Get up and running
Guides for using Copy Paste History on macOS.
Quick start: Copy anything → press ⌘⌥V → search with ⌘F → ↵ to paste.
Basic Search
Filter your clipboard history in real time. Search runs entirely on your Mac — nothing is sent to the cloud.
Open clipboard history with ⌘⌥V (default), then use search to narrow the list before you paste. Results update as you type. Feature overview →
Keyboard shortcuts
Defaults are shown below. You can change most shortcuts in Preferences → Hotkeys.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘F | Show the search field and move keyboard focus into it. |
| ↑ | From the first item in the list, move focus up into the search field. Otherwise, select the previous item. |
| ↓ | When the search field is focused, move focus to the first matching item. Otherwise, select the next item. |
| Return | When the search field is focused, move focus to the first match (does not paste yet). When an item is selected, paste that item and close the history window. |
| Escape | Close the clipboard history window. |
| ⌘P | Pin or unpin the selected item (works on filtered results). |
| Space | Toggle multi-selection for the current item. |
| Delete / Backspace | Remove the selected item from history (not available while typing in search). |
| Page Up / Page Down | Jump to the top or bottom of the filtered list. |
Return in the search field: Pressing Return while typing can also paste the first matching item immediately (macOS text-field submit). Use ↓ first if you only
want to highlight a result without pasting.
Mouse & UI controls
- Search field — Appears at the top of the history window with a magnifying glass. Placeholder: “Search clipboard history…”
- Clear (×) — Shown while search text is not empty; clears the query and restores the full list (respects your “Always Show Search” preference).
- Search button — On the popup toolbar (when search is not always visible); tooltip: “Toggle Search (⌘F)”. Shows or hides the search bar.
- Click an item — Pastes that item and closes history. Clears search focus first.
- ⌘-click — Multi-select items without pasting.
- Empty results — Message: “No items match your search” with a Clear search button.
What search looks at
Matching is case-insensitive and uses substring search (not regex).
- Item content — Visible text preview of the clip
- Content type — e.g.
text,image,files - Source app — The application that provided the copy
Search applies on top of your current view: active collection, category tab (when auto-categorize is on), and pinned filters still apply before search runs.
Preferences
- Always Show Search — In Preferences, keep the search field visible whenever history is open. When off, use ⌘F or the toolbar search button to show it.
- Custom ⌘F binding — Remap “Toggle Search” in the hotkey editor if ⌘F conflicts with another app.
Behavior notes
- Results update instantly as you type; selection adjusts if it falls outside the filtered list.
- Search text is cleared when you close the history window.
- Search is processed locally only — queries are not logged or transmitted.
- No regex, boolean operators (AND/OR), or search-term highlighting yet.
Related shortcuts
- ⌘⌥V — Open clipboard history (default)
- ⌘↩ — Advanced Paste for the selected item (default)
- ⌘⌃V — Sequential paste / paste queue (default)
Advanced Paste
Transform clipboard content before it lands in the target app.
How to use it
- Select an item in clipboard history.
- Press ⌘↩ or use the advanced paste action.
- Choose a transformation such as plain text, case changes, image conversion, or file-path output.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘↩ | Open Advanced Paste for the selected item. |
| ↑ / ↓ | Move between conversion options in the dialog. |
| Return | Apply the highlighted conversion and paste. |
| Escape | Close Advanced Paste without applying. |
Tips
- Use Advanced Paste when copying from rich-text apps into plain text fields.
- Available actions depend on the selected item type.
Always Visible Mode
Keep the popup visible while you work through several clipboard actions.
How to use it
- Open Preferences.
- Enable the popup option that keeps history visible.
- Close it manually when you are done.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘E | Toggle auto-hide vs always-visible popup mode. |
Tips
- Useful for cleanup, organizing, and building paste queues.
- Combine with opacity settings if the popup covers too much of the workspace.
Usage Insights
Review local-only usage patterns without exposing clipboard content.
How to use it
- Open the menu bar app menu.
- Open Usage Insights or Analytics.
- Use the overview to tune history size, exclusions, and habits.
Tips
- Usage insights should never require cloud sync.
- Reset local statistics if you want a clean baseline.
Appearance
Adjust the popup so it fits your monitor, theme, and working style.
How to use it
- Open Preferences → Appearance.
- Choose theme, opacity, popup behavior, and controls.
- Reopen history to confirm the layout.
