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hluk/copyq

★ 11,700C++Audience · generalComplexity · 2/5Setup · easy

TLDR

CopyQ is a cross-platform clipboard manager that stores everything you copy so you can browse, search, and paste older items, with keyboard shortcuts, custom commands, scripting, and a command-line interface.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((copyq))
    What it does
      Clipboard history
      Browse and paste
      Persists across restarts
    Features
      Custom commands
      Keyboard shortcuts
      Tabs and tags
      CLI interface
    Platforms
      Windows
      macOS
      Linux
    Users
      General users
      Developers
      Scripters
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Code map

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Browse and paste any previously copied text or image without needing to re-copy it.

USE CASE 2

Set up keyboard shortcuts to paste frequently used snippets stored in a saved CopyQ tab.

USE CASE 3

Write a custom command that automatically transforms clipboard content when you copy something specific.

USE CASE 4

Script clipboard read and write operations from the terminal using CopyQ's command-line interface.

Tech stack

C++

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

In plain English

CopyQ is a clipboard manager that keeps a history of everything you copy so you can paste older items, not just the most recent one. When you copy text, images, or other content, CopyQ saves it in a list that you can browse and search later. You can then paste any saved item into any application without having to re-copy it. The application runs in the system tray and is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Clicking the tray icon opens the clipboard history list. Items in the list can be edited, sorted, tagged with notes, and organized into separate tabs. Keyboard shortcuts let you paste saved items quickly without switching to the CopyQ window. Beyond storing what you copy, CopyQ supports custom commands that run automatically when the clipboard changes or when triggered by a keyboard shortcut. These commands can transform clipboard content, filter out unwanted items, or perform actions like sending text to another program. There is also a command-line interface that lets you read from and write to the clipboard history from scripts or the terminal. Installation on each platform is straightforward: a standard installer on Windows, Homebrew on macOS, and packages or Flatpak on Linux distributions. The application stores items between restarts, so your clipboard history persists when you reboot. CopyQ is open source and built with C++. It is aimed at anyone who frequently copies and pastes content and wants more control over their clipboard history, from general users who want a simple history browser to developers who want scripting and automation capabilities.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I just installed CopyQ. How do I set a keyboard shortcut to open my clipboard history and paste an older item into the app I'm using?
Prompt 2
I want CopyQ to automatically strip formatting when I copy text from a browser. How do I write a command that does that?
Prompt 3
How do I use the CopyQ command line to read the current clipboard value and set a new value from a shell script?
Prompt 4
How do I organize saved clipboard items into separate tabs in CopyQ and assign notes to them?
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