Select text. Middle-click to paste.
A separate selection clipboard for macOS.
Download the demo · Set up · Compatibility · Report an issue
Drag-select text in one app, then middle-click an editable field in another. Your normal ⌘C/⌘V clipboard stays separate.
- Selections stay in memory. No account or subscription.
- Links and tabs keep their normal middle-click behavior.
- Pause capture, clear selections or exclude apps from the menu bar.
- Keep the latest selection, or use Queue, Stack or Cycle for several items.
0.1.0, build 3: unsigned preview. Requires macOS 14+. The app and CLI include Apple Silicon and Intel builds.
App ZIP · DMG · CLI · Checksums
These downloads are for inspection. They have no Developer ID signature or notarization. For local use, build from source. Homebrew and npm installers are not published. Release details.
Build locally with full Xcode:
git clone https://github.com/machineyearningengineer/primary-paste.git
cd primary-paste
make buildTo install your build, follow developer setup. The app runs without Node.js; development checks need it.
- Open Primary Paste and follow Setup to grant the required permissions.
- Choose Try It in Your Browser. Select the sentence, then middle-click the field.
- Choose Continue in Menu Bar.
Trackpad? Enable the optional ⌃⌥⌘V shortcut in Paste, or map a gesture to middle-click.
VM checks cover Chrome, Edge, Safari, Maccy, CopyQ and Codex's local composer. Intel GUI, authenticated Codex and signed-in Arc still need testing. Tested versions and app rules.
make check # Complete local quality gate
make build # Compile without signing or opening windowsSetup · Architecture · Release process · Changelog
GitHub Actions is disabled. Run checks locally.
Issues are welcome; external PRs are closed during the initial preview. Verify AI-assisted reports before submitting. Contributing.
GPL-3.0-only. Commercial forks are allowed; distributions must provide corresponding source under the GPL. License and branding · Privacy · Media rights.