How to Copy Text from Websites That Don’t Allow It [5 Ways]

Do not copy this site's content! Here's how to bypass the restriction

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by Vlad Turiceanu 

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Sometimes, you need to copy text from a website that does not allow it. Usually, you can’t copy text from a website because they are using a certain script to block that action. However, you can circumvent it by disabling specific browser components.

Alternatively, you can rely on extensions to help you get the text from a website. So be sure to keep on reading to find out how to enable copy-paste on a website.

How can I copy from websites that won’t let me?

1. Disable JavaScript

1.1 Chrome

  1. Click the Menu button and then select Settings.
  2. Navigate to Privacy and security.
  3. Go to Site settings.
  4. Next, navigate to JavaScript.
  5. Select Don’t allow sites to turn Javascript.
  6. Go back to your page and refresh it.

If copy and paste is not working in Chrome, disabling the JavasScript might help.

1.2 Firefox 

  1. Type the following line in the address bar and confirm if any message appears: about:config

  2. Then you will see a list of Firefox preferences.
  3. In the search box at the top of the page type: javascript.enabled
  4. Then double-click it to change its value from true to false.
    javascript enabled about config firefox browser will not allow copy and paste

1.3 Opera One

  1. Start Opera One, then open the Easy Menu and then select Go to full browser settings.
    Search for Javascript.
  2. After that, go to Site settings, then select Javascript.
  3. Select Allowed to disable/enable it.

1.4 Edge

  1. Click the Menu button in the top right and select Settings.
  2. Search for javascript. Then select Javascript from the list of results.
  3. Disable the Allowed option.

Remember to re-enable JavaScript after you copied the content you need. Some sites rely on it, so to avoid future problems, enable it back.

2. Use the Print to PDF feature

  1. Open the page that doesn’t allow you to copy text.
  2. Now press Ctrl + P.
  3. A print dialog will appear. Set Destination to Save as PDF.
  4. Choose the destination, enter the file name, and then click on Save.
  5. Open the PDF file, and you should be able to copy text without issues.

This is a simple workaround, so you might want to try it out.

3. Create a screenshot of the website page that prevents you from copying text

  1. Visit a page that doesn’t allow you to copy text.
  2. Take a screenshot of a page.
  3. Save the file to your PC.
  4. Now visit any image to text converter website and upload your screenshot to convert it.

4. Use the Inspect element feature

Note icon NOTE
Besides all the text, you’ll see a lot of code, links to images, and other things, but it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to copy them for further use without jumping through a few hoops.

1. Open the website page from which you want to copy text.

2. Select the text that you want to copy.

select the text you want to copy on the website page

3. Right-click on it to bring up a menu with multiple options.

right click on the selected text

4. Select the Inspect option.

select the inspect option

5. The Inspect menu will open. Hover your mouse over the code section for the text you want to copy and right-click on it. Another menu will open.

right click on the code that opens

6. Click on Copy, and then select Copy element.

copy element from the code

7. Paste the copied text onto a document of your choice. You will notice that you copied the text along with its associated code. You need to manually remove the code parts from it.

Another method you can use involves the usage of the Inspect element feature. This solution is quite similar to that of copying text from the source code. It works in the same way.

However, the window that opens is much smaller and not as easy to navigate on. You need to perform multiple clicks for this to work.

After this, you can copy the content from the source code as following:

  1. Press Ctrl + U on the desired page, and you should see its code.
  2. Use Ctrl + F to navigate and find exactly what you need. view page source copy content from a website that doesn't allow it
  3. Copy the content that you want.

5. Allow copy-paste Chrome extension

  1. Visit the Disable JavaScript page in Firefox.
  2. Click on Add to Firefox.
  3. Once the extension is installed, click on it and configure it. The extension is available on other browsers as well, so be sure to try it.

There are extensions available that allow you to copy text even from websites that block it. They will force the website to enable right-clicking and allow you to copy content.

You can choose any of these extensions:

Chrome

Firefox

That’s it. Hope that one of these solutions helped you copy text from a website that doesn’t allow copy and paste.

Your browser isn’t the only application affected by this issue, and many users reported that copy and paste aren’t working on the Remote Desktop. Also, find out how to open Clipboard on Windows 11 and try out the user-friendly feature.

If you’re aware of another method to copy content from websites that don’t allow it, share it in the comments section below and any other questions you may have.

More about the topics: Browser errors

Vlad Turiceanu

Vlad Turiceanu Shield

Windows Editor

Passionate about technology, Windows, and everything that has a power button, he spent most of his time developing new skills and learning more about the tech world. Coming from a solid background in PC building and software development, with a complete expertise in touch-based devices, he is constantly keeping an eye out for the latest and greatest!