Clipboard: read() method

Limited availability

This feature is not Baseline because it does not work in some of the most widely-used browsers.

The read() method of the Clipboard interface requests a copy of the clipboard's contents, delivering the data to the returned Promise when the promise is resolved. Unlike readText(), the read() method can return arbitrary data, such as images. This method can also return text.

Note: The asynchronous Clipboard and Permissions APIs are still in the process of being integrated into most browsers, so they often deviate from the official rules for permissions and the like. Be sure to review the compatibility table before using these methods.

Syntax

js

read()

Parameters

None.

Return value

A Promise that resolves with an array of ClipboardItem objects containing the clipboard's contents. The promise is rejected if permission to access the clipboard is not granted.

Security

Transient user activation is required. The user has to interact with the page or a UI element in order for this feature to work.

To read from the clipboard, you must first have the "clipboard-read" permission.

Examples

Reading image data

This example uses the read() method to read image data from the clipboard.

Try copying the butterfly image on the left using the "Copy image" context menu item, then click in the empty frame on the right.

The example will check or ask for permission to read the clipboard, then fetch the image data and display the image data in the empty frame.

Note: At this time, while Firefox does implement read(), it does not recognize the "clipboard-read" permission, so attempting to use the Permissions API to manage access to the API will not work.

HTML

html

<img id="source" src="butterfly.jpg" alt="A butterfly" />
<img id="destination" />

CSS

css

img {
  height: 100px;
  width: 100px;
  margin: 0 1rem;
  border: 1px solid black;
}

JavaScript

js

const destinationImage = document.querySelector("#destination");
destinationImage.addEventListener("click", pasteImage);

async function pasteImage() {
  try {
    const permission = await navigator.permissions.query({
      name: "clipboard-read",
    });
    if (permission.state === "denied") {
      throw new Error("Not allowed to read clipboard.");
    }
    const clipboardContents = await navigator.clipboard.read();
    for (const item of clipboardContents) {
      if (!item.types.includes("image/png")) {
        throw new Error("Clipboard contains non-image data.");
      }
      const blob = await item.getType("image/png");
      destinationImage.src = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
    }
  } catch (error) {
    console.error(error.message);
  }
}

Result

Specifications

Specification
Clipboard API and events
# dom-clipboard-read

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser

See also