Clipboard patterns

A collection of common patterns for dealing with the clipboard.

How to copy images

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
    <link
      rel="icon"
      href="data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22 viewBox=%220 0 100 100%22><text y=%22.9em%22 font-size=%2290%22>🎉</text></svg>"
    />
    <title>How to copy images</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>How to copy images</h1>
    <img src="assets/fugu.svg" alt="Fugu fish." width="128" height="128">
    <button type="button">Copy</button>
  </body>
</html>

const button = document.querySelector('button');
const img = document.querySelector('img');

button.addEventListener('click', async () => {
  const responsePromise = fetch(img.src);

  try {
    if ('write' in navigator.clipboard) {
      await navigator.clipboard.write([
        new ClipboardItem({
          'image/svg+xml': new Promise(async (resolve) => {
            const blob = await responsePromise.then(response => response.blob());
            resolve(blob);
          }),
        }),
      ]);
      // Image copied as image.
    } else {
      const text = await responsePromise.then(response => response.text());
      await navigator.clipboard.writeText(text);
      // Image copied as source code.
    }
  } catch (err) {
    console.error(err.name, err.message);
  }
});

:root {
  color-scheme: dark light;
}

html {
  box-sizing: border-box;
}

*,
*:before,
*:after {
  box-sizing: inherit;
}

body {
  margin: 1rem;
  font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
}

button {
  display: block;
}

Open demo

Learn how to copy images to the clipboard.

Learn more

How to copy text

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
    <link
      rel="icon"
      href="data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22 viewBox=%220 0 100 100%22><text y=%22.9em%22 font-size=%2290%22>🎉</text></svg>"
    />
    <title>How to copy text</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>How to copy text</h1>
    <textarea rows="3">
Some sample text for you to copy. Feel free to edit this.</textarea
    >
    <button type="button">Copy</button>
  </body>
</html>

const textarea = document.querySelector('textarea');
const button = document.querySelector('button');

button.addEventListener('click', async () => {
  try {
    await navigator.clipboard.writeText(textarea.value);
  } catch (err) {
    console.error(err.name, err.message);
  }
});

:root {
  color-scheme: dark light;
}

html {
  box-sizing: border-box;
}

*,
*:before,
*:after {
  box-sizing: inherit;
}

body {
  margin: 1rem;
  font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
}

button {
  display: block;
}

Open demo

Learn how to copy text to the clipboard.

Learn more

How to paste files

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>How to paste files</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>How to paste files</h1>
    <p>Hit <kbd>⌘</kbd> + <kbd>v</kbd> (for macOS) or <kbd>ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>v</kbd>
      (for other operating systems) to paste image or text file(s) anywhere in this page.
    </p>
  </body>
</html>

document.addEventListener('paste', async (e) => {
  // Prevent the default behavior, so you can code your own logic.
  e.preventDefault();
  if (!e.clipboardData.files.length) {
    return;
  }
  // Iterate over all pasted files.
  Array.from(e.clipboardData.files).forEach(async (file) => {
    // Add more checks here for MIME types you're interested in,
    // such as `application/pdf`, `video/mp4`, etc.
    if (file.type.startsWith('image/')) {
      // For images, create an image and append it to the `body`.
      const img = document.createElement('img');
      const blob = URL.createObjectURL(file);
      img.src = blob;
      document.body.append(img);
    } else if (file.type.startsWith('text/')) {
      // For text files, read the contents and output it into a `textarea`.
      const textarea = document.createElement('textarea');
      textarea.value = await file.text();
      document.body.append(textarea);
    }
  });
});

html {
  box-sizing: border-box;
  font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
  color-scheme: dark light;
}

*, *:before, *:after {
  box-sizing: inherit;
}

body {
  margin: 1rem;
}

img {
  height: auto;
  max-width: 100%;
  display: block;
}

Open demo

Learn how to handle pasted files into the browser.

Learn more

How to paste images

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
    <link
      rel="icon"
      href="data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22 viewBox=%220 0 100 100%22><text y=%22.9em%22 font-size=%2290%22>🎉</text></svg>"
    />
    <title>How to paste images</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>How to paste images</h1>
    <p>Hit <kbd>⌘</kbd> + <kbd>v</kbd> (for macOS) or <kbd>ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>v</kbd>
      (for other operating systems) to paste images anywhere in this page.
    </p>
  </body>
</html>

document.addEventListener('paste', async (e) => {
  e.preventDefault();
  const clipboardItems = typeof navigator?.clipboard?.read === 'function' ? await navigator.clipboard.read() : e.clipboardData.files;

  for (const clipboardItem of clipboardItems) {
    let blob;
    if (clipboardItem.type?.startsWith('image/')) {
      // For files from `e.clipboardData.files`.
      blob = clipboardItem
      // Do something with the blob.
      appendImage(blob);
    } else {
      // For files from `navigator.clipboard.read()`.
      const imageTypes = clipboardItem.types?.filter(type => type.startsWith('image/'))
      for (const imageType of imageTypes) {
        blob = await clipboardItem.getType(imageType);
        // Do something with the blob.
        appendImage(blob);
      }
    }
  }
});

const appendImage = (blob) => {
  const img = document.createElement('img');
  img.src = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
  document.body.append(img);
};

:root {
  color-scheme: dark light;
}

html {
  box-sizing: border-box;
}

*,
*:before,
*:after {
  box-sizing: inherit;
}

body {
  margin: 1rem;
  font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
}

button {
  display: block;
}

Open demo

Pasting images into the browser consists of using the read() method of the Async Clipboard API.

Learn more

How to paste text

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
    <link
      rel="icon"
      href="data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22 viewBox=%220 0 100 100%22><text y=%22.9em%22 font-size=%2290%22>🎉</text></svg>"
    />
    <title>How to paste text</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>How to paste text</h1>
    <p>
      <button type="button">Paste</button>
    </p>
    <textarea></textarea>
  </body>
</html>

const pasteButton = document.querySelector('button');

pasteButton.addEventListener('click', async () => {
  try {
    const text = await navigator.clipboard.readText()
    document.querySelector('textarea').value += text;
    console.log('Text pasted.');
  } catch (error) {
    console.log('Failed to read clipboard. Using execCommand instead.');
    document.querySelector('textarea').focus();
    const result = document.execCommand('paste')
    console.log('document.execCommand result: ', result);
  }
});

:root {
  color-scheme: dark light;
}

html {
  box-sizing: border-box;
}

*,
*:before,
*:after {
  box-sizing: inherit;
}

body {
  margin: 1rem;
  font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
}

button {
  display: block;
}

Open demo

Pasting text into the browser consists of using the readText() method of the Async Clipboard API.

Learn more