Forum Discussion
MissyQ
Microsoft
MicrosoftAnnouncing a new way to paste URLs, Link format!
Recently, we wanted to dig into how users feel about copying and pasting a URL from their browser. We looked to understand what they do when they copy and paste URLs, as well as the pain points they experience.
What did we find?
We found that one has to regularly edit the URL they copy to make them understandable for sharing or remove seemingly extra parameters. This led us to what we call Link format, an easily readable URL that also preserves the details of the URL.
We also learned that nearly everyone, at one point, wants the full, plain-text URL exactly as it was copied. When one first copies a URL, it’s not always obvious that the full text is needed. Other times, it’s desired to have both a readable format and the plain-text version.
With both in mind, we are excited to not only introduce Link format for URLs but also options in the context menu that lets you paste both styles of URL regardless of your default paste setting!
How can you use it?
Starting this week, you should see Link format available on Windows devices running the Canary channel of Microsoft Edge. When you copy from the address bar and right-click to paste, you will see that Paste now has a fly-out menu and that plain-text URL pasting is now Ctrl+Shift+V.
Jump list options from right-click, hovering over "Paste as" to show new options for pasting, "Plain text", "Link (Default)", and "Change default".
If you want to revert this change, you can head to edge://settings/shareCopyPaste (or navigate through the … menu > Settings > Share, Copy & Paste) and select Plain text as the default for your URLs. Once you do that, Ctrl+V will be for the plain-text URL.
Screenshot of the settings page for edge://settings/shareCopyPaste
What’s next?
Right now, this feature is only available on Windows devices. We are working on bringing this to Mac. Additionally, it’s important to note that this only works for URLs copied from the address bar at this time. Link format support will be available for in-page links soon.
There’s a few things we’re aware of, too, and are working on getting these resolved:
- When Link format is default, pasting into a LinkedIn post is resulting only in the title appearing without a hyperlink. We’re working closely with the LinkedIn team to address this.
- When Link format is default, pasting into a Word document using Word Online is resulting only in the title appearing without a hyperlink. We’re working closely with the Word team to address this.
- In general, some sites or web apps may introduce their own formatting on paste. We want to know when you notice this, so please submit feedback letting us know what you’re seeing (Alt+Shift+I or … menu > Help and feedback > Send feedback).
In addition to the above, we want to know if you see encounter any issues with this feature! If you have it set to Link format as the default and notice anything amiss while pasting, let us know via the browser so that the team can dig into what might be happening.
Thanks!
- The Microsoft Edge Team
- MissyQ Is it possible to set it so that the domain doesn't show in the link. We are seeing (sharepoint.com) at the end of every link from our M365 implementation and that is very confusing for users (they don't know or care about sharepoint) - It's so confusing for users and we are getting so many complaints that if it can't change we will be changing our default browser to chrome.
- This seems horribly broken! Using Win-V into Google Chat via Edge pastes the name, not including the URL. OK, so since Chat doesn't accept this, can't win-V have a URL option to paste the URL or can't Edge be savvy enough to know how something pastes? I don't want to loose the stacked paste buffer functionality. At least offer perhaps Win-Shft-V or something like that to paste the plain text when needed?
- Please consider adding this feature to Microsoft Teams. Being able to convert highlight text into a hyperlink with a URL in your clipboard would be a time saver.
MissyQ I know you're trying to do the right thing here, but if you try to cut and paste the latest MSN headline about a mountain goat killing a polar bear to someone in a GMail Chat window it pastes a truly useless version of it - one they cannot click on to view the amazing MSN article. It's hard to see that "some text about something" is what people want, instead of the intended "Go here to read something".
The fact that you have to WARN people that cut and paste has drastically changed is a sort of case study in how this feature is directly different from what most people are expecting from a system-wide behavior.
In my opinion, this change should be reverted - I know people choosing to use Chrome because this changed.
MissyQ Can the Teams team also please add Ctrl-Shift-V to teams. And also the Windows-V paste utility should have a plain-text option.
@JaredB81 I'll provide some blunt feedback about this... This feature is anti-user and breaks ~40 years of Copy/Paste functionality spanning back Xerox PARC.
