Case ce-0039-paste-table-structure-lost · Scenario scenario-paste-formatting-loss

Pasting tables loses structure and formatting

OS: Windows 11 Device: Desktop or Laptop Any Browser: Firefox 120.0 Keyboard: US Status: draft
paste table structure firefox

Phenomenon

When pasting table content (from Excel, Google Sheets, or HTML tables) into a contenteditable region in Firefox, the table structure is lost. The content may be pasted as plain text or lose its formatting.

Reproduction example

  1. Copy a table from Excel or Google Sheets.
  2. Create a contenteditable div.
  3. Paste the table content (Ctrl+V).
  4. Observe the structure of the pasted content.

Observed behavior

  • In Firefox on Windows, table structure is not preserved.
  • Table cells may be converted to plain text or lose their relationships.
  • Formatting (borders, colors, alignment) is lost.

Expected behavior

  • Tables should be pasted with their structure intact (<table>, <tr>, <td> elements).
  • Formatting should be preserved where possible.
  • Or, there should be a way to control how tables are pasted.
Clipboard
Cell 1Cell 2
Cell 3Cell 4
Copied table structure
→
❌ After Paste
Cell 1 Cell 2
Cell 3 Cell 4
Table structure lost, converted to plain text
vs
✅ Expected
Cell 1Cell 2
Cell 3Cell 4
Table structure maintained

Browser compatibility matrix

This matrix shows which browser and OS combinations have documented cases for this scenario. The current case is highlighted. Click on a cell to view other cases.

Browser Windows macOS
Chrome —
Firefox —
Safari —
Current case
Confirmed
Draft
— No case documented

All variants (detailed table)

Complete list of all cases for this scenario with full environment details.

Case OS Device Browser Keyboard Status
ce-0006-paste-strips-markup Windows 11 Desktop or Laptop Any Chrome 120.0 US draft
ce-0024-paste-html-preserved macOS Ubuntu 22.04 Desktop or Laptop Any Safari 120.0 US draft
ce-0039-paste-table-structure-lost Windows 11 Desktop or Laptop Any Firefox 120.0 US draft

Playground for this case

Use the reported environment as a reference and record what happens in your environment while interacting with the editable area.

Reported environment
OS: Windows 11
Device: Desktop or Laptop Any
Browser: Firefox 120.0
Keyboard: US
Your environment
Sample HTML:
Event log
Use this log together with the case description when filing or updating an issue.
0 events
Interact with the editable area to see events here.

Comments & Discussion

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