How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook? The Complete Step By Step Guide For Every Version in 2026

If you’ve ever opened an Outlook email draft and spotted strange backward “P” marks scattered throughout your text, you’re not alone. These are paragraph symbols (¶), also called pilcrows or formatting marks — and they confuse thousands of Outlook users every day. The good news? They’re completely harmless, invisible to your recipients, and take just one click or keyboard shortcut to remove.

This step-by-step guide covers how to remove paragraph symbols in Outlook across every version and device — Windows, Mac, Outlook 365, Outlook Web, and older versions like 2010, 2016, and 2021. Whether they appeared suddenly or you’ve been ignoring them for weeks, this guide has the fix.

What Are Paragraph Symbols In Outlook?

The paragraph symbol (¶) is a non-printing formatting mark that Outlook displays to help you see the hidden structure of your email. Also called a pilcrow, it marks the end of each paragraph — essentially showing you where you’ve pressed the Enter key.

Beyond the paragraph mark, Outlook can also display other formatting indicators:

Symbol	What It Represents
¶	End of a paragraph (Enter key)
· (dot)	Space between words
→ (arrow)	Tab character
↵	Manual line break (Shift+Enter)
○	Object anchor

These symbols serve as visual editing aids — they help writers, editors, and power users check spacing and structure before sending. They are never visible to email recipients unless those recipients also have formatting marks enabled on their end.

Why Paragraph Symbols Appear In Outlook & How To Turn Them Off

Why Do Paragraph Symbols Appear In Outlook

Most people don’t turn on formatting marks intentionally. Here are the most common reasons they appear:

• Accidental keyboard shortcut: Pressing Ctrl + Shift + 8 (or Ctrl + Shift + *) toggles formatting marks on. This is the most frequent cause.
• Copied content from Word or a website: When you paste text from Microsoft Word, a browser, or another document, the underlying formatting — including paragraph marks — can transfer into Outlook.
• Synchronized Microsoft 365 settings: If you use a work or school account, formatting preferences can sync across devices, enabling marks on a machine you didn’t configure.
• Persistent editor settings: Outlook uses Microsoft Word as its email editor. If formatting marks are enabled in Word, they often carry over into Outlook’s compose window.
• Outlook remembering last session: Sometimes Outlook saves your last formatting state and reapplies it when you open a new message.

Turn Off Formatting Marks Outlook

The fastest way to turn off all formatting marks in Outlook is through the Format Text tab in any open message:

1. Open or compose an email in Outlook.
2. Click the Format Text tab in the ribbon.
3. In the Paragraph group, locate the ¶ button (Show/Hide).
4. Click it once — all formatting marks disappear immediately.

This setting applies to all future messages you compose, reply to, or forward.

How To Turn Off The Paragraph Symbol In Outlook

Using a keyboard shortcut is even faster:

• Windows: Press Ctrl + Shift + * (the asterisk on the 8 key, not the numpad)
• Mac: Press Command + 8 (in some versions)

This instantly toggles the display of paragraph marks off without needing to navigate the ribbon.

How To Turn Off Paragraph Marks In Outlook

If the toolbar button doesn’t seem to work permanently, the issue may be rooted in your editor settings. Go to:

File → Options → Mail → Editor Options → Display

Under Always show these formatting marks on the screen, uncheck Paragraph marks. Click OK. This approach targets the root setting rather than just toggling the visual display.

Turn Off Paragraph Marks In Outlook

A quick summary of all toggle methods:

• Ribbon button: Format Text → Paragraph group → ¶ icon
• Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + * (Windows) or Command + 8 (Mac)
• Permanent fix: File → Options → Mail → Editor Options → Display → uncheck Paragraph marks

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook (All Versions & Devices)

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook

Step-by-step for Outlook on Windows (Desktop):

1. Open Outlook and click New Email (or open a draft).
2. Click the Format Text tab in the top ribbon.
3. In the Paragraph section, find the ¶ button.
4. Click it once to hide all formatting marks.

Done. The paragraph symbols are now hidden for all current and future messages.

Remove Paragraph Marks In Outlook

If the ¶ button doesn’t appear in your ribbon, it may be collapsed. Try widening your Outlook window, or look for the Show/Hide ¶ tooltip by hovering over ribbon icons in the Paragraph group.

