Microsoft Edge has a really useful feature called Smart Copy, which lets you grab content from webpages while keeping the original formatting. It’s a great way to avoid messy copy/pastes. Edge, which is now built on the same base as Chrome, has added a bunch of cool features, and Smart Copy is one of them. It was first tested in the Canary version of Edge, and is now part of the stable release, so everyone can use it.
Method 1: Using the Context Menu
You can easily start Smart Copy by right-clicking on the webpage you are on. Just choose Smart copy from the menu that pops up.
Method 2: Using a Keyboard Shortcut
Alternatively, there’s a keyboard shortcut to make things even quicker! You can press Ctrl+Shift+X to launch Smart Copy directly.
Now, let’s look at how it works step-by-step:
- After you’ve activated Smart Copy, your mouse cursor changes into a plus (+) sign. Simply click and drag to select the text, images or any other elements you want on the page. You’ll see a dotted outline marking your selection.
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If you want to refine the selection, just drag the small handles on the corners and sides of the box.
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Once you’re happy with your selection, click the Copy button that shows up at the bottom-right of the box.
A little “Copied” message will appear briefly, and the selection box disappears.
- Now, just go to where you want to paste the content and press
Ctrl+V. The content should keep its original look and formatting. This makes it really easy to grab stuff for documents, emails, or other things, without losing how it appeared on the original webpage.
Smart Copy is a super useful tool when you need to grab content without losing the intended formatting, especially when basic copy and paste gets messy.