(Secret) Preserving ChatGPT Markdown Formatting in Google Docs

Mar '23 in Writing

I struggled to copy ChatGPT's Markdown into Google Docs without the background color. And I couldn't remove the color without removing the Markdown!?! 😕 I cracked the code! Here's how you can fix it and move on to craft the perfect blog layout.

(Disclaimer: This was just my solution. Please share if you found an easier way?) :

Create a new Google Doc by going to Google Docs > New Doc.
In the top menu bar, navigate to Tools > Preferences and check the box labeled "Automatically detect Markdown."
Copy the Markdown-formatted text from ChatGPT and paste it into your Google Doc.
Select all the pasted text by using the keyboard shortcut CTRL + A (or CMD + A for Mac users).
Go to the top menu bar and choose Format > Paragraph Styles > Borders and Shading.
Select > Reset
Select > Apply

The background color is gone! When you select a heading in your Google Doc, it should be properly formatted as Heading 1, Heading 2, and so on. Hope this helps! 👋

(If this information has already been covered elsewhere, I apologize for boring you to death. I couldn't find the solution, and it was a pain point. 😬)

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