Automation App that tells you what app modified the clipboard?

dustinknopoff · August 10, 2019, 1:24pm

Does anyone know if Keyboard Maestro, Alfred, or some other similar app can surface which app a copy to the clipboard came from and which app it was pasted in?

bowline · August 10, 2019, 3:35pm

I have never heard of any apps that note the source of clipboard contents, sorry. The macOS clipboard is a public billboard open to all processes. As a mechanism to let all apps read / modify shared data any process with sufficient permissions can read your clipboard at any time, and there’s no tag showing source or able to force a signature of any kind.

Evan · August 10, 2019, 4:21pm

The app Paste will show you the source of a copy to the clipboard.

bowline · August 10, 2019, 5:29pm

If you use it could you post a screenshot? The app’s website unfortunately doesn’t show that info.

dustinknopoff · August 10, 2019, 6:21pm

I want to be able to run an action when text is copied from a browser into a particular app. Unfortunately, Paste only shows it visually.

dfay · August 10, 2019, 6:24pm

Copied lets you create named history lists based on the source app, and supports javascript-based formatting rules.

Evan · August 10, 2019, 10:29pm

I’m away from my Mac for a while, and hope I’m not misremembering, but here’s a screenshot from the iOS app showing the source app. But as noted above, I don’t know that it’s anything but visual.

bowline · August 10, 2019, 11:45pm

Thanks. That’s pretty neat. I’m using Copy 'Em Paste, which as far as I can tell does not offer that option.

Evan · August 11, 2019, 12:10pm

So my recollection of Paste was incorrect. On the Mac, unlike iOS, only the file type is shown (image, text, etc.), and not the source app.