How To Remove Paragraph Marks In Outlook

Using keyboard shortcut (fastest method):

1. Click anywhere inside the email body.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + 8 on your keyboard.
3. All formatting marks, including paragraph symbols, disappear instantly.

Press the same shortcut again to bring them back.

How To Get Rid Of Paragraph Symbol In Outlook

If you just want to remove one specific paragraph mark (not turn off all formatting marks), you can:

1. Make sure formatting marks are visible (so you can see what you’re deleting).
2. Click directly before the ¶ symbol you want to remove.
3. Press the Delete key.

This deletes the actual paragraph break, merging the two paragraphs into one.

How To Remove The Paragraph Symbol In Outlook

Alternatively, use Find & Replace:

1. Press Ctrl + H to open Find & Replace.
2. In the Find what field, type ^p (this represents a paragraph mark).
3. Leave the Replace with field empty.
4. Click Replace All.

This removes all paragraph marks from the selected text area at once.

Outlook Remove Line Break Symbol

Line break symbols (↵) appear when you’ve pressed Shift + Enter instead of Enter. They create a new line without starting a new paragraph. To remove them:

1. Press Ctrl + H to open Find & Replace.
2. In Find what, type ^l (lowercase L — this represents a manual line break).
3. Leave Replace with blank.
4. Click Replace All.

Turning off formatting marks via the ¶ button also hides line break symbols visually without deleting them.

How To Remove In Outlook Email

When paragraph symbols appear in a received email you are replying to or forwarding:

1. Open the reply/forward window.
2. Click Format Text → ¶ to toggle off marks.
3. If the original email was sent in Plain Text, change the format to HTML first: Format Text → HTML.

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook Email

When composing a new email from scratch:

1. Start your new message.
2. If ¶ symbols are showing, click Format Text in the ribbon.
3. Click the ¶ button in the Paragraph section.
4. Continue composing — no symbols will appear.

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook Emails

For emails where paragraph marks appeared after pasting copied text:

1. Select all the pasted text (Ctrl + A or highlight it manually).
2. Click Format Text → Clear Formatting (the eraser icon).
3. Re-apply any bold, font size, or style you need.

This strips the imported formatting, including embedded paragraph marks carried over from Word or web pages.

Outlook On The Web Clear Formatting Eraser Icon

In Outlook on the Web (OWA), paragraph marks aren’t typically visible the way they are in the desktop app. However, if you’ve pasted content with unusual formatting:

1. Select the affected text.
2. In the formatting toolbar above the email body, look for the eraser icon (Clear Formatting).
3. Click it to strip all formatting from the selected text.

The eraser icon in OWA removes bold, fonts, colors, and pasted-in structural formatting simultaneously.

Version-Specific Solutions (365, Mac, 2010–2021 & More)

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook App

The Outlook mobile app (iOS and Android) does not display formatting marks. If you’re seeing ¶ symbols, you’re likely using the desktop version or web version, not the mobile app. Switch to mobile to compose without this distraction.

How To Remove In Outlook 365

In Microsoft 365 (both classic and new Outlook):

1. Open a new or existing message.
2. Go to Format Text → Paragraph group → ¶ icon.
3. Click once to hide all formatting marks.

For a permanent fix in Microsoft 365: File → Options → Mail → Editor Options → Display → uncheck Paragraph marks → OK

Turn Off Paragraph Marks In Outlook 365

If marks keep returning in Outlook 365 after toggling, the likely cause is synchronized settings across your Microsoft 365 account or a conflicting Word setting. Fix this by:

1. Opening Microsoft Word (not Outlook).
2. Going to File → Options → Display.
3. Unchecking Paragraph marks and Show all formatting marks.
4. Clicking OK, then restarting Outlook.

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook 365

Same as above — Outlook 365 uses Word as its editor, so Word’s display settings directly affect what Outlook shows during composition.

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook Permanently

To permanently disable paragraph marks in Outlook on Windows:

1. Go to File → Options → Mail.
2. Click Editor Options under Compose messages.
3. Select Display from the left panel.
4. Under Always show these formatting marks on the screen, uncheck Paragraph marks.
5. Also uncheck Show all formatting marks if it is checked.
6. Click OK and restart Outlook.

This is the most reliable long-term fix.

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook Calendar

Paragraph symbols in Outlook Calendar (in meeting invites or appointment bodies) can be removed the same way — click inside the description field, go to Format Text → ¶, and toggle off. The keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + * works here too.