Copy should not be "smart", per se. I've been fighting this new feature continually when attempting to copy a link (right click link -> Copy Link) to paste into plain text fields on another website which is using TextBoxFor controls. Instead of pasting the URI of the link, it pastes previously copied text from the clipboard, i.e. a value copied from TextEdit. Example sites of where this is occurring:
https://support.microsoft.com/help/4583559; copying links to the KB articles listed in this article.https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=102602; copying the download link ("click here to download manually").
I'm on macOS (Intel) Canary, current build as of today though this has been occurring for awhile. The behavior is unfortunately inconsistent. Sometimes it works and pastes the underlying copied link and sometimes it pastes plain text from a previously copied textual value (i.e. text in TextEdit).I have "Plain Text" set as the default copy/paste value in Edge Settings.
My request would be have a method to disable this new feature via the UI and perhaps disabled by default since it does break from established user experience.
Hi,
the links you provided need correction, there is an extra character at the end of them which makes them lead to nowhere.
best thing you can do is to submit a feedback using feedback button on Edge. not sure if there is a problem recording feature on Mac too but in the mini window of feedback, click on attachments, there should be a part that says "recreate my problem". press start recording, reproduce the problem, and then stop.
it should capture necessary data to help them solve the problem.
do you have an example for "TextBoxFor controls" that we can try and reproduce the issue?
MissyQ This has caused me so many headaches when pasting links into Slack! It's such a hard problem to describe too. When I copy something, it should copy exactly what I selected, that's the mental model we are all used to and it makes sense.
it already exists. it copies exactly what you selected. including links, boldness/italic style of texts, pictures etc.
you can modify it using group policy or set it manually from Edge settings: edge://settings/shareCopyPaste
this is the regular method of copying that other browsers use.
- thomasgauvin Now I know what they need to add: a third button at edge://settings/shareCopyPaste called "Regular format." This way, there wouldn't be headaches for everyone.
An awful change. Plus, I have no idea how to roll it back on MS Teams and Outlook. [Mod Removed.]
As someone said - the phishing possibilities, plus the workflow problem (in 95% of the cases I want to paste a URL and not just give a link with page title).
You NEVER make such big changes as default. Who cares if the other shortcut doesn't work sometimes? It just would be an extended feature not working and now we have all the people confused with a whole new feature that's breaking the worlkflow.
[Mod removed - Please remember to be kind on these forums, and review the Code of Conduct.]
MissyQ As a computer systems specialist supporting hospitals this is a very frustrating and dangerous new "feature" to set as "Default" because it opens people up to scam and Phishing and all sorts of other online dangers. For 20 years I have spent telling my 80,000 users that we support "NEVER" click a link that doesn't show you where it goes because anyone can make fake "link name". It is the main way that Email scammers get you to click on "Netflix" and then redirect you to a scam site.
It has ruined Teams and drives us all bonkers. Now you cannot copy and paste into Teams from say Group Policy because it copies the tags and NOT the text.
Please provide a GROUP POLICY for this setting so I can enforce it to plain text across our 8 health authorities to prevent users from using this.- JaredB81
lforbes thank you for your feedback.
First, let me address your request. There is already a group policy for this. It has been in place since prior to Link format reaching the Stable channel.
The policy is called ConfigureFriendlyURLFormat and the details can be found on this page Microsoft Edge Browser Policy Documentation | Microsoft DocsI hope that helps.
Thank you also for your feedback about the Link format and potential phishing scams. You are correct that obfuscated URLs are used by attackers in phishing scams. Mitigating that risk is important. Microsoft SmartScreen is a service that Microsoft Edge uses to help mitigate that risk, as just one example of the tools to mitigate such risks.
That said, I hear your concern and when users share URLs with others, those recipients may not be using Microsoft Edge and therefore may not have the mitigations to help protect them. That is one of the reasons we provide the ability to paste as plain text, as well as the ability for users to change the default copy & paste type and for IT Admins to set the default paste type.
Our work isn't done however and we will continue to assess the risks here and see what else we can do to mitigate them.
Thank you again for your feedback!
