Automatic type sorting
Each copy is classified as text, rich text, link, image, color or file list. Filter chips and search narrow the list quickly.
Open source · macOS 14+ · Universal binary · Clipboard
Your clipboard history,
sorted by type.
A docked sidebar that sorts everything you copy into text, links, images, colors and files. Press ⌥⌘V to open it, then hit Return to paste back into the app you were using.
Free & MIT licensed · Apple Silicon & Intel · Latest release
Features
Built for everyday copying.
Everything below is in the app today and runs locally on your Mac.
Docked right-edge sidebar
A 340 pt panel opens from the right edge by hotkey, from the menu bar, or optionally by pushing the pointer against the screen edge.
Built-in text transforms
Right-click an item to apply UPPERCASE, lowercase, Title Case, Trim Whitespace, Remove Line Breaks, Sort Lines or Wrap in Quotes.
Keyboard-first pasting
Use the arrow keys to move, Return to paste, Shift+Return for plain text, Command-P to pin and Command-Delete to remove.
Privacy-minded capture
Items flagged as concealed or transient are skipped, and 1Password and Bitwarden are ignored by default. You can add more ignored apps.
Pinning and retention
Keep 50 to 500 items and expire them after 1 to 365 days, or never. Pinned items are never expired or cleared.
Screenshots
See it in action.
Install
Up and running in a minute.
ClipTypeSidebar is open source and not notarized with a paid Apple Developer ID, so macOS needs one extra step the first time.
- Download ClipTypeSidebar-macOS.zip and unzip it.
- Move ClipTypeSidebar.app to your Applications folder.
- Clear the quarantine flag once, then right-click the app and choose Open:
xattr -cr /Applications/ClipTypeSidebar.app
- Optionally grant Accessibility in System Settings Privacy Security Accessibility so ClipTypeSidebar can paste directly into the previous app without it, items are copied and you press Command-V yourself.
Download
Get ClipTypeSidebar for macOS
Free, forever. Built for macOS 14 Sonoma or newer, Apple Silicon and Intel.
Not notarized: on first launch right-click ClipTypeSidebar.app → Open.
- macOS 14 Sonoma+
- Universal (Apple Silicon + Intel)
- MIT licensed · open source
- No ads, no accounts, no telemetry
- Built with Claude Code · how and why
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is ClipTypeSidebar free and open source?
Yes. It is free and released under the MIT license, with the full source on GitHub. There are no accounts, subscriptions or paid tiers if it saves you time, you can optionally support development through Ko-fi.
What permissions does it need?
Only Accessibility, and only if you want it to paste directly into the app you were using, since it sends a synthetic Command-V. It asks on demand with an explanation first. Without it, the item is copied and you paste manually. Launch at login is also optional.
Where is my clipboard data stored?
Only on your Mac. History is a JSON file in ~/Library/Application Support/ClipTypeSidebar, with copied images saved as PNG files beside it. The code contains no networking, so nothing is uploaded.
Why isn't the app notarized?
Notarization requires a paid Apple Developer account, which this free project does not have. Right-click the app and choose Open once to launch it, or build it yourself from source with Xcode and XcodeGen.
Was this written by AI?
Yes. ClipTypeSidebar was generated by Claude Code from a written spec as a clean-room reimplementation, with no code or assets from any commercial app. The full source is on GitHub under MIT, so you can read every line before you run it. It has had less human review than a hand-written app, so bug reports are welcome.
Support ❤️
Built by one person, given away for free.
ClipTypeSidebar is a free, open-source alternative to paid utilities. If it earns a spot on your Mac, a coffee keeps the updates coming.
☕ Support Or on Ko-fi