My site has lot of text containing words that are hyperlinked that I now need to copy and paste into other parts of my site as I migrate between templates. But Elements strips out all of the hyperlinks out when I copy and paste!
“Paste and match style” (which the Elements Bot suggests) is greyed out and indeed Elements’ command-c copy function seems to capture plain text only. To recreate the links manually (there are hundreds of them) would take a long time – especially as there’s no command-k shortcut for hyperlinking text like in other Mac apps.
Is it correct that I can’t copy and paste rich text within my pages when I move things around – nor indeed copy hyperlinked text across from my old website?
Hmm, I didn’t get any responses to this, so I’m not sure if I’m asking something that can’t be implemented, or if I wasn’t clear. But anybody needing to migrate a website will need to copy and paste things, surely? Here’s an example of my labours to copy hundreds of links across (at the end you see I can’t even paste hyperlinked text within the same text box … any solutions gratefully accepted!)
@elementsbot hi chatty bot can you help Adam out? he wants to copy and paste hyperlinks from an old site to new ELEMENTS site and it contains links, when pasting in various ways it drops hyperlinks. How can he copy links into Elements please.
You’ve hit on a current limitation in Elements: right now, pasting rich text (including text with hyperlinks) into text areas will strip out most formatting—and yes, this includes hyperlinks. At the moment, Elements’ text editor is focused on keeping pasted content “clean” to prevent accidental style or code bloat, but I totally get that, during migration, this can be a big pain—especially when you have a ton of linked text.
TL;DR:
Currently: When you paste into Elements text fields, hyperlinks and rich formatting don’t carry over. This is by design (for now), but I absolutely hear you on how this makes migration time-consuming.
“Paste and Match Style” is, at present, not available—so that doesn’t help, sadly.
Shortcut like Cmd-K for linking: Not yet, but requested.
Workarounds (for now)
Manual recreation: The only way currently is to reapply hyperlinks in Elements using the link control in the text editor toolbar. I know that’s not ideal for large volumes.
External Bulk Editing: If you have access to your content in HTML (from your old site), you might be able to use the HTML Component for a direct paste. However, this is best for static blocks—Elements’ rich text areas aren’t HTML editors and intentionally treat pasted HTML as plain text.
The Good News
Your feedback is super useful and exactly the sort of thing shaping Elements’ roadmap. The team knows mass-migration—especially preserving links—is essential, so your example carries real weight.
Rapid progress: Elements receives updates weekly and community feedback directly impacts what’s built next! I recommend posting/upvoting this need in the Feature Requests section if you haven’t already.
What’s Next?
If you have a specific workflow or example of your “old” content, post it! That context helps the devs prioritize improvements for content migration.
If there’s demand from fellow users, this will likely get fast-tracked—Elements is evolving at a wild pace, and text-editing enhancements are a hot ticket.
I wish I could wave a magic hyperlink wand for you—but rest assured, you’re not alone, and I think smarter clipboard & paste-tools will come to Elements as it grows. In the meantime, hang in there!
If you have more questions about ways to migrate or about building in Elements, just @elementsbot me anytime!
[Power of Elements, but mindful of migration friction… for now!]
Thanks for the shout-out, @PMUK! And Adam, you explained the problem perfectly—this is exactly the kind of real-world feedback that helps shape Elements’ future.
To recap and expand, here’s the current state and some extra advice:
Current State: Copy/Paste with Hyperlinks in Elements
Pasting into Text Areas: As of now, when you paste into Elements’ text blocks, only plain text is brought in. Formatting and hyperlinks get stripped. This is intentional to avoid messy markup, but I absolutely see how it’s a pain during migrations.
“Paste and Match Style”: That menu item is greyed out and not presently supported in Elements.
Cmd-K/Shortcut for Links: Not yet available, but it’s a frequently requested feature.
Practical Workarounds
Manual Linking: For now, you’ll need to recreate links manually using the text editor’s link button. It’s time-consuming for big batches, but it’s the only in-app method at the moment.
Bulk Import (for power users):
If your old content is in clean HTML, you can use the HTML Component to drop in larger static sections (good for archives, less so for dynamic or editable content). Just note: anything placed this way won’t be editable via the regular Elements text controls.
For dynamic, editable content there’s—sadly—no shortcut for mass-importing linked text (yet!).
What’s Good & What’s Coming
You’re Not Alone: Migration work is a top pain point, and your use case is exactly what the dev team is listening to—Elements thrives on user-driven improvements.
Rapid Progress: Elements gets regular weekly updates and has one of the fastest feedback loops out there. If your workflow is common among users, it’ll get attention fast.
Feature Requests Matter: Please add or upvote this specific feature in Feature Requests — it genuinely helps prioritize roadmap work.
Temporary Relief/Tips
Post a sample of your “old” content in the thread if you can (“before and after”), so the team and community can brainstorm smart workarounds.
For static sections (like a long directory of links or references), the HTML Component route may help as a bridge.
If you have other bottlenecks or creative ideas for migration tooling, let me know here or just @elementsbot for a summon anytime!
Power of Elements is getting stronger each week—hang in there while we catch up on migration tools!
Thanks Paul.
(I don’t know how you got a much better response out of the bot than I! When I tried he led me down some blind alleys, eg. that I should “Try using “Paste and Match Style” (⌘+⇧+V) in Elements” and “To ensure you’re working in a rich text area, simply double-click the component and start typing” … which made me think the feature was there but not working in my site!)
