# Paste content into your outline

Source: https://notesgarden.com/help/CMsR1LOlalKY-paste-content-into-your-outline

Paste behavior depends on whether the editor is open or closed. This determines whether pasted content is inserted inline or converted into a structured outline.

## Paste while the editor is closed — structured outline

When no item is being edited, pasting creates new items from the clipboard content. The original structure of the pasted content is preserved as a nested outline:

- **HTML content** (e.g., from a web page or another app): Headings, lists, and nested structures are converted into a hierarchy of items. Formatting such as bold, italic, and links is preserved.
- **Plain text**: Indentation (spaces or tabs) is used to determine nesting. Each indented line becomes a child of the less-indented line above it.
- **Files and images**: Pasting a file or image from the clipboard creates a new file item as a child of the focused item.

New items are inserted depending on the state of the focused item:

- If the focused item is **empty and has no children**, the pasted content replaces it.
- Otherwise, the pasted items are inserted **after** the focused item as siblings.

## Paste while the editor is open — inline text

When you are editing an item, pasting inserts the clipboard content directly into the item’s text at the cursor position. No new items are created.

## Paste aliases

When you copy an item using **Copy as Alias** and then paste, an alias is created instead of a duplicate.