Copy / Put text on the clipboard with FireFox, Safari and Chrome

Question

In Internet Explorer I can use the clipboardData object to access the clipboard. How can I do that in FireFox, Safari and/or Chrome?

Answer 1

For security reasons, Firefox doesn't allow you to place text on the clipboard. However, there is a workaround available using Flash.

function copyIntoClipboard(text) {

    var flashId = 'flashId-HKxmj5';

    /* Replace this with your clipboard.swf location */
    var clipboardSWF = 'http://appengine.bravo9.com/copy-into-clipboard/clipboard.swf';

    if(!document.getElementById(flashId)) {
        var div = document.createElement('div');
        div.id = flashId;
        document.body.appendChild(div);
    }
    document.getElementById(flashId).innerHTML = '';
    var content = '<embed src="' +
        clipboardSWF +
        '" FlashVars="clipboard=' + encodeURIComponent(text) +
        '" width="0" height="0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>';
    document.getElementById(flashId).innerHTML = content;
}

The only disadvantage is that this requires Flash to be enabled.

The source is currently dead: http://bravo9.com/journal/copying-text-into-the-clipboard-with-javascript-in-firefox-safari-ie-opera-292559a2-cc6c-4ebf-9724-d23e8bc5ad8a/ (and so is its Google cache)

Answer 2

There is now a way to easily do this in most modern browsers using

document.execCommand('copy');

This will copy currently selected text. You can select a textArea or input field using

document.getElementById('myText').select();

To invisibly copy text you can quickly generate a textArea, modify the text in the box, select it, copy it, and then delete the textArea. In most cases this textArea wont even flash onto the screen.

For security reasons, browsers will only allow you copy if a user takes some kind of action (ie. clicking a button). One way to do this would be to add an onClick event to a html button that calls a method which copies the text.

A full example:

function copier(){
  document.getElementById('myText').select();
  document.execCommand('copy');
}

<button onclick="copier()">Copy</button>
<textarea id="myText">Copy me PLEASE!!!</textarea>

Answer 3

Online spreadsheet applications hook Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V events and transfer focus to a hidden TextArea control and either set its contents to desired new clipboard contents for copy or read its contents after the event had finished for paste.

See also Is it possible to read the clipboard in Firefox, Safari and Chrome using JavaScript?.

Answer 4

It is summer 2015, and with so much turmoil surrounding Flash, here is how to avoid its use altogether.

clipboard.js is a nice utility that allows copying of text or html data to the clipboard. It's very easy to use, just include the .js and use something like this:

<button id='markup-copy'>Copy Button</button>

<script>
document.getElementById('markup-copy').addEventListener('click', function() {
  clipboard.copy({
    'text/plain': 'Markup text. Paste me into a rich text editor.',
    'text/html': '<i>here</i> is some <b>rich text</b>'
  }).then(
    function(){console.log('success'); },
    function(err){console.log('failure', err);
  });

});
</script>

clipboard.js is also on GitHub.

Answer 5

As of 2017, you can do this:

function copyStringToClipboard (string) {
    function handler (event){
        event.clipboardData.setData('text/plain', string);
        event.preventDefault();
        document.removeEventListener('copy', handler, true);
    }

    document.addEventListener('copy', handler, true);
    document.execCommand('copy');
}

And now to copy copyStringToClipboard('Hello, World!')

If you noticed the setData line, and wondered if you can set different data types, the answer is yes.

Answer 6

Firefox does allow you to store data in the clipboard, but due to security implications it is disabled by default. See how to enable it in "Granting JavaScript access to the clipboard" in the Mozilla Firefox knowledge base.

The solution offered by amdfan is the best if you are having a lot of users and configuring their browser isn't an option. Though you could test if the clipboard is available and provide a link for changing the settings, if the users are tech savvy. The JavaScript editor TinyMCE follows this approach.

