Readonly contextThe current context.
Readonly inputThe current selection.
Readonly modifiersThe state of the modifier keys when the action was invoked in PopClip.
During the execution of the population function, all the modifiers will read as false.
Readonly optionsThe current values of the options.
Place mixed content on the pasteboard, optionally showing "Copied" notification to the user. Same promise semantics as copyText.
Optional options: CopyOptionsPlace the given string on the pasteboard, optionally showing "Copied" notification to the user.
Returns a promise that resolves once the items are committed to the pasteboard, and rejects if the pasteboard refuses the write.
The plain text string to copy
Optional options: CopyOptionsFill a query into a template URL and open it. This is the mechanism used by URL actions, exposed to JavaScript.
The query is trimmed of surrounding whitespace and URL-encoded, then substituted
into the template in place of the placeholders *** and {popclip text}. Any
{popclip option <name>} placeholders are replaced with the URL-encoded values
supplied in the options sub-dictionary. The resulting URL is then opened as
by openUrl, and that open's promise is returned.
When the copy option is set, the query text is also copied to the clipboard.
The URL template containing placeholders.
The text to substitute into the template's query placeholders.
Optional options: { Options.
Optional activate?: booleanWhether to request that macOS activate the target app. (Default: true)
Optional app?: stringBundle identifier of the app to open the URL with. For example "com.google.Chrome".
Optional backgroundWhen opening a web URL in a supported browser, whether to open the URL in a background tab. (Default: false)
Optional clean?: booleanCollapse runs of internal whitespace in the query to a single space.
Mirrors the clean query property of URL actions. (Default: false)
Optional copy?: booleanWhether to copy the query text to the clipboard, overriding the app's default behaviour for this call.
Optional options?: { A mapping of option names to values, used to fill any
{popclip option <name>} placeholders in the template.
Optional plus?: booleanEncode spaces in the query as + instead of %20. Some search engines
(for example Amazon) expect this format. Mirrors the spaces as plus
property of URL actions. (Default: false)
Optional verbatim?: booleanWrap the query in double quotes for an exact-phrase search. If unspecified, defaults to the state of the Option (⌥) key when the action was invoked.
popclip.openTemplateUrl("https://www.google.com/search?q=***", popclip.input.text);
Open a URL in a browser or other application.
If a target application bundle identifier is specified via the app option, PopClip will ask that app to open the URL.
If no target app is specified:
Any parameters etc. in the URL must be appropriately percent-encoded. JavaScript provides the encodeURIComponent() function for this. Alternatively you can use the URL class, which is available as a global in PopClip's JavaScript environment.
Returns a promise that resolves once the request has been delivered to the browser or OS.
URL string or a UrlObject representing the URL to open.
Optional options: { Options.
Optional activate?: booleanWhether to request that macOS activate the target app. (Default: true)
Optional app?: stringBundle identifier of the app to open the URL with. For example "com.google.Chrome".
Optional backgroundWhen opening a web URL in a supported browser, whether to open the URL in a background tab. (Default: false)
// examples using string URLs
popclip.openUrl("https://xkcd.com"); // open in current/default browser
popclip.openUrl("https://xkcd.com", {app: "com.brave.Browser"}); // open in Brave browser
// example using URL class
const mailUrl=new URL("mailto:support@pilotmoon.com");
mailUrl.searchParams.append("subject", "What's up?");
popclip.openUrl(mailUrl); // the mailto: link will open in the default mail application
Paste mixed pasteboard content. Same promise semantics as pasteText.
Optional options: PasteOptionsIf the target app's Paste command is available, this method places the given string on the pasteboard
and then invokes the target app's Paste comand. If the restore flag is set in the options, it will
then restore the original pasteboard contents.
If the target app's Paste command is not available, it behaves as copyText instead.
The plain text string to paste
Optional options: PasteOptions// place "Hello" on the clipboard and invoke Paste
await popclip.pasteText("Hello");
// place "Hello", then restore the original pasteboard contents
await popclip.pasteText("Hello", {restore: true});
Returns a promise that resolves once the paste command has been delivered to the app,
after the pasteboard write was confirmed and — if restore is set — after the
pasteboard was restored. It rejects if the write never appears on the
pasteboard or the restore fails.
Invokes a command in the target app.
Returns a promise. For cut and copy it resolves once the app has placed the
resulting content on the pasteboard and any transform has been applied.
For paste it resolves once the once the command has been delivered to the app. An unknown
command or transform value throws immediately, doing nothing.
Either cut, copy or paste.
Optional options: { Options for the command.
Optional transform?: "none" | "plain"Transformation to apply to the pasteboard contents. (Default: none)
none: regular pasteboard operationplain: strips away everything but plain textawait popclip.performCommand("copy")
Simulate a key press by the user.
The key to press. When this parameter is a string, PopClip will interpret it as in Key Press actions. When this parameter is a number, PopClip will use that exact key code.
Optional modifiers: numberAn optional bit mask specifiying additional modifier keys, if any.
Optional options: { Options for the key press.
The target option says where PopClip posts the key events:
session (the default) posts to the session event tap, kCGSessionEventTap.app posts to the process of the application PopClip is acting on, using
CGEventPostToPid(). This is the only target aimed at a particular process, so the keys
arrive there whatever holds keyboard focus at the time.hid posts to the HID event tap, kCGHIDEventTap.Where the events go from a tap is up to the system. If a key combo does not have the effect you expect with one target, it is worth trying the others.