Tips
- Dark theme works best for App Store and website screenshots.
- Use consistent width and opacity when capturing product media.
Auto-Paste
Paste the selected history item into the frontmost app in one action.
How to use it
- Place the cursor in the target app.
- Open clipboard history.
- Select an item and confirm paste.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘⌥V | Open or focus clipboard history. |
| Return | Paste the selected item and close history. |
| Click item | Paste that item with the mouse. |
Tips
- Requires macOS Accessibility permission.
- If paste does not happen, verify the target app is focused and permissions are active.
Auto-Categorize & Filters
Filter long histories by type, pinned state, and collections.
How to use it
- Open clipboard history.
- Use tabs such as All, Pinned, Images, and Files.
- Combine tabs with search or collection filters.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ← | On All, open collections; on other tabs, switch to the previous tab. |
| → | Switch to the next category tab when auto-categorize is enabled. |
| ⌘F | Search within the current filtered view. |
Tips
- Type filters run locally against saved item metadata.
- Use collections for project or client separation.
Collections
Group important clips into named sets for reuse.
How to use it
- Open history and find an item.
- Use the add-to-collection control.
- Filter by collection when you need that group again.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ← | Open the collections sidebar from the main list. |
| + | Open Add to Collection for the selected item or multi-selected items. |
| ↑ / ↓ | Move between collections while the sidebar is focused. |
| Return | Apply the highlighted collection filter. |
Tips
- Use collections for launch copy, code snippets, support replies, or personal templates.
- Pinned items and collections solve different problems: pinning keeps priority, collections add structure.
Content Converters
Convert copied text, images, and file references without opening another utility.
How to use it
- Select a compatible clipboard item.
- Open Advanced Paste.
- Pick the converter that matches the desired output.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘↩ | Open Advanced Paste converters for the selected item. |
| ↑ / ↓ | Choose a converter. |
| Return | Apply the converter and paste the result. |
Tips
- Text converters are useful for case, formatting, and escaping.
- Image and file converters appear only when the selected item supports them.
Copy Target
Route copies to a chosen destination app so repetitive transfer work needs less switching.
How to use it
- Choose a target app from the copy-target workflow.
- Copy from the source app as usual.
- Confirm the target indicator before continuing.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘⌃C | Capture or toggle the copy target workflow. |
Tips
- Useful when collecting snippets from a browser into a document.
- Turn off the target when the focused workflow is complete.
Excluded Applications
Prevent sensitive apps from being captured in clipboard history.
How to use it
- Open Preferences → Privacy or Exclusions.
- Add password managers, banking apps, private browsers, or custom bundle IDs.
- Copy from an excluded app and confirm it is not saved.
Tips
- Exclude by bundle ID when possible because app names can change.
- Keep one-time-code, password, and banking apps excluded by default.
Hotkeys
Customize shortcuts so Copy Paste Manager fits your existing muscle memory.
How to use it
- Open Preferences → Hotkeys.
- Select the action to change.
- Press the new shortcut and save.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘⌥V | Default global shortcut to open clipboard history. |
| ⌘F | Default shortcut to show and focus search. |
| ⌘↩ | Default shortcut to open Advanced Paste. |
Tips
- Avoid shortcuts already owned by macOS or your editor.
- If a shortcut stops working, check Accessibility permission and app conflicts.
Hover & Rich Preview
Inspect copied content before pasting it.
How to use it
- Open history.
- Hover or select an item with rich content.
- Use the preview to confirm images, code, HTML, Markdown, or RTF.
Tips
- Preview first when several clips have similar names.
- Rich previews are local renderings of saved clipboard content.
Keyboard Navigation
Operate clipboard history almost entirely without the mouse. Shortcuts are customizable in Preferences → Hotkeys.
Press ⌘⌥V (default) to open history, then use the shortcuts below to move, filter, organize, and paste. Feature overview →
Global shortcuts
Work from any application while Copy Paste History is running.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘⌥V | Open or focus clipboard history. |
| ⌘⌃V | Sequential paste — paste the next item from the paste queue. |
| ⌘⌃C | Capture copy target — route future copies to a chosen app (toggle). |
Main history window
Active while the history popup is open and no overlay dialog has keyboard focus.
