CLI Reference

CLI Reference

The app bundle includes the native pasted executable and uses the same SQLite domain services as the GUI.

Install it from Settings → About, or on macOS:

sudo ln -s /Applications/Pasted.app/Contents/MacOS/pasted /usr/local/bin/pasted

History

pasted copy "Hello"
cat server.log | pasted copy
pasted list [limit]
pasted search [query] [--type <type>] [--source <source>] [--json]
pasted import <alfred|pastebot|pasta|paste|copyclip|maccy|flycut> [history-file-or-folder] [--json]
pasted retention [--count <number|unlimited>] [--days <number|forever>]
                 [--trash-count <number|unlimited>] [--trash-days <number|forever>]
                 [--log-count <number|unlimited>] [--log-days <number|forever>] [--json]
pasted clear

copy accepts bounded stdin when text is omitted. search can reproduce the GUI's calculated Type and Source views with exact --type and --source filters; its structured records use the canonical source field and remain stable for scripts. import uses the source app's standard macOS location when no path is supplied, reads it without modification, and merges supported text while skipping duplicates. Paste and Pastebot may use a protected data-folder path instead of a database file. If necessary, Pasted raises the history limit so a successful import is not immediately trimmed. retention reads or updates the same count and age policies as Settings for active history, Trash, and Activity History. Each pair works independently; unlimited disables its count limit and forever disables its age limit. Pinned and protected active clips remain exempt, and protected clips are never auto-purged from Trash. clear permanently removes unpinned, unprotected active history.

Clip actions

pasted clip get <id> [--json]
pasted clip pin|unpin <id>... [--json]
pasted clip protect|unprotect <id>... [--json]
pasted clip trash|restore <id>... [--json]
pasted clip assign <bin-id|none> <id>... [--json]

Mutating commands report stable summaries and use explicit desired states rather than blind toggles.

Bins

pasted bin list [--json]
pasted bin clips <bin-id> [--json]
pasted bin order <bin-id> <clip-id>... [--json]

bin order replaces the complete saved order and rejects invalid/duplicate membership atomically.

Transforms

pasted transform list
pasted transform run <ref> [--text TEXT | --clip ID | --stdin] [--replace]
pasted operation list [--json]
pasted operation run <ref> [--text TEXT | --clip ID | --stdin] [--json]

--replace requires --clip ID so Pasted can validate the expected input and create a revision. Operations are experimental in 1.0.

Detection

pasted registry list [--kind detector|operation|transform] [--all] [--json]
pasted registry enable|disable --kind detector|operation --ref <stable-ref> [--json]
pasted type list [--all] [--json]
pasted type create --id <id> --name <name> [--icon <icon>] [--group <group>] [--json]
pasted type update <id> [--name <name>] [--icon <icon>] [--group <group>] [--json]
pasted type archive <id>
pasted type restore <id>
pasted type restore-defaults
pasted type group-list [--all] [--json]
pasted type group-create --id <id> --name <name> [--order <number>] [--json]
pasted type group-update <id> [--name <name>] [--order <number>] [--json]
pasted type group-archive <id>
pasted type group-restore <id>
pasted type group-delete <id>
pasted type group-restore-defaults
pasted detector list [--json]
pasted detector create --name <name> --type <type> --regex <pattern> [--json]
pasted detector update <id> [--name <name>] [--type <type>] [--regex <pattern>] [--validator <name|none>] [--priority <number>] [--enabled|--disabled] [--json]
pasted detector delete <id>
pasted detector restore-defaults
pasted detector rescan --yes [--json]

Type and Group IDs are stable. Built-in Types can be renamed, regrouped, and given a different icon, but cannot be archived; custom Types can be archived without reinterpreting historical clips. Custom Groups can be archived only when no Types use them. Archiving a custom Type disables detectors that produce it. Detectors run in ascending priority order. Repeat --regex to provide alternatives. Shipped detectors are editable and deletable; restore-defaults recovers their original definitions without removing custom detectors. rescan explicitly reclassifies existing text clips with the current enabled detector order while preserving image and file types.

Maintenance

pasted diagnostics [--json]
pasted licenses [--json]
pasted ocr status [--json]
pasted ocr scan
pasted reset --yes [--json]

licenses remains available without a database and even when the optional clipboard-management CLI feature is disabled. reset is intentionally gated by --yes. Other commands respect feature settings and exit with an explicit explanation when a capability is disabled or unavailable.