Access to clipboard for Chrome extension using JavaScript

Question

I am writing a Chrome Extension. Every time the user copies something, my extension should capture the copied text. I read that access to the clipboard is a security concern. However there is a clipboardRead and clipboardWrite permission according to https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/declare_permissions

Is it possible in any way?

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 20 '15 at 19:04

2

It says in the link you posted that the permission is used with document.execCommand('paste'), you could easily write a function to monitor changes in the clipboard, and then do more when you find it was modified since the last check.

answered Mar 20 '15 at 19:04

Anonymous

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score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 20 '15 at 19:11

You can use

document.execCommand('paste');
document.execCommand('copy');
document.execCommand('cut');

to interact with the clipboard.

I think you can find the documentation here (for firefox, at least): https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document/execCommand

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:10

0

You need to trap the copy action event, and then read the clipboard in a background page. These answers should help:

Google Chrome Extensions: How to detect Copy action (Ctrl-C and Edit-Copy)?

How to read the Clipboard text in google chrome extension

edited May 23 '17 at 12:10

Community

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1

answered Apr 12 '17 at 16:55

David Jeske

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Access to clipboard for Chrome extension using JavaScript

3 Answers3