A method and apparatus are provided for restricting the application of formatting to the contents of an electronic document. According to the method, a request may be received to perform a formatting operation on a portion of the contents of an electronic document. In response to the request, a determination is made as to whether the requested operation should be permitted. If the requested operation is a direct formatting operation, the request may be denied. If the request operation is the application of a style to a portion of the electronic document, the request may be granted if the style is permitted to be applied to the contents of the electronic document.