Convert Table to Text in Word: Step-by-Step Guide

Converting a table to plain text in Microsoft Word is a quick way to strip away the grid structure while keeping the content. This is useful when you need to paste data into a plain-text editor, reformat information into paragraphs, or share content without the table formatting. You just select the table, choose the conversion command, and pick how you want the text separated. No special tools or add-ins are needed—everything is built into Word.

What You’ll Need

• A computer with Microsoft Word installed (Word 2010 or later, including Microsoft 365).
• A document containing a table you want to convert.
• Basic familiarity with Word’s ribbon interface.

Step-by-Step

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word and navigate to the page that contains the table you want to convert.
2. Click anywhere inside the table to activate it. You don’t need to select the entire table; just placing the cursor in any cell is enough for the next steps.
3. Go to the “Layout” tab that appears on the ribbon. When you click inside a table, Word shows two additional tabs: “Table Design” and “Layout”. Click the “Layout” tab (the one specifically for table tools, not the page layout).
4. Find the “Convert to Text” button in the “Data” group on the right side of the Layout tab. It may be labeled “Convert to Text” or just show an icon with a table and an arrow.
5. Click “Convert to Text”. A dialog box will appear asking how you want to separate the text.
6. Choose a separator from the four options:
   • Paragraph marks: Each cell becomes its own paragraph. This is the best choice if you want the content to appear as a vertical list.
   • Tab characters: Each row becomes a paragraph, with cells separated by tabs. This is ideal if you want to preserve the row structure and later convert it back to a table or use it in a spreadsheet.
   • Commas: Each row becomes a paragraph, with cells separated by commas. Great for CSV-style output.
   • Other: You can type any custom separator, such as a semicolon or a hyphen.
7. Click OK to perform the conversion. The table will be replaced by the text, formatted according to your chosen separator.
8. Review the result and make any adjustments. If you used tabs or commas, you might want to clean up extra spaces or line breaks.

Common Mistakes

• Not selecting the table properly: If you select only part of the table, the “Convert to Text” command may be grayed out. Always click inside the table or select the entire table before looking for the command.
• Using the wrong Layout tab: Word has multiple “Layout” tabs. Make sure you click the one under “Table Tools” (it appears only when the table is active).
• Choosing the wrong separator: If you pick “Paragraph marks,” you lose the row structure entirely. If you need to keep rows together, use tabs or commas.
• Forgetting to save a backup: The conversion is not undoable with Ctrl+Z if you close the document afterward. Save a copy before converting if you think you might need the table later.

Tips

• Use tabs for easy re-conversion: If you convert to tab-separated text, you can later select the text and use “Insert Table” > “Convert Text to Table” to bring back the table structure.
• Clean up extra spaces: After converting, use Find and Replace (Ctrl+H) to remove double spaces or extra tabs if needed.
• Convert multiple tables at once: You can select multiple tables by holding Ctrl and clicking in each, but the “Convert to Text” command works on one table at a time. It’s faster to convert them individually.
• Use a custom separator for special needs: If you need a specific delimiter for a database or script, the “Other” option lets you type exactly what you need.
• Check the result in a plain-text editor: If you’re pasting into an email or a code file, paste into Notepad or TextEdit first to see how the text looks without formatting.

Troubleshooting

• The “Convert to Text” button is grayed out: This usually means the cursor is not inside the table or the table is not active. Click inside any cell and try again.
• I don’t see the Table Tools tabs: The “Table Design” and “Layout” tabs only appear when the table is selected. Click inside the table and they should show up.
• The conversion removes my table borders but leaves empty lines: This can happen if your table has empty cells. After conversion, use Find and Replace to remove multiple paragraph marks (^p^p) and replace them with a single one.
• I want to convert only a few columns, not the whole table: Word’s built-in tool converts the entire table. To convert only part, copy the desired columns into a new table first, then convert that.
• My text appears with strange characters: If you chose “Other” and typed a separator, make sure it’s a single character or a short string. Also check for any non-printing characters in the table cells.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I convert a table to text without losing the formatting of the text inside?

Yes, the text formatting (bold, italics, font size) is preserved. The conversion only removes the table structure, not the character formatting.

Will the conversion work on a table that is part of a larger document?

Yes, it works on any table in the document. Only the selected table is converted; the rest of the document remains unchanged.

Can I convert text back into a table after using “Convert to Text”?

Yes, if you used a consistent separator like tabs or commas. Select the text, go to Insert > Table > Convert Text to Table, and choose the same separator.

Does this work in Word for Mac?

Yes, the steps are the same in Word for Mac. The “Layout” tab is under “Table Tools” and the “Convert to Text” button is in the “Data” group.

What is the difference between “Tabs” and “Paragraph marks”?

“Tabs” keeps each row as a paragraph, with cells separated by tab characters. “Paragraph marks” puts each cell on its own line, so the row structure is lost.

Can I convert a table to text in Word Online (free web version)?

No, the “Convert to Text” feature is not available in Word for the web. You’ll need to use the desktop version of Word to perform this conversion.

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