Answer 7

The copyIntoClipboard() function works for Flash 9, but it appears to be broken by the release of Flash player 10. Here's a solution that does work with the new flash player:

http://bowser.macminicolo.net/~jhuckaby/zeroclipboard/

It's a complex solution, but it does work.

Answer 8

I have to say that none of these solutions really work. I have tried the clipboard solution from the accepted answer, and it does not work with Flash Player 10. I have also tried ZeroClipboard, and I was very happy with it for awhile.

I'm currently using it on my own site (http://www.blogtrog.com), but I've been noticing weird bugs with it. The way ZeroClipboard works is that it puts an invisible flash object over the top of an element on your page. I've found that if my element moves (like when the user resizes the window and i have things right aligned), the ZeroClipboard flash object gets out of whack and is no longer covering the object. I suspect it's probably still sitting where it was originally. They have code that's supposed to stop that, or restick it to the element, but it doesn't seem to work well.

So... in the next version of BlogTrog, I guess I'll follow suit with all the other code highlighters I've seen out in the wild and remove my Copy to Clipboard button. :-(

(I noticed that dp.syntaxhiglighter's Copy to Clipboard is broken now also.)

Answer 9

Use the modern document.execCommand("copy") and jQuery. See this Stack Overflow answer.

var ClipboardHelper = { // As Object

    copyElement: function ($element)
    {
        this.copyText($element.text())
    },
    copyText:function(text) // Linebreaks with \n
    {
        var $tempInput =  $("<textarea>");
        $("body").append($tempInput);
        $tempInput.val(text).select();
        document.execCommand("copy");
        $tempInput.remove();
    }
};

How to call it:

ClipboardHelper.copyText('Hello\nWorld');
ClipboardHelper.copyElement($('body h1').first());

// jQuery document
;(function ( $, window, document, undefined ) {

    var ClipboardHelper = {

        copyElement: function ($element)
        {
           this.copyText($element.text())
        },
        copyText:function(text) // Linebreaks with \n
        {
            var $tempInput =  $("<textarea>");
            $("body").append($tempInput);

            //todo prepare Text: remove double whitespaces, trim

            $tempInput.val(text).select();
            document.execCommand("copy");
            $tempInput.remove();
        }
    };

    $(document).ready(function()
    {
        var $body = $('body');

        $body.on('click', '*[data-copy-text-to-clipboard]', function(event)
        {
            var $btn = $(this);
            var text = $btn.attr('data-copy-text-to-clipboard');
            ClipboardHelper.copyText(text);
        });

        $body.on('click', '.js-copy-element-to-clipboard', function(event)
        {
            ClipboardHelper.copyElement($(this));
        });
    });
})( jQuery, window, document );

<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.11.1/jquery.min.js"></script>

<span data-copy-text-to-clipboard=
    "Hello
     World">
    Copy Text
</span>

<br><br>
<span class="js-copy-element-to-clipboard">
    Hello
    World
    Element
</span>

Answer 10

Check this link:

Granting JavaScript access to the clipboard

Like everybody said, for security reasons, it is by default disabled. The page above shows the instructions of how to enable it (by editing about:config in Firefox or the user.js file).

Fortunately, there is a plugin called "AllowClipboardHelper" which makes things easier with only a few clicks. however you still need to instruct your website's visitors on how to enable the access in Firefox.

Answer 11

I've used GitHub's Clippy for my needs and is a simple Flash-based button. It works just fine if one doesn't need styling and is pleased with inserting what to paste on the server-side beforehand.

Answer 12

If you support Flash, you can use https://everyplay.com/assets/clipboard.swf and use the flashvars text to set the text.

https://everyplay.com/assets/clipboard.swf?text=It%20Works

That’s the one I use to copy and you can set as extra if it doesn't support these options. You can use:

For Internet Explorer:

window.clipboardData.setData(DataFormat, Text) and window.clipboardData.getData(DataFormat)

You can use the DataFormat's Text and URL to getData and setData.

