CopyQ Review: When to Choose This Scriptable Clipboard Manager

Choose CopyQ if you want a clipboard manager you can program: it sorts copies into tabs, runs commands automatically when the clipboard changes, has a full scripting API and command-line client, and works the same on Windows, Linux and macOS. It's free and open source (GPL-3.0). The cost is setup time. Out of the box it's a plain list, and it has no global shortcut until you assign one, so if you want something that works in one minute, Ditto or Win+V is the easier start.

What CopyQ is

CopyQ stores text, HTML, images and other custom formats in tabs that you can browse, filter, edit, tag and drag items between. It runs on Windows, Linux and macOS 10.15 or later, which makes it a common pick if you dual-boot; the best Linux clipboard managers compares it with each desktop's own tool. On Windows you can install it with the installer, a portable zip, Scoop or Chocolatey.

It's actively maintained: version 17.0.0 was released on GitHub in October 2026.

Where CopyQ beats the alternatives

Tabs for different kinds of clips

New copies land in one clipboard tab. You can create more tabs (Ctrl+T) and move items between them by dragging or pasting. Commands can sort items for you, for example sending every copied image to an Images tab so the main list stays fast.

Commands that run on their own

CopyQ's command system is its defining feature. Open the Command dialog with F6 (or File > Commands/Global Shortcuts…), click Add, and either pick a predefined command or write your own. The documentation describes these command types:

This is the automatic command from CopyQ's own examples that moves images out of the main tab:

[Command]
Name=Move Images to Other Tab
Input=image/png
Automatic=true
Remove=true
Icon=\xf03e
Tab=&Images

Commands can also be written in CopyQ's JavaScript-based scripting language, or call Python or PowerShell. When CopyQ commands beat any shelf has more real-world examples.

A command-line client

Everything is scriptable from a shell. These examples come from the CopyQ documentation:

copyq tab notes add "This is the first note."
copyq tab notes read 0
copyq exportData copyq-backup

The first adds an item to a tab named "notes", the second prints it, and the third writes an export file, which is always unencrypted. Run copyq help for the full list. The docs warn that on Windows you may not see output when you run CopyQ from PowerShell or cmd; the known-issues page has workarounds. For Windows' own clipboard commands, see the PowerShell clipboard cheat sheet.

Privacy controls

CopyQ ignores copies marked as secret by default. Its security documentation lists the Windows formats it treats as secret: Clipboard Viewer Ignore, ExcludeClipboardContentFromMonitorProcessing, and CanIncludeInClipboardHistory or CanUploadToCloudClipboard set to 0, which password managers and Windows Credential Manager use. You can also:

• add an "Ignore Password window" command to skip copies from windows whose title matches a pattern,
• pause storing with File > Disable Clipboard Storing (Ctrl+Shift+X),
• turn on Encrypt Tabs in Preferences to encrypt stored tab data with a password. Without it, tab data is stored unencrypted.

Backup and export

File > Export… and File > Import… move tabs, settings and commands between machines, with an optional password for the export. Imports add new tabs rather than overwriting existing ones.

When CopyQ is the wrong pick

• You want zero setup. There is no default global shortcut. You add one yourself with the "Show/hide main window" command in the F6 dialog.
• You won't write rules. If you never touch commands, Ditto gives you a similar searchable history with less to learn. See Ditto vs CopyQ.
• You need sync between devices. CopyQ has no built-in device sync. It can keep a tab in step with a folder on disk, which some people point at a synced folder, but that's a workaround.
• You move images and files by dragging all day. CopyQ supports drag and drop, but its main window is a list. Edge Drop takes a different approach for that job, with a screen-edge shelf where you drag images and files into other apps. It has no scripting, so it's not a CopyQ replacement for automation.

If you're still unsure, a 10-minute scorecard for choosing a clipboard manager weighs CopyQ against Win+V, Ditto and Edge Drop for your own job.

Getting started in 15 minutes

1. Install CopyQ and open it from the tray.
2. Press F6, click Add, choose Show/hide main window, and assign a global shortcut you don't already use.
3. Add a predefined command such as Ignore Password window if your password manager doesn't mark its copies.
4. Pin items you reuse. Select them and choose Pin from the toolbar or context menu. On Windows, the docs say you need the "Pinned Items" plugin installed first.
5. Use it for a week before writing custom commands, so you know which jobs are worth automating.

FAQ

Is CopyQ free?

Yes. CopyQ is free and open source under GPL-3.0.

Does CopyQ work on Windows 11?

Yes. Windows is a supported platform, with an installer, a portable build, Scoop and Chocolatey packages.

Does CopyQ ignore passwords?

By default it ignores copies carrying the standard Windows "secret" formats that password managers set. For apps that don't set them, add a window-title rule.

What is CopyQ's default shortcut?

It has no default global shortcut. Assign one in the Command dialog (F6).

Related reading

• CopyQ Scripting: 5 Automations Worth Setting Up
• Ditto vs CopyQ (2026): Which Clipboard Manager to Use
• Edge Drop vs CopyQ: Drag Shelf or Scriptable Clipboard?
• Best Clipboard Manager for Developers in 2026

Sources

• CopyQ — features, platforms and Windows install options.
• CopyQ on GitHub — GPL-3.0 licence and release history.
• Writing commands (CopyQ docs) — command types and the F6 Command dialog.
• Command examples (CopyQ docs) — the Move Images to Other Tab command.
• Command line (CopyQ docs) — CLI examples and the Windows output note.
• Security (CopyQ docs) — secret formats ignored by default and unencrypted storage.
• Password protection (CopyQ docs) — Encrypt Tabs.
• Backup (CopyQ docs) — export, import and exportData.
• FAQ (CopyQ docs) — shortcuts, ignoring password windows, disabling storage.

Copy. Stack. Drop.

Transform your clipboard into an interactive edge shelf. Stack, pin, and drag assets into any app with zero friction.

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How to Install Guide · First 10 Minutes Guide · Drag & Drop Guide · Edge Drop vs Win+V · Support