Clear Formatting in WPS on Windows: Introduction

Clear Formatting in WPS on Windows removes font, color, border, fill, and alignment settings from selected cells while keeping text, numbers, and formulas; this guide covers 2 core tasks, with 2 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	2	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	2	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index

About This Feature

Overview

Clear Formatting is a built-in WPS Spreadsheet feature on Windows for resetting cell appearance without deleting cell content.

Key capabilities include:

Clear formatting from selected cells or ranges from the Home tab.
Open the clear command from the right-click menu during editing.
Keep text, numbers, and formulas in place after formatting is removed.

This feature is useful when you need to clean imported data, standardize worksheet styles, or rebuild a report layout.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A Windows device that can run WPS Office normally
App version	It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office
Network	Clear Formatting is a local editing feature and does not require a constant internet connection
Other	You need to be able to open and edit spreadsheet files

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Check after installation	Open WPS Spreadsheet and confirm that the Clear Formatting entry is available on the Home tab or in the right-click menu

Source: WPS download page

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	Clears font, color, border, fill, alignment, and other cell formatting from selected cells or ranges while keeping content.	Excel provides Home > Clear > Clear Formats to remove formatting while keeping content.	Google Sheets supports clear formatting and lists Ctrl+\ as the shortcut.	Notion database text properties can be formatted, but this is not the same as a spreadsheet cell clear-format workflow.	Acrobat focuses on PDF-to-Excel conversion rather than native spreadsheet cell formatting cleanup.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: You can clear formatting directly from the spreadsheet editing interface through the Home tab or the right-click menu. Distinct: The workflow stays close to a traditional spreadsheet cleanup process on Windows.	Compared with WPS: Excel also supports clearing formats, with the command mainly presented in the ribbon.	Compared with WPS: Google Sheets commonly relies on a menu command or shortcut in a browser-based environment.	Compared with WPS: Notion is centered more on pages and databases than on standard spreadsheet cell cleanup.	Compared with WPS: Adobe’s official workflow centers on PDF conversion instead of in-sheet formatting reset.
Official Source	—	Clear cells of contents or formats	Keyboard shortcuts for Google Sheets	Database properties	How to convert a PDF to Excel

Overall Conclusion
If your goal is to remove cell styling while keeping worksheet content, WPS, Excel, and Google Sheets all provide a direct path for that task. For Windows users who work mainly in spreadsheet cleanup and reformatting, WPS offers a straightforward in-sheet workflow through familiar menu locations.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable for	Main issue	How it helps
1	Cleaning imported data	Data staff	Imported cells use inconsistent colors, borders, and fonts	Clear formatting from the selected range while keeping the original data
2	Rebuilding report layouts	Finance and admin staff	Old styles interfere with a new template	Remove existing formatting first, then apply a new layout
3	Standardizing shared worksheets	Team collaborators	Mixed formatting appears after multi-person editing	Clear formatting in selected areas and reapply a consistent style
4	Keeping formulas while redesigning a sheet	Spreadsheet creators	The calculation logic must stay while the appearance changes	Reset formatting and keep formulas and values in place
5	Restoring a cleaner default view	Everyday office users	Heavy local formatting makes the sheet harder to read	Use the Home tab or right-click menu to return cells to a cleaner default look

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Feature	Free users	WPS Premium
Clear cell formatting	✅ Available	✅ Available
Core Writer, Spreadsheet, and Presentation apps	✅ Available	✅ Available
Some advanced PDF and AI tools	Limited or partially available	Broader access is available
Cloud storage	1 GB	20 GB or more depending on plan

Source: WPS Office pricing page; Why do I need to pay for WPS Office?

Recommendations

Usage scenario	Recommended plan	Why
Everyday spreadsheet cleanup, clear formatting, and basic editing	Free	This feature is available directly without a membership
Workflows that also need more PDF tools, cloud storage, or AI features	WPS Premium	Better suited for broader office needs beyond basic spreadsheet editing

WPS membership center: Subscribe now

Source: WPS Office pricing page