Navigate & paste
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ↑ / ↓ | Select the previous or next item in the filtered list. |
| Return | Paste the selected item and close history. |
| ⌘↩ | Open Advanced Paste for the selected item. |
| Page Up / Page Down | Jump to the top or bottom of the list. |
| Escape | Close history without pasting. |
Search focus
When the search field is visible, ↑ and ↓ also move between search and the list. See Basic Search help for full search shortcuts.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘F | Show search and focus the search field. |
| ↑ | From the first list item, move focus into the search field. |
| ↓ | From the search field, move focus to the first matching item. |
| Return | While search is focused: move to the first match (does not paste). While an item is selected: paste it. |
Tip: Repeated ↑ from lower in the list only moves between items — it does
not return to search until you reach the first item (or press ⌘F). This matches current app
behavior.
Tabs & collections (main list)
When auto-categorize is enabled in preferences, tabs filter by content type.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ← | On the All tab: open the collections sidebar. On other tabs: switch to the previous tab. With auto-categorize off: always opens the collections sidebar. |
| → | Switch to the next category tab (when auto-categorize is on). |
Tabs: All, Pinned, Text, Images, Files, Code.
Item actions
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Toggle multi-selection on the current item (numbered badges show order). |
| ⌘P | Pin or unpin the selected item. |
| Delete / Backspace | Remove the selected item from history (not while typing in search). |
| + | Open Add to Collection for the selected item, or for all multi-selected items. |
| ⌘L | Toggle position lock for the popup window. |
| ⌘E | Toggle auto-hide vs always-visible window mode. |
Mouse shortcuts (same window)
- Click — Paste item and close history.
- ⌘-click — Add or remove item from multi-selection without pasting.
- Click star — Pin or unpin an item.
- Folder button — Add item to a collection (same as + when one item is selected).
Collections sidebar
Open with ← from the main list (see above). Sidebar has its own focus — keys apply while it is active.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ↑ / ↓ | Move between All and your collections. |
| Space | Toggle multi-select on the highlighted collection (union filter). |
| Return | Apply the highlighted collection filter. |
| → | Close sidebar and return to the item list (resets to All tab if auto-categorize is on). |
| Escape | Close sidebar and return to the item list. |
| Delete / Backspace | Delete the highlighted collection (items are kept). |
Add to Collection dialog
Opened with + from the main list when at least one item is selected.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ↑ / ↓ / ← / → | Move through icon choices when creating a collection. |
| Space | Toggle checkboxes on existing collections. |
| Return | Confirm — add to checked collections, or create a new collection if the name field is filled. |
| Escape | Cancel and clear the current multi-selection. |
Advanced Paste dialog
Opened with ⌘↩ on a selected item.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ↑ / ↓ | Move between conversion options. |
| Return | Apply the highlighted option and paste. |
| Escape | Close Advanced Paste without applying. |
Mouse: click a row to apply that option. See Advanced Paste help when available.
Vim Navigation preset
If you choose the Vim Navigation keymap preset in preferences, list navigation also accepts k / j (up/down) and h / l (left/right). Global shortcuts and ⌘-based actions stay the same as Standard.
Focus order
Only one area handles keys at a time. Priority (highest first):
- Advanced Paste dialog
- Add to Collection dialog
- Collections sidebar
- Search field or main item list
Customization
- Preferences → Hotkeys — Change any shortcut; conflicts are flagged before you save.
- Tooltips — Hover buttons in the popup to see the current binding for that action.
- Standard vs Vim Navigation — Switch navigation presets without losing custom overrides per action.
- Export / Import settings — In Preferences, open the ⋯ menu to export
or import a
.copypastehistory-settingsfile. This includes preferences, custom keymaps, collections, and the selected keymap. Clipboard history is not included. Per-keymap export/import remains available in Configure All Hotkeys.
Related help
Local History & Storage
Keep clipboard history on your Mac with configurable retention limits.
How to use it
- Open Preferences → Storage or History.
- Choose item-count and disk-size limits.
- Clear or trim history when needed.
Tips
- Use shorter retention if you copy sensitive material often.
- Local storage means no account or cloud sync is required.
Multi-Select
Select several clips for bulk organization or sequential pasting.
How to use it
- Open history.
- Use ⌘-click or keyboard selection to choose multiple items.
- Add them to a collection or queue them for paste.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Toggle multi-selection on the current item. |
| ⌘-click | Add or remove an item from multi-selection with the mouse. |
| + | Add selected items to a collection. |
Tips
- Multi-select is useful before building a paste queue.
- Clear selection before returning to single-paste work.
