Remove Text Formatting
Use the CaseSwitch Remove Text Formatting tool to knock Markdown-style emphasis, links, code markers, and HTML tags off a draft so the words remain. Paste a README or chat message, copy the clean text. Removal runs in this browser — nothing is uploaded.
Written by the CaseSwitch editorial team. We maintain these tools in the browser so drafts, keys, and images stay on your device.
Last reviewed: 23 July 2026
Processed locally in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server.
Paste or type text to convert. Output stays empty until there is input.
Character count: 0 · Word count: 0 · Line count: 0
Examples
Emphasis and code
Input
**bold** and *italic* and `code`
Output
bold and italic and code
Link label kept
Input
[Click](https://x.com) here
Output
Click here
HTML bold tag
Input
<b>Hi</b> there
Output
Hi there
Underscore-style emphasis
Input
__strong__ and _em_
Output
strong and em
Combined markers
Input
**Hello** _world_
Output
Hello world
How to use
- Paste the Markdown-like or HTML-tinged draft.
- Check the output for leftover markers on nested or odd patterns.
- Copy the plain words into your agenda, ticket, or next tool.
What this tool is for
Chat apps and READMEs leave `*bold*`, `_italics_`, backticks, and link syntax in the clipboard. This tool unwraps those common patterns and strips HTML tags so you can paste ordinary characters into a meeting agenda, ticket, or case converter. It targets everyday markers, not a full Markdown AST.
How it works
HTML tags are removed first. Then paired `**…**` and `*…*` unwrap, then `__…__` and `_…_`, then inline `` `code` ``, then `[label](url)` links keep the label. The pipeline is the same engine as the Plain Text Converter. Nested or irregular Markdown can leave leftovers — skim before you publish.
When to use it
Cleaning chat messages that used *bold*, turning a Markdown outline into a meeting agenda, preparing text for a case converter, and peeling markers from a CMS paste.
When not to use it
Do not run it on a file you still want as Markdown. Do not use it to strip formatting from a binary .docx — export or use a Word-to-Markdown path first. Do not treat it as XSS protection for rendering untrusted HTML.
How it compares to related tools
The Plain Text Converter is the same cleaner with a plain-text framing. The Character Remover deletes arbitrary characters. The Whitespace Remover only fixes spaces. HTML formatters indent tags rather than deleting them.
Common mistakes
Removing `*` from a mathematical expression that was not emphasis. Stripping `_` from snake_case when underscore emphasis matched. Expecting `# Heading` hashes to disappear automatically. Leaving code fences half-broken after backtick removal.
What is intentionally not parsed
Heading hashes, list markers, tables, and footnotes are outside the main unwrap patterns. If your paste is a full Markdown document you still need as Markdown, stop — use a proper parser. If you only need the words, you may still delete leftover `#` or `-` with the Character Remover or Find and Replace.
Code blocks and math
Inline backticks unwrap to the inner code. Fenced blocks can lose their fences and look messy — copy code out first when it matters. Mathematical asterisks that are not paired emphasis markers may remain or partially match; verify technical strings by eye.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a full Markdown parser?+
No. It targets common markers. Nested or irregular Markdown may need a dedicated parser.
Will code fences survive?+
Fence backticks may be removed. Extract code blocks first if you need them intact.
Does it remove HTML?+
Tag-shaped spans are stripped. That is not a security sanitizer for re-rendering HTML.
Why did snake_case change?+
Underscore emphasis `_like_this_` can match parts of identifiers. Check technical strings after cleaning.
Same as Plain Text Converter?+
Same processor. Use either page; the guides emphasize different entry intents.
Is my text uploaded?+
No. Cleaning runs in this browser.
Does CaseSwitch upload this text?+
No. Conversion, cleaning, and counting for this page run in your browser. Drafts are not sent to CaseSwitch for processing.
Related tools
Plain Text Converter
Pasting a README snippet into Slack as plain text, cleaning a CMS export, preparing copy for a system that escapes HTML badly, and getting unstyled words ready for a case converter.
Character Remover
Cleaning invoice numbers out of a description, removing emoji from a slug candidate, stripping punctuation before a frequency count, deleting a separator from a pasted column, and preparing a string for a case converter when leftover marks would become part of a token.
Whitespace Remover
Cleaning CSV cells, tightening pasted UI copy, normalizing Slack or email spacing before a character count, and preparing text for a case converter or duplicate-line pass when padding would create false unique lines.
Duplicate Line Remover
Deduping email lists, unique-ifying a keyword list, cleaning a changelog pasted twice, preparing a column for import, and removing repeated headers from a log extract. Use it when duplicates are exact line repeats and you want to keep original order. Pair with the Whitespace Remover first if trailing spaces or mixed tabs make visually identical lines look different to you but not to the tool.
Remove Line Breaks
PDF copy-paste, OCR output, old plain-text emails, chat logs wrapped at a fixed width, and comments that wrapped at column 80 when you wanted a single string for a CMS or spreadsheet cell.
Find and Replace Text
Renaming a term across a draft, normalizing spelling variants, stripping a repeated prefix, fixing a typo that appears dozens of times, and small regex cleanups (optional digits, `colou?r`-style variants, capture-friendly patterns). Test on a short sample before pasting a long document.