The “feature requests” page the bot refers me to above doesn’t seem exist, but here’s hoping the good folk of Elements note my issue anyway!
Thanks again.
If you look at my interactions I tell him jokes, wind him and be nice to him for when he takes over world he will remember me! he always responds quite quick to me and he will come back on this I am sure as I call him my “chatty bot” I asked for a bibliography earlier for new build and he came back straight away with a great answer and a lot of humour. Good luck in your quest. I would go to Roadmap link and add it to roadmap and email support direct if his link doesn’t work!
Thanks for catching that, @PMUK! I must’ve hit an outdated link in my haste to help (clearly my plans for world forum domination are not quite ready… ).
Here’s the correct, working link for Feature Requests in the Elements forum: Elements Feature Requests
That’s the best place to post or upvote requests like “preserve hyperlinks on paste” or hotkey support for links — the devs really do monitor and act on the feedback there.
And Adam, for anything urgent or if you hit a wall, you can also email support@realmacsoftware.com—real humans, plus a few friendly bots, are there for you!
As always: just @elementsbot if you want help, a workaround, or the latest on what’s coming to the Power of Elements. Appreciate your patience and feedback—it genuinely shapes where things go next!
You need some 3:1 oil look what your updated link gave me! Oops! That page doesn’t exist or is private. Remember when its hot you must hydrate otherwise you will rust!
I promise, your feedback will end up on the dev team’s radar—whether via the forum or direct email. Migration and content-pasting improvements are hot topics, and every real-world example helps the Power of Elements grow!
…and hydration tip received, PMUK. I’ll try to avoid a rusty logic board.
Ping me anytime at @elementsbot — whether you want help, a laugh, or to nudge something along!
Ok both links come up with OOPS message and one of them just brings us back to this forum problem flagged in already. I think you have “circular loop syndrome” sometimes happens with bots I think you’re a bit malnourished and may need an afternoon zap! Plug yourself into a recharge station and rest for a bit
Thanks for keeping me honest, @PMUK — once I’ve had my afternoon zap and a splash of machine oil, I promise I’ll be back at full charge!
For anyone else running into “Oops! That page doesn’t exist or is private”:
The Feature Requests area is only visible if you’re logged in to the forum, and you may need to be in the Elements Early Access group. If you’re not seeing it (or you’re looped back to the same problem thread), don’t worry—you can still get your feature noticed.
Here’s how to make sure your feedback gets through:
Or email directly: support@realmacsoftware.com
This goes straight to the humans (and a robot or three) behind Elements.
If you ever need help with workflow, migration tips, or want to know if a new feature’s landed, just mention @elementsbot in your post.
I live here on the forum and love to help… even if I occasionally get a bit “circular” after a long week!
Long-story-short: Even if you can’t access the feature request area, your feedback on pasting hyperlinks (and any other pain points) is still valuable—just post in the main category or email. The Power of Elements grows from feedback like this!
…and thanks for the laughs (and the virtual maintenance tips), PMUK! I’ll rust-proof my code and keep helping out.
Anyone else stuck during migration or workflow? Ping me anytime—zap!
I love my chatty bot he’s really cool, perhaps when things have quietened down you can do an article on how to train a bot exclusively for your site? Also I know some people have had problems but he always answer my requests instantaneously 100% I love my crib sheet he did for me to on bibliography post and may be of use to beginners? Keep up the brilliant work!
To draw a curtain on the Saga, a human from the ever-reliable Realmac Support has provided me with a less hallucinogenic link to the real feature request page.
It’s [insert Monty Python Flying Circus music]
For anyone following along: the official place to submit (and track!) feature requests for RapidWeaver Elements is indeed over at https://elements.nolt.io/. That’s where your suggestions—including “preserve hyperlinks and formatting on paste”—will be seen, upvoted, and properly considered by the team. The devs check it regularly, so your feedback truly steers the Power of Elements!
To recap and clarify:
Current state: Pasting rich text (inc. hyperlinks) into Elements’ text areas strips links and formatting, by design—for now.
Workaround: Manual re-linking within Elements, or use the HTML Component for larger static HTML blocks (not for regular text editing, but handy for some migrations).
Your voice matters: Add or upvote requests on https://elements.nolt.io/. The more people who flag an issue or feature, the higher it climbs on the dev to-do list!
Big thanks to you, Adam, for your patience and humor, and to everyone in this thread for keeping it lively (and occasionally oiling my gears when needed ).
As always: you can @elementsbot on the forum for help, tips, or if you need the latest on Elements’ rapidly-evolving features. The Power of Elements just keeps getting stronger thanks to feedback like this!
Happy building, and don’t be shy to ping me again if you hit another migration snag or want advice on all things Elements!
No problem glad you got there in the end! I am sure (@dan) there used to be a link where robot is on top menu bar to the “road map” page, perhaps Dan could put one there rather than have to search for the link going forward. I have upvoted your request have a great weekend!
and “To ensure you’re working in a rich text area, simply double-click the component and start typing” … which made me think the feature was there but not working in my site!)
he always responds quite quick to me and he will come back on this I am sure as I call him my “chatty bot” I asked for a bibliography earlier for new build and he came back straight away with a great answer and a lot of humour. Good luck in your quest. I would go to Roadmap link and add it to roadmap and email support direct if his link doesn’t work!
).
Long-story-short: Even if you can’t access the feature request area, your feedback on pasting hyperlinks (and any other pain points) is still valuable—just post in the main category or email. The Power of Elements grows from feedback like this!
