CopyQ — Advanced Cross-Platform Clipboard Manager with Scripting

Introduction

CopyQ is a cross-platform clipboard manager with advanced features like tabbed history, content editing, and a built-in scripting engine. It goes beyond simple clipboard recall by treating the clipboard as a programmable data pipeline.

What CopyQ Does

• Stores unlimited clipboard history with text, HTML, images, and custom MIME types
• Organizes clips into named tabs for project-based workflows
• Provides a built-in editor for modifying stored clips before pasting
• Triggers commands automatically when specific content patterns are copied
• Supports scripting via a JavaScript-like language for custom clipboard operations

Architecture Overview

CopyQ is built with C++ and Qt, giving it native look and feel on Linux, macOS, and Windows. The clipboard monitor runs as a background process that watches the system clipboard for changes. A local database stores clip content indexed by tab. The command pipeline system evaluates user-defined rules (match patterns, transformations, automatic actions) each time a new item enters the history.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Install via system package manager or Homebrew on macOS
• Available as a portable build on Windows (no installer required)
• Configure keyboard shortcuts, appearance, and history limits in the Preferences dialog
• Define automatic commands that trigger on copy events matching regex patterns
• Export and import configuration for consistent setups across machines

Key Features

• Tabbed clipboard with drag-and-drop between tabs
• Built-in scripting engine for custom paste transformations
• Automatic commands that process clips on arrival (e.g., strip formatting, run scripts)
• Synchronized clipboard and selection buffer on Linux (X11)
• Tray icon with quick-access menu and global shortcuts

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Maccy — macOS-only, simpler and lighter, but no scripting or tabs
• Ditto — Windows-only clipboard manager with network sync
• Clipman — Lightweight Linux clipboard manager without scripting
• Alfred Clipboard — macOS clipboard history as part of the Alfred Powerpack
• Paste — Commercial macOS app with visual timeline; no cross-platform support

FAQ

Q: Does CopyQ support images and files? A: Yes. CopyQ stores any MIME type the clipboard provides, including images, HTML, and file references.

Q: Can I sync clipboard history across computers? A: CopyQ does not have built-in sync, but you can point its data directory to a synced folder (Syncthing, Dropbox) for basic cross-machine access.

Q: How do automatic commands work? A: You define a regex or MIME filter and an action (script, shell command, or transformation). When a new clip matches, the action runs immediately.

Q: Is there a limit to history size? A: The default is 200 items, configurable to any number. Large histories with many images will use more disk space.

Sources

• https://github.com/hluk/CopyQ
• https://copyq.readthedocs.io/