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
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0 events
Interact with the editable area to see events here.

Comments & Discussion

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