How to find and search clipboard history on Mac
Published
Copied a link, then copied something else before pasting it? A clipboard history lets you find the earlier item. Before installing an app, check the option already on your Mac: macOS Tahoe 26 and later include clipboard history in Spotlight. Scrap, our clipboard manager on Quits, is another approach when you want a shelf of cards, pinboards and search inside copied images.
Start with Spotlight
Open Spotlight with Command-Space, then press Command-4 for Clipboard. Search for the item, select it and press Command-C. Return to your document and paste with Command-V. You may need to enable clipboard results the first time.
Apple documents this in Search your Clipboard history in Spotlight, checked 16 October 2026. For ordinary retrieval, try this before buying anything.
When a clipboard manager is useful
A history answers “what did I copy?”. Your workflow may also need “keep these snippets for later”, “find the words in this image”, or “paste this without its formatting”. Those are useful questions to ask before choosing an app. Check your macOS version too: an app that supports macOS 14 can be an option on a Mac without Tahoe’s clipboard feature.
Maccy is an open-source clipboard manager worth considering if you prefer that model. Its official site describes a searchable history and keyboard-first operation, checked 16 October 2026. This guide is written by Quits, which publishes Scrap; it is not an independent ranking of clipboard apps.
Search and paste with Scrap
Scrap collects copied text, links, images, colors and files. Press Shift-Command-V to open its shelf over the app you are using, then type to search. It can find text inside images using recognition on your Mac, and filter the history by item type or source app.
- Press Return to paste the selected card.
- Press Shift-Return to paste plain text.
- Press Command-1 to 9 for one of the first 9 cards.
- Press Space to inspect a card in Quick Look before using it.
Snippets you need regularly can go on pinboards. Pinned cards do not expire and survive clearing the history. If you need a copied passage to become a Markdown file instead, QuickMD saves a note directly as an .md file.
What a history should leave out
A copied item can contain sensitive information. Scrap excludes password managers by default and does not save items marked private. That is not a promise that every secret copied from every app will be recognized: be deliberate about what you copy and retain.
Scrap asks for Accessibility permission to paste into your current app. Its product page explains the permission and shows the browser Demo, so you can inspect the interaction before buying. The Demo uses sample content, not your real clipboard.
Requirements and trying it
Scrap works on macOS 14 or later. There is no downloadable trial: try the Scrap browser Demo, then read the House Rules for the one-time license, updates and 30-day refund. The current price is on the product page.
Written by Quits, publisher of the Quits apps discussed here. About Quits.
