Fix Word Citation Tags Losing Their Style When Pasted From EndNote

When you paste a citation from EndNote into Word, the text sometimes loses its formatting and appears as plain text instead of the correct citation style. This happens because the field codes that link the citation to EndNote are not transferred correctly during a standard paste operation. The citation tags become disconnected from their style definitions, leaving raw field codes or unformatted text in your document. This article explains why this happens and provides three reliable methods to restore and preserve the correct citation style when pasting from EndNote into Word.

Why EndNote Citations Lose Their Style When Pasted

EndNote stores citations in Word as special field codes. These field codes contain the reference data and a link back to the EndNote library. When you copy a citation from one document and paste it into another, Word may strip the field code and insert only the visible text. The visible text is the formatted citation — for example, (Smith, 2020) — but without the underlying field code, Word no longer recognizes it as an EndNote citation. The style information is lost because the field code carries the formatting instructions. A standard paste (Ctrl+V) often breaks this link, leaving plain text that cannot be updated or reformatted.

Another common cause is pasting into a document that uses a different default style template. EndNote applies styles based on the Normal template in the target document. If the Normal template has different font, size, or spacing settings, the pasted citation may inherit those local styles, making it look different from the original. The citation style itself — APA, MLA, Chicago, etc. — is also lost if the field code is not preserved. The result is text that looks like a citation but behaves like regular text.

What Happens to the Field Code During Paste

EndNote uses Word’s ADDIN field code system. When you copy a citation, the field code is copied along with the visible text. However, when you paste into a new location, Word may paste only the visible result if the source and destination documents are not set up with the same EndNote add-in. This is especially common when pasting between documents created on different computers or with different versions of EndNote. The field code is discarded, and the citation becomes static text.

Steps to Restore and Preserve Citation Style When Pasting From EndNote

Use one of the following methods depending on whether you have already pasted the citation or are about to paste it. Each method preserves the field code or reapplies the style after pasting.

Method 1: Paste as Unformatted Text Then Reformat

1. Copy the citation from EndNote or another Word document
   Select the citation in EndNote or in the source Word document and press Ctrl+C.
2. Paste as unformatted text in the target Word document
   Go to Home > Paste > Paste Special. In the dialog, select Unformatted Text and click OK. The citation appears as plain text without any field code.
3. Reapply the citation style using EndNote
   In Word, go to the EndNote tab. Click Format Bibliography. In the Format Bibliography dialog, choose the correct output style from the With output style drop-down. Click OK. EndNote scans the document for text that matches citation patterns and reformats them according to the selected style.

Method 2: Use the Paste Special Keyboard Shortcut

1. Copy the citation
   Press Ctrl+C on the citation in EndNote or the source Word document.
2. Paste using Ctrl+Shift+V
   Click where you want the citation in the target document. Press Ctrl+Shift+V. This pastes the content as unformatted text without field codes.
3. Format the bibliography
   Go to the EndNote tab and click Format Bibliography. Select the correct style and click OK. All citations in the document are reformatted to match the chosen style.

Method 3: Paste With Field Codes Preserved (Same Document or Same EndNote Library)

1. Copy the citation from a document that uses the same EndNote library
   Open the source document that already has EndNote citations. Select the citation and press Ctrl+C.
2. Paste using Keep Source Formatting
   In the target document, go to Home > Paste > Keep Source Formatting. This preserves the field code and the style.
3. Update the citation if needed
   If the citation does not update automatically, click the citation in the target document and press F9. This refreshes the field code and applies the current EndNote style.

If the Citation Still Loses Its Style After Pasting

EndNote Field Code Shows as {ADDIN EN.CITE} Instead of Formatted Text

This happens when Word displays field codes instead of field results. Press Alt+F9 to toggle between field code display and field result display. If the field code is present, the citation will show properly after toggling. If no field code is present, the citation was pasted as plain text and you must use Method 1 or 2 above to reapply the style.

Pasted Citation Uses a Different Font or Size Than the Surrounding Text

This occurs when the citation inherits formatting from the source document. Select the pasted citation, go to Home > Styles, and apply the Normal style. Then use EndNote’s Format Bibliography command to reapply the citation style. This ensures the citation matches the document’s formatting.

EndNote Format Bibliography Does Not Recognize the Pasted Citation

If the citation was pasted without any field code, EndNote cannot identify it as a citation. You must delete the plain text and reinsert the citation directly from EndNote. Click in the target document where you want the citation. In the EndNote tab, click Insert Citation. Find the reference in your EndNote library and insert it. This creates a fresh field code with the correct style.

Paste Method	Preserves Field Code	Preserves Style
Ctrl+V (Standard Paste)	No	No
Paste Special > Unformatted Text	No	No (reformat required)
Ctrl+Shift+V	No	No (reformat required)
Keep Source Formatting	Yes	Yes
Insert Citation from EndNote	Yes	Yes

Use Keep Source Formatting only when the source and target documents use the same EndNote library and the same output style. For all other cases, paste as unformatted text and then run Format Bibliography to reapply the correct style. The Insert Citation command is the most reliable method because it creates a new field code linked to your EndNote library. Always verify that the EndNote add-in is enabled in Word by checking the EndNote tab. If the tab is missing, reinstall the EndNote Cite While You Write add-in from the EndNote program folder.