Paste Queue
Paste multiple clipboard items in a controlled sequence.
How to use it
- Select multiple items in history.
- Create or update the paste queue.
- Use the sequential paste hotkey to paste the next item.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Build a multi-selection from history items. |
| ⌘⌃V | Sequential paste — paste the next item from the queue. |
| Escape | Close history without pasting. |
Tips
- Use oldest-first order for form filling.
- Choose consume mode when each item should be used once.
Permissions
Grant macOS permissions required for global hotkeys, clipboard monitoring, and automatic paste.
How to use it
- Open System Settings when prompted.
- Grant Accessibility to Copy Paste Manager.
- Restart the app if macOS does not apply the permission immediately.
Tips
- Automation permissions may be requested when pasting into another app.
- If hotkeys fail after an update, remove and re-add the app in Accessibility.
Pin Favorites
Keep frequently reused clips available at the top.
How to use it
- Select an item in history.
- Click the pin icon or use the pin shortcut.
- Use the Pinned tab to view favorites only.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘P | Pin or unpin the selected item. |
| Click star | Pin or unpin an item with the mouse. |
Tips
- Pin stable snippets, templates, URLs, and commands.
- Unpin temporary items after a project ends.
Popup
The main clipboard window appears where you work and can be tuned to your workflow.
How to use it
- Open history with the default hotkey.
- Search, filter, or select an item.
- Paste, pin, preview, or organize directly from the popup.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘⌥V | Open or focus clipboard history. |
| ↑ / ↓ | Move through history items. |
| Return | Paste the selected item and close history. |
| Escape | Close history without pasting. |
Tips
- Use cursor-following mode for quick actions.
- Use edge-pinned or always-visible mode for long sessions.
Popup Controls
Use toolbar controls for search, collections, lock, visibility, and close actions.
How to use it
- Open history.
- Use the side controls to toggle search, collections, position lock, or visibility.
- Hover controls to see tooltips and shortcuts.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘F | Show search and move focus into it. |
| ⌘L | Toggle position lock for the popup window. |
| ⌘E | Toggle auto-hide vs always-visible mode. |
| + | Open Add to Collection for the selected item. |
Tips
- Keyboard users can perform the same core actions with shortcuts.
- Keep controls visible while learning the app.
Position Lock
Lock the popup position when you want history to stay in one predictable place.
How to use it
- Place the popup where you want it.
- Enable position lock.
- Reopen history and confirm it returns to the locked location.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘L | Toggle position lock for the popup window. |
Tips
- Good for multi-monitor setups.
- Disable the lock when switching to cursor-following workflows.
Screen Positioning
Choose whether the popup follows the cursor or stays near a screen edge.
How to use it
- Open Preferences → Appearance or Popup.
- Choose cursor-following, edge-pinned, or locked behavior.
- Test it on the monitor you use most.
Tips
- Cursor-following is fastest for short actions.
- Edge-pinned is better for long organizing sessions.
Privacy
Keep clipboard data local and reduce accidental exposure.
How to use it
- Review excluded applications.
- Enable screen-sharing privacy if available.
- Use retention limits for sensitive workflows.
Tips
- Do not store passwords or one-time codes in clipboard history.
- Use demo data only when making screenshots or videos.
Settings Backup
Export and import settings so another Mac can match your workflow.
How to use it
- Open Preferences → Settings or Backup.
- Export current preferences to a safe location.
- Import on another Mac or after reinstalling.
Tips
- Backups should contain preferences, not clipboard content.
- Keep exported settings out of public repositories.
Tooltips
Use contextual tooltips to learn controls and current shortcuts.
How to use it
- Hover over a popup or preferences control.
- Read the action name and shortcut.
- Update hotkeys if a tooltip shows a conflict.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Hover controls | Show the current shortcut for toolbar and item actions. |
Tips
- Tooltips help after remapping shortcuts.
- They are useful for product screenshots when showing discoverability.
Workflow Status Overlay
See active paste queue and copy target state while working in other apps.
How to use it
- Start a paste queue or copy-target workflow.
- Watch the overlay for current status.
- Stop or complete the workflow when finished.
Default shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘⌃V | Sequential paste for paste queue workflows. |
| ⌘⌃C | Capture copy target workflows. |
Tips
- The overlay prevents silent workflow state from becoming confusing.
- Capture this for the App Store “power user” screenshot.