ClipPal Support - Help & Documentation

Getting Started with ClipPal

New to ClipPal? Here's everything you need to know to get up and running.

Installation

Download ClipPal from the Mac App Store and launch it. The app will appear in your menu bar as a clipboard icon.

First Launch

On first launch, ClipPal will guide you through an interactive onboarding tour. You'll learn about the interface, keyboard shortcuts, and how to customize the app to your workflow.

Basic Usage

Click the menu bar icon or press ⌘⇧C (configurable) to open ClipPal. Your clipboard history will start populating automatically as you copy text, images, and files.

Customize Settings

Press ⌘, or click the menu bar icon and select "Settings" to customize popover size, item limit, theme, and keyboard shortcuts.

How-To Guides

Learn how to use ClipPal's key features effectively.

📋 How to Copy Items from ClipPal

Open ClipPal with your configured keyboard shortcut (default: ⌘⇧C)
Navigate to the item you want using arrow keys or mouse
Press Enter or ⌘C, or click the item to copy it back to your clipboard
ClipPal closes automatically and the item is ready to paste

🔍 How to Search Your Clipboard History

Open ClipPal
Start typing in the search bar at the top (it auto-focuses when you open ClipPal)
ClipPal searches across content, filenames, folders, and source apps
Use arrow keys to navigate filtered results
Press Escape to clear search and return to full history

🎯 How to Use Filters

Open ClipPal
Use the filter tabs at the top: All, Text, Images, Files, Downloaded
Click a tab or use ← / → arrow keys to switch filters
Each filter shows only items of that type with color-coded backgrounds

👁️ How to Preview Files

Navigate to a file or image in your clipboard history
Press Space or click the eye icon (👁️) on the right
An inline QuickLook preview appears showing the file contents
Press Space again or click the collapse button to close the preview

⚙️ How to Change Keyboard Shortcuts

Open ClipPal Settings with ⌘,
Find the "Reveal Shortcut" dropdown menu
Select from 9 preset keyboard shortcuts
Your new shortcut is active immediately

📥 How to Enable Downloads Monitoring

Open ClipPal Settings
You'll see a prompt to enable Downloads folder monitoring
Click "Enable" and grant permission in the system dialog
Files downloaded to your Downloads folder will now appear in ClipPal automatically
Use the "Downloaded" filter to see only items from Downloads

🗑️ How to Clear Clipboard History

Open ClipPal
Press ⌘R or click the menu bar icon and select "Clear All Items"
Confirm when prompted
All clipboard items and cached files will be removed

🎨 How to Change Themes

Open ClipPal Settings with ⌘,
Find the "Theme" section
Choose between System (follows macOS), Light, or Dark theme
The interface updates immediately with smooth transitions

📏 How to Resize the Popover

Open ClipPal Settings
Find the "Popover Size" section with 6 size options
Click on a size card to preview and select (Mini, Compact, Medium, Large, XL-Small, XL-Medium)
Each size shows a different number of rows and has different dimensions
Choose based on your screen size and how many items you want visible at once

Troubleshooting

Having issues? Here are solutions to common problems.

⚠️ ClipPal isn't capturing my clipboard

Solution:

Check if ClipPal is running (look for the clipboard icon in your menu bar)
Try copying something new - ClipPal polls the clipboard every second
Restart ClipPal by quitting (⌘Q) and reopening from Applications
Check that ClipPal has not been blocked by security software

⚠️ Keyboard shortcut not working

Solution:

Check if another app is using the same keyboard shortcut
Try changing to a different preset in Settings → Reveal Shortcut
Restart ClipPal after changing shortcuts
Check System Preferences → Keyboard → Shortcuts for conflicts

⚠️ Files aren't being captured from Downloads

Solution:

Open ClipPal Settings and check if Downloads monitoring is enabled
If not enabled, click "Enable" and grant folder access permission
Check that your browser is saving to the default ~/Downloads folder
Try downloading a test file to verify

⚠️ Copied files say "File not found"

Solution:

This happens when the original file has been moved or deleted
ClipPal maintains a cached copy in most cases, but some files may not be cached
Check the original file location shown in the item details
The cache limit is 2GB - if exceeded, older cached files are removed

⚠️ ClipPal popover appears in wrong position

Solution:

The popover appears below the menu bar icon by default
Try moving other menu bar items to reposition ClipPal's icon
On multi-monitor setups, the popover appears on the screen with the menu bar
This is standard macOS behavior for menu bar popovers

⚠️ Search isn't finding my items

Solution:

ClipPal searches content, filenames, folders, and source app names
Try broader search terms - ClipPal uses fuzzy matching
Check if you have filters active that might exclude the item
Verify the item exists in your history (check item limit in Settings)

⚠️ QuickLook preview not showing

Solution:

Press Space with a file/image item selected
Only file and image items have QuickLook previews (not text)
Some file types may not be supported by macOS QuickLook
Check if the file still exists at its original location

⚠️ ClipPal using too much disk space

Solution:

ClipPal caches files up to 2GB by default
Reduce the item limit in Settings to store fewer items
Use "Clear All Items" (⌘R) to remove all cached files
ClipPal automatically cleans up old cached files when the limit is reached

⚠️ App crashes or freezes

Solution:

Force quit ClipPal and restart it
Check for app updates in the Mac App Store
Try clearing clipboard history with ⌘R
If the problem persists, contact support with crash logs

⚠️ How to find crash logs

To send crash reports to support:

Open Console app (in Applications/Utilities)
In the sidebar, go to Crash Reports → User
Look for files starting with "ClipPal"
Right-click the most recent crash log and select "Reveal in Finder"
Send the crash log file to support@clippal.cloud

System Requirements

ClipPal is designed exclusively for macOS with modern technologies.

