Clipboard MCP — Claude Code MCP server: what it does, how to install
Connects AI assistants directly to your system clipboard for reading and writing text without manual pasting. Handy for passing errors, rich text, or code straight to the agent.
Open on GitHubWhat Clipboard MCP does
The server links AI assistants to the OS pasteboard via the Model Context Protocol, removing the need to copy-paste prompts or responses manually. Packaged as a standalone Rust binary, it avoids external runtimes like Python or Node.js. Integration relies on 1Password's arboard library rather than system shell utilities. Six tools handle clipboard operations: reading raw text, capturing HTML markup, overwriting contents, inspecting payload formats, clearing data, and tracking pasteboard modifications.
Communication occurs over standard input or local HTTP using the --http flag on port 3100. Read operations truncate content exceeding 100 KB, while write payloads cap out at 1 MB. The change listener tool accepts a timeout up to 300 seconds, defaulting to 30 seconds, with an upper limit of 5 concurrent listeners.
On bare Linux window managers like i3 or dwm, keeping clipboard text requires a helper daemon like copyq, because contents drop without an active manager. Wayland setups depend on wl-data-control protocol support, and macOS demands explicit terminal permissions inside Privacy & Security settings.
What it helps with
- transfer error logs directly to the model without switching windows
- convert copied CSV tables into JSON structures on the fly
- adjust text tone from the clipboard and send it back formatted
- monitor clipboard updates to trigger automatic text summaries
- read rich HTML markup copied from browser tabs
Example prompts for the agent
- Check the code snippet currently on my clipboard for potential bugs.
- Monitor my clipboard for 60 seconds and summarize any new text I copy.
- Read the CSV data from my clipboard, transform it into JSON, and replace the clipboard content.
How to install Clipboard MCP
Install
The MCP registry has no launch command for it: see the repository README
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about Clipboard MCP
How do I install Clipboard MCP in Claude Code?
First, install the binary with cargo install clipboard-mcp or fetch a prebuilt release. Then register the server in Claude Code by running claude mcp add clipboard clipboard-mcp.
What does Clipboard MCP do?
It gives your assistant programmatic read and write access to the OS clipboard. The agent can inspect plain text or HTML, replace clipboard contents, and detect clipboard changes in real time.
Is it safe to expose Clipboard MCP over HTTP?
The HTTP mode binds to 127.0.0.1 by default, but binding to 0.0.0.0 opens clipboard access across the local network without authentication. For remote connections, tunneling via SSH is recommended.
