Frequently Asked Questions

Last Updated: 2026-02-03 | Reading Time: 12 minutes

Answers to common questions about PasteShelf.

General Questions
Features
Privacy & Security
Technical
Troubleshooting

General Questions

What is PasteShelf?

PasteShelf is a privacy-first clipboard manager for macOS that stores your clipboard history locally, with optional encrypted cloud sync. All features are free and open source under AGPL-3.0.

What macOS versions are supported?

PasteShelf requires macOS 14.0 (Sonoma) or later. This requirement enables modern APIs including:

SwiftData compatibility
Advanced SwiftUI features
Enhanced privacy controls

Is PasteShelf free?

Yes! PasteShelf is completely free and open source (AGPL-3.0). All features are included:

Unlimited clipboard history
Full-text, semantic, and OCR search
iCloud sync with E2E encryption
Keyboard shortcuts and automation
Plugin system
Enterprise features (SSO, MDM, audit logs, DLP)

How does PasteShelf compare to other clipboard managers?

Feature	PasteShelf	Paste	Maccy	Alfred
Free	✅ All features	❌	✅	❌
Open source	✅ Fully	❌	✅	❌
E2E sync	✅	✅	❌	❌
Semantic search	✅	❌	❌	❌
Enterprise MDM	✅	❌	❌	❌

Features

What content types are supported?

Plain text
Rich text (RTF)
Images (PNG, JPEG, GIF, TIFF)
File references
URLs
Code snippets with syntax highlighting
Colors
Files (with preview)

How many items can I store?

Unlimited (recommended: 10,000 for optimal performance). Administrators can configure limits via MDM.

Can I organize my clipboard items?

Yes! PasteShelf supports:

Favorites/pinning
Tags
Smart collections
Folders
Shared collections (team)

Does PasteShelf support keyboard shortcuts?

Yes! Default shortcuts:

Action	Shortcut
Open panel	`⌘⇧V`
Search	`⌘F`
Paste item 1-9	`⌘1` - `⌘9`
Clear history	`⌘⇧⌫`

All shortcuts are customizable in Preferences.

Can I sync across devices?

Yes! Sync features:

iCloud sync via CloudKit
End-to-end encryption
Selective sync (choose what syncs)
Conflict resolution
Offline support with automatic reconciliation

Privacy & Security

Is my clipboard data private?

Absolutely. Privacy principles:

Local-first: All data stored on your device by default
No telemetry: Zero data collection
E2E encryption: Sync data encrypted before leaving device
Open source: Core code auditable by anyone

Does PasteShelf send my data anywhere?

By default: No. Everything stays on your device.

With sync enabled: Data is encrypted on your device before upload to iCloud or your self-hosted server. We cannot read your clipboard contents.

How is sensitive data protected?

PasteShelf automatically detects and handles:

Passwords (excluded by default)
API keys and tokens
Credit card numbers
Social Security Numbers
Private keys

Options:

Auto-exclude from history
Mask in UI
Never sync
Auto-delete after time

Which apps are excluded by default?

Password managers are automatically excluded:

1Password
Bitwarden
LastPass
Dashlane
Keychain Access
KeePassXC

You can customize exclusions in Preferences → Privacy.

Yes. We support:

Data export (JSON format)
Data deletion (complete wipe)
Data portability
No tracking
Opt-in analytics only

Is PasteShelf HIPAA compliant?

PasteShelf can be configured for HIPAA compliance:

BAA available
Full audit logging
PHI auto-detection
Encryption enforcement
Access controls

Contact: [email protected]

Technical

Where is my data stored?

~/Library/Application Support/PasteShelf/
├── PasteShelf.sqlite       # Main database
├── PasteShelf.sqlite-shm   # Shared memory
├── PasteShelf.sqlite-wal   # Write-ahead log
├── Attachments/            # Image/file storage
└── Preferences.plist       # Settings

Can I backup my data?

Yes! Options:

Time Machine: Automatic
Manual export: File → Export History
iCloud sync: Automatic backup

Does PasteShelf work offline?

Yes! PasteShelf is fully functional offline. Sync occurs when connectivity returns.

How much disk space does PasteShelf use?

Typical usage:

App: ~25 MB
Database (10K items): ~50 MB
With images: Varies (thumbnails compressed)

Can I import from other clipboard managers?

Yes! Supported imports:

Paste (JSON export)
Maccy (SQLite)
Alfred clipboard history
Plain text/CSV

File → Import → Select format

Does PasteShelf support Apple Silicon?

Yes! PasteShelf is a Universal Binary running natively on:

Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4)
Intel Macs

Troubleshooting

PasteShelf isn’t capturing my clipboard

Check Accessibility permission:

System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility → PasteShelf ✓

Verify PasteShelf is running (menu bar icon)
Check if source app is excluded
Restart PasteShelf

Search isn’t finding my items

Try simpler search terms
Check active filters

Rebuild search index:

Preferences → Advanced → Rebuild Index

Sync isn’t working

Check iCloud sign-in status
Ensure iCloud Drive is enabled
Check internet connection
Reset sync state:
```
Preferences → Sync → Reset Sync
```

PasteShelf is using too much memory

Reduce history limit (Preferences → General)
Clear old items
Disable image previews
Check for corrupt items

How do I completely uninstall PasteShelf?

# Quit PasteShelf first, then:

# Remove app
rm -rf /Applications/PasteShelf.app

# Remove data
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/PasteShelf
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.pasteshelf.PasteShelf
rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.pasteshelf.PasteShelf.plist

# Remove from login items (manual)
# System Settings → General → Login Items → Remove PasteShelf

Still Have Questions?

Community Support

Email Support

Email: [email protected]
Enterprise inquiries: [email protected]

Document	Description
Quick Start	Get started quickly
Troubleshooting	Detailed solutions

Last updated: 2026-02-03