# Anki is automatically adding unwanted tables

**URL:** <https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/anki-is-automatically-adding-unwanted-tables/29301>\
**Category:** Card Design\
**Created:** [April 12, 2023, 9:03am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/anki-is-automatically-adding-unwanted-tables/29301 "2023-04-12T09:03:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ibjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a88e4f/32.png) [@ibjoe](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/ibjoe)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 9:03am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/anki-is-automatically-adding-unwanted-tables/29301/1 "2023-04-12T09:03:58Z")

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Ref Anki Version ⁨2.1.60 for Windows Desktop.

I created a new Note type, cloning Basic, and added fields and content.

In the preview window, some of the entries are center aligned as desired, but some are left aligned. I just have one alignment directive in Styling, the default align: center.

I exported the deck as text to review the HTML, and found that Anki had added table entries!

Ordinary Note type is like:  
#separator:tab  
#html:true  
"(my data)  
"

Whereas this new Note type is like  
#separator:tab  
#html:true  
"\<table\>  
\<tbody\>\<tr\>  
\<td\>(my data)\</td\>  
\</tr\>\</tbody\>\</table\>  
"

For new Note type I tried twice, once cloning a previously created Note type, then cloning Basic Note type. Same problem in both cases.

Why is Anki adding these tables, and how can I fix that?

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**Author:** ![jojo55](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/jojo55/32/13703_2.png) [@jojo55](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/jojo55)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 3:04am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/anki-is-automatically-adding-unwanted-tables/29301/2 "2023-04-13T03:04:16Z")

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Depending on where you copied your data from, the html could be in the field itself. Click the `<>` next to your field name while editing to see if that’s where the table is located. I believe you can hold shift down while pasting to strip the formatting. You can also change this option to auto do it without holding shift if you go to Tools \> Preferences \> Editing \> Paste without shift key strips formatting.

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**Author:** ![dae](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/dae/32/65_2.png) [@dae](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/dae)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 4:40am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/anki-is-automatically-adding-unwanted-tables/29301/3 "2023-04-13T04:40:43Z")

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I think it’s unlikely that Anki added the tables - they are more likely either from copying & pasting from an external source, or via some add-on.

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**Author:** ![ibjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a88e4f/32.png) [@ibjoe](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/ibjoe)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 11:21am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/anki-is-automatically-adding-unwanted-tables/29301/4 "2023-04-13T11:21:28Z")

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Thank you for this great tip!

> “Click the \<\> next to your field name while editing to see if that’s where the table is located”.

I did not know about that. When I do that I see the table code.

And the reason there was table code in the field is because I copied the data from Excel directly instead of running it through Notepad.

Usually I copy my Anki Deck content from Excel to Notepad, save as text, then import it to my Anki Deck. But in this case I was playing with creating a new Deck, and copied directly.

Now my Deck is okay. Many thanks for the assistance!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/anki2/original/1X/8f1279ababc5879d54e4838989f606cfe55af8c7.jpeg) [@system](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 11:21am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/anki-is-automatically-adding-unwanted-tables/29301/5 "2023-05-13T11:21:56Z")

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