Unwanted link when pasting numerical text

Hi @Craig Larson 

I am not certain if there is an option to disable the automatic URL detection.

However, you can try to copy the decimal number (e.g., 0.0123456) from your source. If pasting directly into a shape causes issues, first insert a text box. Click inside the text box and paste the decimal number using Ctrl + V (Windows) or Command + V (Mac). 

Once pasted into the text box, you can select the text and copy it again.

Now, select the target shape and paste the text using the standard paste method (Ctrl + V or Command + V). The plain text should now appear without being converted into a URL.

(This may seem tedious but it’s a few simple steps)

I hope that this helps.

Thank you. I have managed to find several “work-arounds” to achieve my desired result. Like the ones you offered, they all require several steps. I was hoping for a simple check-box solution - a toggle - but apparently that is not possible. I appreciate the response.

@Craig Larson 

I’ll tag @Abby S in this thread for additional guidance - if there isn’t a simpler workaround, I do see this as a great suggestion for the idea pipeline. 

Hi @Craig Larson, thanks for posting in the community. 

@Ria S thanks for starting this conversation and tagging me in! 

There is not a toggle that you can turn off link generation, but you can copy and paste number strings with decimals into existing shapes without generating a link if you make sure that the text already in the shape is not selected, so clicking on the shape with just a single-click instead of a double-click. 

Please give this a try and let me know if you are still experiencing issues.

Yes, while that does eliminate the link, it does not paste the text (0.123456) to conform to my existing shape formatting like non-decimal text would.

So, in the last example, my previously formatted green box uses the darkest font color; a single-click to paste the decimal works, but alters the text color. This is a minor difference, but over the course of hundreds of hours of work does add up to a lot of extra time. 

Thanks for getting back to me Craig. If you try to use the keyboard shortcut, rather than the right click menu, are you able to paste plain text?

No, CTRL-SHFT-V does not paste anything.

I’m pasting numbers from an Excel spreadsheet. All the alternative methods you suggested do work but they don’t work as normal text would, even from Excel.

I appreciate your help. I should video this process.

Hi Craig, just to clarify, are you able to paste the numbers as plain text when they are not from Excel? And it is just when they are from Excel that you are running into this issue?

If that is the case, can you try clicking into the cell to select the number as text (rather than selecting and copying the cell) to see if that works?