The quickest way to select every word at once
To select all text in a Word document at once, press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac. Everything on every page — headings, body text, images, tables — turns blue or highlighted. This is the fastest method and works the same way whether you use Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or most other word processors.
Once everything is selected, you can copy it, delete it, change the font, adjust spacing, or explore any formatting to the entire document in one action. This saves time when you want consistency across a long document or when you need to move all your text somewhere else.
Key Takeaways
- Press Ctrl+A (Windows) or Command+A (Mac) to select all text and objects in your document when ready.
- After selecting all, you can copy, delete, or format everything at once without clicking through each section.
- If you only want to select text on the current page, triple-click in the document first, then use Ctrl+A to select just that paragraph or section.
- In Google Docs, Ctrl+A works the same way, and you can also use the Edit menu and choose Select All.
What gets selected when you press Ctrl+A
When you use the select-all command, Word highlights every element in your document. This includes regular text, headers and footers, page numbers, text boxes, images, tables, and any other content you have placed on the page. Nothing is left out.
The selection stops at the end of your document. If you have multiple pages, all of them are selected at once. This is different from selecting text manually by clicking and dragging, which only captures what you highlight with your mouse or trackpad.
Copying all your text after selecting it
After you select all with Ctrl+A, press Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac) to copy everything. The text and objects move to your clipboard — a temporary holding area in your computer's memory. You can then paste this content into another document, email, or text editor.
When you paste, the formatting may or may not come along depending on where you paste it. If you paste into another Word document, fonts and colors usually stay the same. If you paste into a plain text editor or email, only the words remain. Some programs give you a choice: paste with formatting or paste as plain text only.
Selecting all and then deleting or replacing
If you want to clear your entire document and start over, select all with Ctrl+A and then press Delete or Backspace. Everything disappears, and you are left with a blank page. This is useful when you have copied text from somewhere else and want to remove the old content before pasting new material.
You can also select all and then start typing. Your new text replaces everything that was selected. This is faster than deleting first and then typing, because both actions happen in one step.
Formatting the entire document at once
Selecting all is the fastest way to change how your whole document looks. After pressing Ctrl+A, you can change the font by clicking the font dropdown in the toolbar. You can adjust the font size, make text bold or italic, change the text color, or adjust line spacing — all at once for every word in the document.
This is especially helpful when you paste text from a website or email and it arrives in a font or size you do not want. Select all, choose your preferred font from the toolbar, and the entire document updates when ready. You do not have to go through page by page.
Using the menu instead of the keyboard shortcut
If the keyboard shortcut does not work or you prefer using menus, you can select all through the Edit menu. In Microsoft Word, click Edit at the top, then click Select All. In Google Docs, the menu path is the same: Edit, then Select All. The result is identical — everything in your document becomes selected.
Some people find the menu method easier to remember, especially if they are new to keyboard shortcuts. The downside is that it takes more clicks and mouse movement than pressing two keys at once. Once you use Ctrl+A a few times, most people switch to the shortcut because it is faster.
When select all does not work the way you expect
If you select all and nothing appears to be highlighted, check whether your document is truly open and active. Click inside the document area first to make sure the cursor is blinking there, then try Ctrl+A again. Sometimes the selection is so subtle that it is hard to see, especially on older monitors or if your display brightness is low.
If you have a document with multiple sections or columns, select all still selects everything across all sections. If you only want to select text in one column or section, click inside that area first, then use Ctrl+A. The selection will be limited to that section only in some programs, though in Word it typically still selects the entire document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ctrl+A select text in headers and footers too?
Yes, when you use Ctrl+A, it selects content in headers and footers along with the main document body. If you want to format only the header or footer, click inside it first to place your cursor there, then use Ctrl+A to select just that section.
What if I select all by accident and want to undo it?
straightforward click anywhere in the document to deselect everything. The selection disappears when ready. If you already deleted or changed something after selecting all, press Ctrl+Z to undo the last action and restore your content.
Can I select all in Google Docs the same way as Microsoft Word?
Yes, Ctrl+A works identically in Google Docs. You can also use the Edit menu and choose Select All. The selection behaves the same way — everything in your document becomes highlighted and ready for copying, formatting, or deletion.
If I select all and copy, will the formatting stay when I paste into email?
It depends on the email program. Gmail and Outlook usually preserve basic formatting like bold and italics when you paste. Other email services may strip formatting and leave only plain text. Test by pasting into a draft email to see how your content looks before sending.