And to delete data:

You can use the DataFormat's File, HTML, Image, Text and URL. PS: You need to use window.clipboardData.clearData(DataFormat);.

And for other that’s not support window.clipboardData and swf Flash files you can also use Control + C button on your keyboard for Windows and for Mac its Command + C.

Answer 13

From addon code:

For how to do it from Chrome code, you can use the nsIClipboardHelper interface as described here: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Using_the_Clipboard

Answer 14

http://www.rodsdot.com/ee/cross_browser_clipboard_copy_with_pop_over_message.asp works with Flash 10 and all Flash enabled browsers.

Also ZeroClipboard has been updated to avoid the bug mentioned about page scrolling causing the Flash movie to no longer be in the correct place.

Since that method "Requires" the user to click a button to copy this is a convenience to the user and nothing nefarious is occurring.

Answer 15

Use document.execCommand('copy'). It is supported in the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.

function copyText(text){
  function selectElementText(element) {
    if (document.selection) {
      var range = document.body.createTextRange();
      range.moveToElementText(element);
      range.select();
    } else if (window.getSelection) {
      var range = document.createRange();
      range.selectNode(element);
      window.getSelection().removeAllRanges();
      window.getSelection().addRange(range);
    }
  }
  var element = document.createElement('DIV');
  element.textContent = text;
  document.body.appendChild(element);
  selectElementText(element);
  document.execCommand('copy');
  element.remove();
}


var txt = document.getElementById('txt');
var btn = document.getElementById('btn');
btn.addEventListener('click', function(){
  copyText(txt.value);
})

<input id="txt" value="Hello World!" />
<button id="btn">Copy To Clipboard</button>

Answer 16

Try creating a memory global variable storing the selection. Then the other function can access the variable and do a paste. For example,

var memory = ''; // Outside the functions but within the script tag.

function moz_stringCopy(DOMEle, firstPos, secondPos) {

    var copiedString = DOMEle.value.slice(firstPos, secondPos);
    memory = copiedString;
}

function moz_stringPaste(DOMEle, newpos) {

    DOMEle.value = DOMEle.value.slice(0, newpos) + memory + DOMEle.value.slice(newpos);
}

Answer 17

Clipboard API is designed to supersede document.execCommand. Safari is still working on support, so you should provide a fallback until the specification settles and Safari finishes implementation.

const permalink = document.querySelector('[rel="bookmark"]');
const output = document.querySelector('output');
permalink.onclick = evt => {
  evt.preventDefault();
  window.navigator.clipboard.writeText(
    permalink.href
  ).then(() => {
    output.textContent = 'Copied';
  }, () => {
    output.textContent = 'Not copied';
  });
};

<a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/127040/" rel="bookmark">Permalink</a>
<output></output>

For security reasons clipboard Permissions may be necessary to read and write from the clipboard. If the snippet doesn't work on Stack Overflow give it a shot on localhost or an otherwise trusted domain.

Answer 18

Building off the excellent answer from David from Studio.201, this works in Safari, Firefox, and Chrome. It also ensures no flashing could occur from the textarea by placing it off-screen.

// ================================================================================
// ClipboardClass
// ================================================================================
var ClipboardClass = (function() {

    function copyText(text) {
        // Create temp element off-screen to hold text.
        var tempElem = $('<textarea style="position: absolute; top: -8888px; left: -8888px">');
        $("body").append(tempElem);

        tempElem.val(text).select();
        document.execCommand("copy");
        tempElem.remove();
    }


    // ============================================================================
    // Class API
    // ============================================================================
    return {
        copyText: copyText
    };
})();

Answer 19

A slight improvement on the Flash solution is to detect for Flash 10 using swfobject:

http://code.google.com/p/swfobject/

And then if it shows as Flash 10, try loading a Shockwave object using JavaScript. Shockwave can read/write to the clipboard (in all versions) as well using the copyToClipboard() command in Lingo.