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook 2021

In Outlook 2021, the process is identical to Outlook 365: Format Text tab → Paragraph group → click the ¶ icon. Or press Ctrl + Shift + * for an instant toggle.

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook 2016

In Outlook 2016:

1. Open a new message.
2. Click the Format Text tab.
3. Click the ¶ icon in the Paragraph group.

The keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + * also works in 2016.

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook 2020

There is no standalone “Outlook 2020” version — Microsoft skipped that year. You are likely using Outlook 2019 or Microsoft 365. Follow the Outlook 365 or Outlook 2021 steps above.

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook 2010

In Outlook 2010, the steps are slightly different since the ribbon layout may vary:

1. Open a new email message.
2. Click Format Text at the top.
3. In the Paragraph section, click the ¶ symbol.
4. Alternatively, press Ctrl + Shift + * to toggle marks off.

The Editor Options path also works: File → Options → Mail → Editor Options → Display.

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook Mac

In Outlook for Mac (newer versions, 16.x and above):

1. Open a new message.
2. Click the three-dot menu (…) or “See More Options” in the message toolbar.
3. Select Turn Off Formatting Marks.

In older Mac versions:

1. Open a new message.
2. Click Format Text in the ribbon.
3. Click the ¶ button to toggle off.

You can also try: Outlook → Preferences → Composing and adjust formatting defaults there.

Why Do Paragraph Symbols Suddenly Appear?

Paragraph marks often appear out of nowhere due to one of these triggers:

• Accidental keyboard press: Ctrl + Shift + 8 is easy to hit by mistake.
• Paste from Word or browser: Formatting data travels with copied content.
• Microsoft 365 settings sync: Your settings changed on another device and synced to this one.
• Outlook using Word’s last state: If Word had formatting marks enabled when it last closed, Outlook inherits that state.
• Reply to a Plain Text email: Switching to HTML from Plain Text sometimes activates visual formatting indicators.

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook Desktop App

Method 1: Use The Toolbar Button

1. Open Outlook (desktop version).
2. Open or create any email.
3. Click Format Text in the ribbon.
4. In the Paragraph group, click the ¶ icon.
5. All formatting marks disappear immediately.

Method 2: Use Keyboard Shortcut

1. Click anywhere in the email body.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + * on Windows (asterisk on the 8 key, not numpad).
3. Formatting marks toggle off immediately.

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook 365

Follow this process specifically for Microsoft 365 users who want the issue resolved once and for all:

1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. Go to File → Options → Display.
3. Under Always show these formatting marks, uncheck Paragraph marks.
4. Uncheck Show all formatting marks.
5. Click OK and close Word.
6. Restart Outlook.

This addresses the root-level editor setting shared between Word and Outlook in the Microsoft 365 suite.

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook Web Version

Outlook on the Web (OWA / outlook.com) does not display paragraph marks the way the desktop app does. If you see formatting issues there:

1. Select the problematic text.
2. Click the Clear Formatting eraser icon in the toolbar.
3. Retype or reformat the text as needed.

There is no Show/Hide ¶ toggle in Outlook Web — the feature is exclusive to the desktop application.

How To Remove Paragraph Symbols In Outlook Mac

1. Open Outlook for Mac.
2. Start a new message.
3. Look for the ¶ icon in the formatting toolbar or under Format Text tab.
4. Click it to turn off formatting marks.

For newer Mac versions (16.81+):

• Click the three-dot (…) menu in the message compose bar.
• Select Turn Off Formatting Marks.

Keyboard shortcut on Mac: Try Command + 8 if the toolbar option isn’t visible.

If the issue persists after updating: Outlook → Preferences → Composing → reset formatting settings.

If Paragraph Symbols Won’t Disappear

If the ¶ button doesn’t seem to work permanently and the symbols keep coming back, try these deeper fixes.

Change Email Format

If the email is in Plain Text format, Outlook behaves differently. Switch to HTML:

1. In the message window, go to Format Text.
2. Select HTML as the format.
3. Now try turning off the ¶ marks again.

Clear Formatting

1. Select all text in the email body (Ctrl + A).
2. Go to Format Text → Clear Formatting (or use the eraser icon in the Font group on the Home tab).
3. This strips all formatting — including embedded marks carried over from pasted content.