✓

macOS 14.6 or later

Requires macOS Sonoma or newer. Fully compatible with macOS Sequoia.

✓

Apple Silicon or Intel

Native support for M1/M2/M3 and Intel-based Macs from 2015 onwards.

✓

~50MB Disk Space

App requires minimal space. Cache can use up to 2GB (configurable).

✓

Minimal Resources

Low CPU usage (< 1% idle) and memory footprint (~100-200MB).

✓

Clipboard Access

Required permission for core functionality (granted automatically).

✓

Downloads Access (Optional)

Optional permission for automatic download capture feature.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Master ClipPal with powerful keyboard navigation. Every action is just a keystroke away.

Global Shortcuts

Open ClipPal ⌘⇧C

Choose from 9 customizable keyboard shortcut presets in Settings

Navigation Shortcuts

Navigate Items ↑ ↓

Switch Filters ← →

Copy Selected Item ↩︎

Copy Selected Item ⌘C

Toggle Preview Space

Close Popover ⎋

Action Shortcuts

Open Settings ⌘,

Clear All Items ⌘R

Quit ClipPal ⌘Q

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about ClipPal.

How do I access ClipPal?

ClipPal lives in your menu bar. Click the clipboard icon, or use your configured keyboard shortcut (default: ⌘⇧C) to instantly open the popover from anywhere in macOS.

How many clipboard items can ClipPal store?

You can configure ClipPal to keep 10, 20, 30 items, or unlimited history. The default is 20 items. When the limit is reached, the oldest items are automatically removed.

Is my clipboard data sent to the cloud?

No. ClipPal stores all data locally on your Mac. There's no cloud synchronization, no network requests, and no data transmission. Your clipboard history stays private and secure on your device.

What file types does ClipPal support?

ClipPal supports 75+ file formats including all common images (PNG, JPG, HEIC, etc.), documents (PDF, Office files), code files, archives (ZIP, RAR), and media files (MP4, MP3). It can preview any file type supported by macOS QuickLook.

How does ClipPal organize my clipboard history?

ClipPal automatically organizes items by type: text snippets, images, and files. Use the filter tabs to quickly view only the type of content you're looking for. You can also search across all items to find specific content instantly.

Can I customize the keyboard shortcut?

Yes! ClipPal offers 9 preset keyboard shortcuts to choose from. Go to Settings (⌘,) and select your preferred shortcut from the Reveal Shortcut dropdown menu.

What happens to files I copy?

When you copy a file, ClipPal creates a cached copy in its app directory (~Library/Caches) while also keeping track of the original location. This ensures you can still access the file even if the original is moved or deleted. The cache is limited to 2GB with automatic cleanup.

Does ClipPal work with screenshots?

Yes! ClipPal automatically captures screenshots when you take them with ⌘⇧4 or ⌘⇧3. Screenshots are categorized as images and include metadata like capture date, dimensions, and smart filename generation.

Can I search through my clipboard history?

Absolutely! Use the search bar at the top of the popover to search across all your clipboard items. ClipPal searches through content, filenames, folders, source apps, and even supports fuzzy matching for typo tolerance.

How much disk space does ClipPal use?

The app itself is about 50MB. Clipboard history and cached files can use up to 2GB (configurable). ClipPal automatically manages cache size with periodic cleanup to prevent excessive disk usage.

Does ClipPal slow down my Mac?

No. ClipPal uses less than 1% CPU when idle and around 5% during active use. Memory footprint is minimal (~100-200MB). All heavy operations run on background queues to ensure your Mac stays responsive.

What are the different filter views?

ClipPal has 5 smart filter views: All (everything), Text (text snippets), Images (photos and screenshots), Files (documents and archives), and Downloaded (items from your Downloads folder). Each filter has a color-coded design for easy recognition.

Can I preview files without opening them?

Yes! Press Space when an item is selected, or click the eye icon on any clipboard row to see an inline QuickLook preview. This works for images, PDFs, documents, and any file type supported by macOS QuickLook.

Does ClipPal support Dark Mode?

Yes! ClipPal supports System, Light, and Dark themes. You can configure your preferred theme in Settings. The interface adapts beautifully with theme-aware colors and smooth transitions.

What permissions does ClipPal need?

ClipPal requires clipboard access (granted automatically) for core functionality. It optionally requests Downloads folder access if you want automatic download capture. No other permissions are needed, and there's no network access whatsoever.

Contact Support

Can't find what you're looking for? We're here to help.

Get in Touch

For technical support, bug reports, or feature requests, email us at:

support@clippal.cloud

Response Time: We typically respond within 24-48 hours

Support Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM CET

When contacting support, please include:

macOS version (About This Mac → Overview)
ClipPal version (check Mac App Store)
Detailed description of the issue
Steps to reproduce (if applicable)
Screenshots or crash logs (if relevant)