How To Import Into Scrivener

Scrivener’s greatest strength is to help you get your writing organized so you can finish your book.

But how do you get your data (text, graphics, and research) into Scrivener in the first place?

You can type into Scrivener directly, you can copy and paste, or you can import.

Which Scrivener Import Type is Best?

It depends on your situation, but keep a few things in mind.

Problems can arise if you don’t know some basics. Like, what’s the difference between plain text (no formatting) and Rich Text (all the formatting)? What’s the Clipboard? How do I remove formatting if I don’t want it?

What Kind of Project Should I Import Into?

You can setup a Scrivener project from scratch, or have one created for you by using a pre-made template. Learn more about how to do that on our Using Scrivener Templates tutorial.

Ready to Import into Scrivener?

Watch this basic overview to be aware of the caveats before your import into Scrivener.

Tutorial Topics Covered in This Video

• Scrivener 3 import feature
• Plain text vs Rich Text (RTF)
• Using a template before you start
• Copy & Paste
• The Clipboard

Learn More About Writing and Scrivener

Click to see more in the Scrivener Training Series.