word or Google Docs without the asterisks
Updated
The asterisks and pound signs are Markdown, the shorthand ChatGPT writes in:
**bold**, ## heading, - item. Whether they turn into real formatting
depends on how you copy and where you paste.
The surest fix: paste ChatGPT’s answer into our free ChatGPT to PDF converter, press Copy formatted, and paste into Word or Google Docs. Headings, bold, lists, tables and code arrive as formatting.
Three ways to paste with the formatting
Through the converter
Copy the answer with the copy button under it in ChatGPT, paste it into the converter, and press Copy formatted. It works for any length, and nothing is uploaded.
Select the answer on the page
Drag over the answer in ChatGPT itself and press Ctrl+C (Cmd+C). Your browser copies what you see, formatting included, rather than the Markdown behind it. Fine for a paragraph or two; fiddly for a long answer.
Google Docs: paste from Markdown
In Google Docs, turn on Tools › Preferences › Enable Markdown. Then right-click and choose Paste from Markdown, and Docs converts the marks itself.
How to turn a whole chat into a Word document
- Install Speed Booster Toolkit for Chrome or Firefox, open the chat, press Export and choose HTML.
- Unzip the download. It holds the chat as a web page, with its images beside it.
- In Word, choose File › Open and pick the .html file. The whole chat opens with its headings, lists, tables and code.
- Choose File › Save As and pick Word Document (.docx).
Why not a .docx straight away?
The toolkit exports PDF, HTML, Markdown, plain text and JSON, not .docx. Word opens the HTML file as it is and saves it as a .docx, so it’s one extra click. And if you only need to read, share or print the chat, a PDF keeps the layout exactly and opens everywhere.
For a single answer, the converter is quicker than any export: paste, copy, done.
Exporting a whole chat
End of week 6. It needs screenshots, the final pricing, two customer quotes and a short story of why you built it.
Q3 launch on one page: research in weeks 1–2, pricing locked by week 4, a 200-team beta in weeks 5–6, the press kit by the end of week 6, and launch on the Tuesday of week 8.
Common questions
Why does ChatGPT text have asterisks when I paste it?
Because ChatGPT writes in Markdown, where **two asterisks** mean bold and # marks a heading. Some places you paste into show those marks instead of turning them into formatting.
How do I copy ChatGPT into Word with the formatting?
Paste the answer into a Markdown converter, such as our free ChatGPT to PDF converter, press Copy formatted, and paste into Word. Or select the answer on the page and copy that instead of using the copy button.
How do I remove the asterisks and pound signs?
Don’t delete them by hand: they mark where the formatting goes. Convert them instead, with the converter or with Google Docs’ Paste from Markdown, and they become bold text and headings.
Can I export a ChatGPT chat to Word?
ChatGPT can’t by itself. With Speed Booster Toolkit, export the chat as HTML, open the file in Word, and save it as a .docx.
Does this work with Google Docs?
Yes. Copy formatted pastes into Google Docs the same way. For a whole chat, export it as Markdown and open the file in Google Docs from Drive.