27

Let’s take this link as an example:

The artist John Doe shows us his cat!

I want to copy the text "John Doe" only.

Is it possible somehow?

The problem is that I can't place my cursor in the text, as then the link gets activated.

As a workaround I copy the whole text, paste it somewhere and cut out the relevant part.

1
  • 4
    As this question was closed as duplicate (although the duplicate seems to be about a solution for Google Chrome), I can’t post the solution that worked for me here. I posted an answer there. tl;dr: holding Super+Alt while selecting the text.
    – unor
    Feb 13, 2016 at 14:31

2 Answers 2

27

To select link text in Firefox, hold Alt while dragging the mouse.

Note that this does not currently work in Chrome or Safari.

5
  • 8
    Don't know if this is specific to the OS, but while holding Alt and clicking (dragging), I move the whole window. (I'm using Ubuntu.)
    – unor
    Apr 17, 2013 at 9:27
  • 2
    That must be a global keyboard shortcut for moving windows in that window manager. The Alt-click works in Windows and Mac (with the Option key). Apr 17, 2013 at 9:29
  • 3
    I see, thanks. I asked about it at Ask Ubuntu.
    – unor
    Apr 17, 2013 at 9:38
  • 2
    If you're using KDE, I just ran across instructions for disabling Alt+Click here: superuser.com/questions/584730/… Apr 19, 2013 at 0:35
  • 3
    For Ubuntu users: Press Win+Alt+drag. Win+Alt is a generic shortcut for bypassing the Alt+Drag of the windows manager (useful for Wine progs too) Dec 1, 2017 at 12:05
8

If you click right above the link and drag it will select part of it. This probably works in a most browsers but I only tested it in Chrome on Windows.

3
  • 1
    I have seen users recommend this elsewhere, but this does not work for me on Chrome for Mac. Clicking anywhere above the link selects the previous line, clicking anywhere below selects the next. Apr 17, 2013 at 1:21
  • 1
    Woah, didn't know that. It works, but only sometimes. Too often it selects the line from the beginning to the place where I clicked. Fiddly job.
    – unor
    Apr 17, 2013 at 9:28
  • What browser and OS are you using? It always works for me in Chrome on Windows even if I click almost a centimeter above the link.
    – lopsided98
    Apr 17, 2013 at 12:41

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .