How to Filter Edge Drop by Text, Links, Images and Files

To filter your Edge Drop history, open the shelf and click one of the tabs along the top: All, Text, Links, Images, Files or Colors. The list then shows only that kind of item, in both the PINNED and RECENT sections. Click All to see everything again. The last tab, Emoji, isn't a filter: it opens Edge Drop's emoji picker.

How to use a filter

1. Open the shelf by moving the cursor to its screen edge or pressing Alt+C.
2. Click a tab in the filter bar, for example Images.
3. Click a card to paste it into the app you were using, or drag an image or file out.
4. Click All to go back to the full list.

Only one filter is active at a time, and it applies to the whole shelf, pinned items included.

What each filter includes

A few details explain most surprises:

• Links must be the whole clip. Copying a URL from the address bar puts it under Links. Copying a paragraph that contains a URL puts it under Text. Link cards also have their own button for opening the link in your browser.
• Images include image files. If you select three PNG files in Explorer and press Ctrl+C, the item appears under Images, even though it's a file reference. Add a PDF to the same copy and it moves to Files.
• Colors must be the whole clip, too. A copied #1A73E8 or rgb(26, 115, 232) becomes a colour card that shows the swatch. Hex codes with 3, 4, 6 or 8 digits and rgb(), rgba(), hsl() and hsla() values all count.

Filters with search

Filters and the Search history... box work together. Choose a tab, then type, and you get only items of that type that match. For example:

• Links plus jira shows only Jira links.
• Files plus .xlsx shows only spreadsheets.
• Colors plus #ff shows only colour codes containing "ff".

Images can't be searched by text, so typing anything while on Images hides them. To find a screenshot, use the Images tab on its own and scan the thumbnails. Searching your Edge Drop history covers what search matches.

Clearing only one type

When a filter or a search is active, Clear all history clears only the unpinned items you can see. That makes filters a quick way to tidy one kind of item:

1. Click Images to show only screenshots and images.
2. Open the clear menu and select Clear all history.
3. Click it again to confirm.

Only the unpinned images are removed. Your text, links and files, and any pinned images, stay. The time-based options (Clear last hour, Clear last 6 hours, Clear last 24 hours) are also on that menu, and pinned items are never cleared by any of them.

Filters and stacks

Edge Drop's stacks hold only images, only files, or a mix of images and files. Text and links can't be stacked. An image stack appears under Images; a stack with any non-image file appears under Files. Merging and splitting stacks explains the rules.

The Emoji tab

Emoji opens a picker with categories (Recents, Smileys, People, Animals, Food, Travel, Activity, Objects, Symbols and Flags) and a skin-tone option. Click an emoji to paste it into the app you were using. Emoji you insert this way aren't added to your clipboard history, and the picker has no search box. For Windows' own emoji panel, see how to copy emoji and symbols on Windows 11.

FAQ

Can I set a default filter?

No. Edge Drop has no setting for a default filter. Click the tab you want each time.

Can I hide a type of item so Edge Drop doesn't record it?

No. Filters only change what's shown. Edge Drop has no setting to stop capturing images, files or any other type. To pause recording altogether, use Incognito mode.

Can Windows clipboard history (Win+V) filter by type?

Windows clipboard history stores text, HTML and images, but not files. For ways to see only images, see clipboard history for images only.

Related reading

• How to Search Clipboard History in Edge Drop
• How to Pin and Unpin Items in Edge Drop
• How to Copy a Hex Color Code on Windows (and Save It)
• How to Clear Clipboard History on Windows 11

Sources

• Using the clipboard (Microsoft Support) — formats Windows clipboard history stores.

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