How to copy and paste into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot
Fancy listening instead? Here’s this post as a five-minute podcast. I created it with Google’s free Gemini Notebook, which turned my words into a friendly chat between two AI presenters. It’s a great example of what you could do with AI too. For now the presenters have American voices, so forgive them if they trip over a Norfolk name or two.
The email that started it all
The first time I copied and pasted something into AI, it was an email from my energy supplier. They had made an error on my account and were overcharging me because of it. I wasn’t sure where I stood, so I copied the email, pasted it into my AI tool and asked: “What are my options here and what action can I take?”
The answer set out my options in plain English, with the steps to take for each one. I followed them through and ended up saving more than £1,000. A solicitor would have cost me more than the amount in dispute.
That moment stayed with me. If AI could do that for me, how many other people my age or older could it help too? It’s one of the reasons I started AI For Your Life.
If copy and paste is already second nature to you, jump straight to where to paste it or copying the answer back out. If not, you’re in the right place. It’s one of the most useful little skills you can learn and it only takes a few minutes.
What copy and paste means
Copying takes a copy of some words from an email, a web page or a document without changing the original. Pasting puts those words somewhere else, such as the box where you type to your AI. Nothing is lost and nothing needs retyping, however long it is.
Pick your device: iPhone or iPad · Android · Windows computer · Mac
On an iPhone or iPad
- Touch and hold a word in the text you want until it’s highlighted.
- Drag the little handles at each end to cover all the words you need. To take everything, tap Select All if it appears.
- Tap Copy.
- Open your AI app and tap the box where you type.
- Touch and hold inside the box, then tap Paste.
On an Android phone or tablet
- Touch and hold a word until it’s highlighted.
- Drag the handles to cover everything you want or tap Select all.
- Tap Copy.
- Open your AI app and touch and hold inside the box where you type.
- Tap Paste.
Android phones vary a little from one maker to another, so the words on your screen may look slightly different. If you use Google’s own keyboard, whatever you’ve just copied often shows along the top of it too, ready to tap.
On a Windows computer
- Click at the start of the text, hold the mouse button down and drag to the end so it’s highlighted.
- Press Ctrl and C together to copy. You can also right-click the highlighted words and choose Copy.
- Click in the box where you type to your AI.
- Press Ctrl and V together to paste. Right-clicking and choosing Paste works too.
On a Mac
- Click and drag across the text so it’s highlighted.
- Press Command and C together to copy. You can also right-click (or hold Control and click) and choose Copy.
- Click in the box where you type to your AI.
- Press Command and V together to paste.
Where to paste it
Paste into the same box you type your questions in. It works the same way in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot. Then add your question underneath, such as “What does this email mean and what are my options?” and tap the arrow to send it. On a computer, pressing Enter works too.
Copying the answer back out
Under each reply there’s a small copy button, usually two overlapping squares. Tap or click it and the whole answer is copied, ready to paste into an email, a note or a letter of your own. No retyping and no screenshots.
Things worth pasting in
Once you’ve done it once, you’ll find plenty of uses:
- A letter or email you’d like explained in plain English. My post on bills and official letters is full of ideas.
- A letter you need to answer. Paste in the one you’ve received and ask for help with your reply. My post on writing any letter shows you how.
- Notes from your doctor or the hospital, so you can ask what the medical words mean before your next appointment.
A good habit before you paste: take out anything the AI doesn’t need, such as your account number, reference numbers or your address. It understands the letter just as well without them. It’s the same postcard rule I explain in my post for anyone unsure about AI.
- Instructions from a website, so AI can take you through them one step at a time.
What’s next
Some letters still arrive on paper, with nothing to copy. That’s no problem at all. My next post, How to send a photo to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot and ask about it, shows you how to take a picture of a letter, a label or anything else and ask AI about it.
A note on dates. Everything here was checked when it was written and I go back over my posts regularly to keep them up to date. Apps, prices and rules do change, so for anything important a quick look at the official source is worth it.
Want to go further?
My book, AI For Your Life, goes into all of this in much more detail. It is written in plain English, full of practical examples and designed for people who want to get useful things done with AI. Available on Amazon.
If you’d prefer to work through it with someone alongside you, I also offer one-to-one sessions where you can go at your own pace, ask anything you like and get hands-on with whatever you want to try. Get in touch to find out more.
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