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Clipboard patterns
A collection of common patterns for dealing with the clipboard.
On this page
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;
}
Learn how to copy images to the clipboard.
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;
}
Learn how to copy text to the clipboard.
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;
}
Learn how to handle pasted files into the browser.
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;
}
Pasting images into the browser consists of using the read() method of the Async Clipboard API.
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;
}
Pasting text into the browser consists of using the readText() method of the Async Clipboard API.