Optional target?: "session" | "app" | "hid"A promise that resolves once the press has been made, and rejects if it fails. Await it when a later step depends on the press completing.
await popclip.pressKey('command c');
popclip.pressKey('command space', 0, { target: 'hid' });
To press a sequence of combos, with waits between them if needed, see pressKeys().
// press the key combo ⌘B
await popclip.pressKey('command B');
// press the key combo ⌥⌘H
await popclip.pressKey('option command H');
// press the return key
await popclip.pressKey('return');
await popclip.pressKey(util.constant.KEY_RETURN); // equivalent
// press option and the page down key
await popclip.pressKey('option 0x79');
await popclip.pressKey(0x79, util.constant.MODIFIER_OPTION); // equivalent
Some key code and modifier constants are available in util.constant.
Simulate a sequence of key presses, with optional waits between them.
The sequence runs as one unit: PopClip makes the presses in order on its key-press queue, and no other press can interleave mid-sequence.
The presses to make, in order. Each entry is a key press in the same form
as pressKey()'s key parameter — a string such as 'command b' or a
numeric key code — or a wait, written 'wait <milliseconds>' (up to 5000). If any entry
does not parse, the call throws and nothing is pressed.
Optional options: { The same options as pressKey(): target says where the
presses are posted (session, the default, or app or hid).
Optional target?: "session" | "app" | "hid"A promise that resolves once the whole sequence has run, and rejects if the presses could not be made.
// press ⌘space, give Spotlight a moment, then paste
await popclip.pressKeys(['command space', 'wait 100', 'command v'], { target: 'hid' });
Show a file or folder in the Finder. A file is selected inside its enclosing folder; a folder is opened as the window's own root.
The path must be an absolute path on the user's disk — the kind found in popclip.input.data.paths.
Throws if the path is omitted or does not exist.
An absolute path to an existing file or folder. A leading ~ is expanded to the user's
home folder.
popclip.revealFile(popclip.input.data.paths[0]);
popclip.revealFile("~/Downloads");
Run an AppleScript, supplied as source text.
Requires the script entitlement, and may only be called during the action phase.
To call a specific handler (subroutine) in the script, name it in the options — see AppleScriptOptions.
Bad input throws immediately, and nothing runs. A script that runs and errors rejects the promise with an
error carrying the AppleScript error number as its errorNumber property.
The AppleScript source text.
Optional options: AppleScriptOptionsSee AppleScriptOptions.
A promise for the script's return value — see AppleScriptResult.
const script = `
on addReminder(theName)
tell application id "com.apple.reminders"
make new reminder with properties {name:theName}
end tell
end addReminder`;
await popclip.runAppleScript(script, {
handler: "addReminder",
parameters: [popclip.input.text],
permissions: ["reminders"],
});
Run an AppleScript from a file in the extension package.
The same as runAppleScript() in every way except where the
script comes from: path names a script file inside the package, relative to the
package root. An .applescript file is read as source text; an .scpt (compiled
script) file is opened by the script runner directly. Other file types, and paths
outside the package, are refused.
Package-relative path of the .applescript or .scpt file.
Optional options: AppleScriptOptionsSee AppleScriptOptions.
A promise for the script's return value — see AppleScriptResult.
const result = await popclip.runAppleScriptFile("scripts/lookup.applescript", {
handler: "lookup",
parameters: [popclip.input.text],
});
Run a shortcut from the user's Shortcuts library, by name.
May only be called during the action phase.
Bad input (a missing name, a non-string input) throws immediately, and nothing runs. A shortcut that could not be run, or that errors, rejects the promise.
The name of the shortcut, exactly as it appears in the Shortcuts app.
Optional options: { input: text passed to the shortcut as its input; omitted means none.
Optional input?: stringA promise for the shortcut's result — see AppleScriptResult. The result is the shortcut's output: what its last action produces, or what it passes to a "Stop and Output" action. A shortcut that produces no output resolves to undefined.
const result = await popclip.runShortcut("My Shortcut", { input: popclip.input.text });
Share items with a named macOS sharing service.
The name of the sharing service to use.
An array of items to share. Each item can be a string, a RichString object, or a UrlObject.
// share a string with the Messages service
popclip.share("com.apple.share.Messages.window", ["Hello, world!"]);
// share a URL with the Safari Reading List service
popclip.share("com.apple.share.System.add-to-safari-reading-list", [{ url: "https://example.com" }]);
// share a an html string with the Notes service
const item = new RichString("Some <b>simple</b> html", { format: html })
popclip.share("com.apple.Notes.SharingExtension", [item]);
The list of available sharing services is determined by the user's system configuration.
Returns a promise that resolves when the share completes (or when the user cancels the share UI), and rejects if macOS reports that the share failed. The share UI can stay open indefinitely, so only await this if your action needs to wait for the outcome.
If the service name is not recognized, or if the service cannot handle the supplied items, an error is thrown.
Display text to the user.
The text to display.
Optional options: { Options.
Optional preview?: booleanApplies to compact display mode only. If true, and the app's Paste command is available,
the displayed text will be in a clickable button, which clicked, pastes the full text.
Optional style?: "compact" | "large"Display style:
compact (default): Show the text inside PopClip's popup. It will be truncated to 160 characters when shown.large: Show as "Large Type" in full screen.Returns an Error to throw when the stored sign-in credential is no longer valid
(for example the server rejected or revoked the token). PopClip clears the saved secret
— so the extension appears signed out — and opens the settings UI to sign in again.
Optional message: stringOptional message for logs/diagnostics.
if (isAuthError(e)) throw popclip.signInRequiredError();
This interface describes the methods and properties of the global popclip object.