Pasted code, quoted replies, and outline notes often carry indentation at the start of each line that you no longer want once the text is somewhere new.
Remove Leading Spaces trims only the spaces and tabs at the left edge of each line and leaves the rest of the line alone.
How to use Remove Leading Spaces
- Paste indented text such as code or a quoted reply.
- Remove Leading Spaces clears the spaces and tabs at the start of every line.
- Review that only the left-edge indentation changed, then copy the result.
Use cases
- Removing indentation from a code block pasted into prose.
- Clearing the quote indentation from a forwarded email.
- Flattening an outline so every line starts at the margin.
Good to know
Remove Leading Spaces works line by line, stripping spaces and tabs from the beginning of each line while leaving inner spacing, trailing spaces, and line breaks untouched. It is the mirror of the trailing-spaces tool. Empty lines stay empty.
Frequently asked questions
Does it touch spaces in the middle or end of a line?
No. Only spaces and tabs at the very start of each line are removed; the rest of the line is unchanged.
Are tabs at the start removed too?
Yes. Both leading spaces and leading tabs are cleared from each line.
Will it merge my lines together?
No. Line breaks are preserved; only the left-edge indentation is removed.