When replying to an email with inline comments, the original text should be visually quoted — typically with ">" characters at the beginning of each line. Most email clients handle this automatically, but some situations require manual quoting: plain-text email replies, copying text between conversations, or formatting quotes for mailing lists and forums.

This tool adds ">" quote markers to every line of pasted text, producing a properly quoted block ready to paste into your email client or text-based communication.

Loading tool…

Features

One-Click Quoting

Paste your text and every line gets a > prefix instantly — no manual line-by-line editing.

Multi-Level Quoting

Apply multiple times for nested quotes (>>, >>>) — useful for threaded email conversations.

Instant Results

Output updates in real time as you type or paste. Copy the result and paste into your email.

How It Works

1
Paste the original text

Copy the email text you want to quote and paste it into the tool.

2
Apply indentation

The tool adds > quote markers to every line.

3
Copy the quoted text

Copy the result and paste it into your email reply as quoted content.

When You Need Manual Email Quoting

Email quoting with ">" characters is the oldest convention for indicating quoted text in electronic communication. It originated in Usenet and early email clients, and it remains the standard in plain-text email, mailing lists, and technical communication.

Common scenarios where manual quoting is needed include: composing replies in plain-text email mode, formatting messages for technical mailing lists (Linux kernel, IETF, Python dev), preparing text for insertion into forum replies, and creating properly attributed quotes when forwarding or consolidating email threads.

For teams that use plain-text email by convention (many engineering, legal, and academic teams prefer it for compatibility and simplicity), proper quoting is essential for readable threaded conversations.

Practical Checklist

Start with the right input

Bring the draft, note, transcript, or block of text that matches this use case. For add email quote marks to text, a focused source gives Text Indentation a clearer job and makes the result easier to review.

Use the result in context

Scan the results for wording, structure, formatting, and readability issues, then match the output to the final destination before exporting or copying it.

Move it into your workflow

Once the output is ready, copy, export, or reuse the cleaned text in your document, CMS, or workflow. Keep the original source nearby so you can rerun the tool if requirements change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Tools

More Ways to Use Text Indentation

Looking for the full-featured tool?

View Text Indentation