Clean Copied Text

Clean, sort and convert lists

Paste any list and pick what it needs: remove duplicate lines, sort alphabetically (with numeric-aware ordering so "item 2" comes before "item 10"), strip leading numbering like "1." or "a)", or convert the list into bullet points, a comma-separated line, or tab-separated values for a spreadsheet. Turn on any combination in Fine-tune cleanup below.

Example

Before
apple
banana
apple
cherry
After
apple
banana
cherry

53 characters · 12 words · 6 lines · 1 paragraphs

0 characters · 0 words · 0 lines · 0 paragraphs

Your text stays in your browser. Clean Copied Text does not upload or store what you paste.

What this tool fixes

  • Repeated lines removed, keeping the first occurrence and the original order
  • Lines sorted A-Z or Z-A, case-insensitive and numeric-aware by default
  • Leading numbering (1., 2), (3), a., roman numerals) stripped without touching numbers inside a line
  • Converted into bullet points, a comma-separated line, or tab-separated values for pasting into a spreadsheet

How to use it

  1. 1Paste your textDrop in the messy text you copied from anywhere.
  2. 2Click cleanClean Copied Text fixes the formatting instantly, in your browser.
  3. 3Copy the resultCopy the clean text or download it as a .txt file.

Common uses

De-duplicating an email or contact list before a mail mergeAlphabetizing tags, keywords or a glossaryTurning a numbered outline back into plain itemsPreparing a column of values as comma- or tab-separated for Excel or Google Sheets

Limitations

  • Sorting and de-duplication both drop empty lines by default.
  • Matching is case-insensitive by default for both sorting and de-duplication — enable case-sensitive matching in fine-tune if you need exact-case comparison.

Related tools

Clean up messy textPaste messy text and clean spacing, line breaks, duplicates and formatting in one click. Free, private and runs entirely in your browser.
Remove line breaks from textRemove unwanted line breaks from text copied from PDFs, emails, websites and documents. Join lines with spaces, keep paragraphs, or turn lines into a list.
Word and character counterCount characters, words, lines, paragraphs and reading time. Handy length hints for posts, bios, titles, descriptions, resumes and emails.

Frequently asked questions

Can I combine several operations, like sorting and de-duplicating at once?
Yes. Turn on multiple toggles in Fine-tune cleanup — for example, remove duplicates and sort alphabetically in the same pass.
Does removing duplicates keep the first occurrence or the last?
The first occurrence is kept; later duplicates of the same line are removed. The order of the remaining lines is not changed.
Will sorting mix up numbers, like "item 2" and "item 10"?
No. Sorting is numeric-aware by default, so "item 2" is placed before "item 10" instead of being sorted as plain text character by character.
Does removing list numbers affect numbers written inside a sentence?
No. Only numbering at the very start of a line (like "1.", "2)", "(3)" or "a.") is removed. A line like "I have 2 dogs" is left untouched.
What is the difference between comma-separated and tab-separated output?
Comma-separated joins the list into one line like "red, green, blue" — useful for tags or a CSV cell. Tab-separated keeps items on one line divided by tab characters, which spreadsheets read as separate columns when pasted.
How do I sort Z to A instead of A to Z?
Turn on "Sort lines alphabetically" and "Reverse line order" together in Fine-tune cleanup — sorting runs first, then the reverse flips it to Z→A.

Know someone who fights with messy pasted text?

Send them this tool — it might save them a headache with their next PDF, spreadsheet or chat export.

Share on WhatsAppShare by email