Copy files from your terminal that actually paste into GUI apps. No more switching to Finder.
macOS only – built specifically for the Mac clipboard system.
Why Clippy?
pbcopy copies file contents, but GUI apps need file references. When you pbcopy < image.png, you can’t paste it into Slack or email – those apps expect files, not raw bytes. Your only option is to leave the terminal and drag files from Finder.
Clippy bridges this gap by detecting what you want and using the right clipboard format:
Key Features
- Smart detection: Automatically decides whether to copy content or file references
- File support:
clippy document.pdfcopies the PDF as a file (not its raw content) - Multiple files:
clippy *.jpgcopies all JPGs as file references - Binary streaming: Pipe images/PDFs and paste them as files in other apps
- Text handling: Text files are copied as content, just like pbcopy
- Automatic cleanup: Temporary files from piped data are cleaned up intelligently
- Library support: Use clippy as a Go library in your own applications
- Companion tool: Includes
pastyfor intelligent pasting from clipboard