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Clipboard Variable

The clipboard variable type captures the current system clipboard text into a variable that can be used in expansion output.

Basic Usage​

- trigger: ":clip"
  replace: "{{clip}}"
  vars:
    - name: clip
      type: clipboard

When triggered, the current clipboard content replaces {{clip}}.

Using Clipboard as Form Default​

A powerful pattern: pre-fill a form field with clipboard content so you can edit it before expansion.

- trigger: ":review"
  replace: |
    Reviewed by: Donny
    Date: {{date}}
    Notes: {{form.notes}}
    Content:
    {{form.content}}
  vars:
    - name: clip
      type: clipboard
    - name: date
      type: date
      params:
        format: "%Y-%m-%d"
    - name: form
      type: form
      params:
        layout: |
          Notes: [[notes]]
          Content:
          [[content]]
        fields:
          notes:
            placeholder: "Add your notes"
          content:
            multiline: true
            default: "{{clip}}"

This pattern is useful for:

  • Reviewing code snippets
  • Editing copied text before pasting
  • Adding context to clipboard content

How It Works​

Requirements​

  • Requires a display server (X11 or Wayland)
  • On Wayland, wl-clipboard package must be installed
  • On X11, xclip or xsel is used automatically

What's Next​

Learn about the Shell Variable for dynamic content from command execution.