Why can't I copy text while highlighting, and how do I fix it?
Short answer
Highlighters that work as a mode (such as Obsidian Web Clipper's highlighter) capture every selection, so you cannot copy until you switch the mode off. Use a highlighter that shows a toolbar next to the selection instead; Lumen does this, so Ctrl+C keeps working.
Step by step
- Switch the highlighter mode off before copying (quick fix).
- Or bind its toggle to a shortcut at chrome://extensions/shortcuts.
- Or use Lumen: select text, and choose Highlight or simply press Ctrl+C.
Good to know
Copying with a citation is even better than plain copy when you paste into a draft or an AI chat: Lumen's Copy adds the title and a link that scrolls straight to the passage.
Related questions
Answer
What is a text fragment link?
A URL ending in #:~:text= that makes the browser scroll to and mark the quoted words. Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox support it.
Updated 2026-11-01.