Overview
Clipwell is a local-first macOS app. Everything you copy, capture, or record stays on your Mac unless you choose to sync it to a folder of your choosing. There is no Clipwell account, no Clipwell server, and no telemetry inside the app.
Clipboard history
Clipwell monitors the system pasteboard to build a searchable archive of items you copy — but only after you explicitly enable clipboard history during first launch or in Settings. You can pause or disable clipboard monitoring at any time via the menu-bar icon or in Settings.
Each captured entry — text, rich text, image, file reference, or code snippet — is written to a local database inside Clipwell's app-sandbox container in your user Library.
Clipwell never reads or stores items that macOS marks as
transient, concealed, or auto-generated
(org.nspasteboard.TransientType,
org.nspasteboard.ConcealedType,
org.nspasteboard.AutoGeneratedType).
Password managers, one-time codes, and auto-fill suggestions
that set these flags do not enter the archive.
Screen and audio capture
Clipwell can capture screenshots, screen regions, and screen recordings (with optional audio). These features require the macOS Screen & System Audio Recording permission, which the system prompts you to grant the first time you use them.
Captured media is stored as files inside Clipwell's app-sandbox container; the database keeps metadata and references. No captured content is uploaded, transmitted, or shared — it remains on your Mac.
Auto-paste
When you paste a clipping from the archive, Clipwell can simulate a ⌘V keystroke in the frontmost app so the item is inserted directly. This feature is optional and may request either Accessibility access or Automation (System Events) permission, depending on your macOS version and configuration. The permission is used exclusively to simulate the paste shortcut — Clipwell does not read the contents of other apps' windows and does not record keystrokes.
Local storage
All data — text clippings, media files, tags, and preferences — lives inside Clipwell's sandboxed container on your Mac. The database holds structured data and metadata; images, recordings, and other media are stored as separate files in the same container. Clipwell does not write to shared or world-readable locations.
Retention
Clipwell keeps clippings indefinitely by default. You can configure automatic retention limits in Settings — for example, removing items older than 30, 90, or 365 days. When a limit is set, expired items and their associated media are permanently deleted from the local database on the next app launch.
Deletion
You can delete any individual clipping at any time from the panel. You can also clear the entire archive from Settings. Deleted items and associated media are removed from the local database immediately.
If folder sync is enabled, deleted items are removed from this Mac and from this Mac's future sync exports. Other Macs that have already imported those items may need their local archive cleared separately.
Optional folder sync
Clipwell can sync text and rich-text items via a folder you choose — iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, a NAS, or any local folder. Clipwell writes a small data file to this folder and reads it back on your other Macs. The sync destination is entirely your choice; Clipwell never intermediates or relays the transfer. Images, files, and recordings are not synced — they remain on the device that captured them.
What the app doesn't collect
The Clipwell app does not collect analytics, telemetry, crash reports, device identifiers, install events, or feature-usage data. The app does not call home. There are no accounts, no logins, and no tracking pixels.
Outbound network traffic
Update checks (direct download only — the Mac App Store version uses Apple's update mechanism) contact our update feed. The request includes your current app version and macOS version. No identifying information is sent.
The website
This website uses Plausible for cookieless, aggregate visitor analytics. No cookies are set, no fingerprinting is used, and no personal data is collected. The numbers tell us how many visitors a page receives and which referrer sent them; they don't tell us who you are. The Clipwell app itself contains no analytics of any kind.
If you write to us
When you email support@clipwell.dev we keep your message and our reply in a regular email inbox. We don't sync it to a CRM, don't enrich it with third-party data, and don't share it with anyone outside Clipwell.
Changes
If our practices change, the date at the top changes too, and the previous version is preserved in the site's git history.
Contact
Questions about this policy: support@clipwell.dev.