Paste Without Formatting

To prevent paragraph marks from appearing when pasting content:

• Use Ctrl + Shift + V or right-click and choose Paste as Plain Text (or Keep Text Only).
• This removes all formatting from the source content before it enters Outlook.

Do Paragraph Symbols Show To Email Recipients?

No. Paragraph symbols are non-printing formatting marks. They are display-only features within your Outlook editor. Your recipients will never see ¶ in the email they receive — unless they have their own formatting marks enabled in their Outlook while reading it, which is extremely rare.

Why Outlook Uses Paragraph Symbols

Microsoft built formatting marks into Outlook because it shares the same editor engine as Microsoft Word. Word has used the Show/Hide ¶ feature for decades as a professional editing tool. It allows writers and editors to:

• See exactly where paragraphs end and begin.
• Spot unwanted extra spaces or line breaks.
• Identify tab stops and indentation issues.
• Detect invisible characters causing layout problems.

For casual email users, this feature is more confusing than helpful — which is why knowing how to turn it off is so useful.

Common Formatting Issues Caused By Paragraph Marks

When paragraph marks are embedded in email content (especially from pasted text), they can cause:

Problem	Cause	Fix
Extra blank lines in email	Hidden paragraph marks between lines	Delete individual ¶ marks or use Find & Replace
Text not aligning properly	Tab characters mixed with paragraph marks	Clear formatting and retype
Unusual spacing when forwarding	Paragraph mark-heavy content from Word	Paste as plain text before sending
Emails look broken in other clients	Mixed plain text and HTML paragraph marks	Switch to HTML format, then clear formatting
Line breaks disappearing	Manual line breaks (↵) removed	Re-add using Shift + Enter

Best Practices To Avoid Formatting Problems In Outlook

Follow these habits to keep your Outlook emails clean and professional:

1. Always paste as plain text when copying from external sources. Use Ctrl + Shift + V or right-click → Keep Text Only.
2. Set HTML as your default email format: File → Options → Mail → Compose messages in this format → HTML.
3. Turn off formatting marks globally via Editor Options so they never appear again.
4. Know your keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl + Shift + * is the most commonly accidentally triggered shortcut. Memorize it so you can reverse it fast.
5. Check Word’s display settings if Outlook marks keep returning — they share the same editor engine.
6. Don’t delete paragraph marks carelessly — they control how your email flows. Toggle visibility off rather than deleting them unless you’re intentionally merging paragraphs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the paragraph symbol in Outlook? It’s the ¶ (pilcrow) character — a formatting mark showing where a paragraph ends. It’s a display-only editing aid.

Do paragraph symbols appear to email recipients? No. They are invisible to recipients unless the recipient also has formatting marks enabled.

What is the keyboard shortcut to remove paragraph marks in Outlook? Press Ctrl + Shift + * (asterisk on the 8 key) on Windows, or Command + 8 on Mac.

Why do paragraph symbols keep coming back in Outlook? Usually caused by Word’s display settings overriding Outlook’s. Fix it via File → Options → Mail → Editor Options → Display.

Can I remove paragraph symbols in Outlook Web? Outlook Web doesn’t show formatting marks. Use the Clear Formatting eraser icon if you have paste-related issues.

Does removing paragraph symbols delete my formatting? No. Toggling them off only hides the visual marks — your actual formatting (spacing, paragraphs) stays intact.

How do I remove paragraph symbols in Outlook for Mac? Click the three-dot menu in the compose window and select “Turn Off Formatting Marks,” or use Format Text → ¶.

Are paragraph symbols the same as line break symbols? No. Paragraph marks (¶) appear when you press Enter. Line break symbols (↵) appear when you press Shift + Enter.

Conclusion

Paragraph symbols in Outlook are nothing more than helpful (if sometimes annoying) formatting guides built into the email editor. They don’t affect your message, don’t show up in recipients’ inboxes, and can be turned off in seconds. Whether you’re on Windows, Mac, Outlook 365, an older version like 2010 or 2016, or even the web version, the fix is always quick — a single click on the ¶ button or a keyboard shortcut does the job.

For those who want a permanent solution, adjusting the Editor Options settings or syncing Word’s display preferences ensures the symbols never return. Combine that with the habit of pasting as plain text and keeping HTML as your default format, and you’ll have a clean, distraction-free email composing experience every time.