What you can do with Openclip

4 use cases

• Transform selected text in any macOS app

  Select text anywhere on macOS and pick a case change, search, math, or custom action from the popup.

  • Openclip
  • Personal productivity
  • Beginner
  View prompt

  Using the OpenClip repo at https://github.com/ganeshmshetty/openclip, install the app with `brew install --cask openclip` and confirm Accessibility permission is granted. Select <target text> in a text editor and report which actions the contextual bar shows. Verify that a case transform action is listed.

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• Run AI actions on selected text with local or API models

  Send selected text to a local Ollama model, Apple Intelligence, or an OpenAI or Anthropic key from the popup.

  • Openclip
  • Personal productivity
  • Intermediate
  View prompt

  Using the OpenClip repo at https://github.com/ganeshmshetty/openclip, configure one AI provider named <provider> and run an AI action on the selected text <target text> from the contextual bar. Expected output: a model response for that text shown in the popup. Verify that only the provider you chose is configured.

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• Add a custom URL lookup action to the popup

  Create an extension folder with one Openclip.json file that sends selected text to a search URL.

  • Openclip
  • Personal productivity
  • Intermediate
  View prompt

  In the OpenClip repo at https://github.com/ganeshmshetty/openclip, create ~/.openclip/extensions/<identifier>/openclip.json with one url action whose url contains {query}. Expected output: the file exists and is valid JSON, and the action appears in the popup for selected text. Verify the JSON parses before testing it in the popup.

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• Build and test OpenClip from source

  Clone the Swift project, generate the Xcode project, and run the dev and test scripts.

  • Openclip
  • Personal productivity
  • Advanced
  View prompt

  Clone https://github.com/ganeshmshetty/openclip on a Mac with macOS 14+ and Xcode 16+, run `xcodegen generate`, then run `./scripts/test.sh`. Expected output: the test script completes and reports its result. Verify the exit status is zero before reporting success.

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How to use Openclip

1. Check you have what it needs: A Mac running macOS 14 or later; Accessibility permission granted to OpenClip; Homebrew for the recommended install.
2. Open ganeshmshetty/openclip on GitHub and read the README and license.
3. Install OpenClip with brew install --cask openclip.
4. Open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, then Accessibility, and allow OpenClip.
5. Select some text in any app and wait for the contextual bar to appear near the selection.
6. Pick an action such as case transform, search, copy/cut, or math from the bar.

These steps come from our top use case, Transform selected text in any macOS app, which also has a copy-paste agent prompt.

Openclip alternatives · Best AI repos for Personal productivity

About this repo

• Who it is forWritten for Mac users who work with text across many apps, and for developers who want to extend or build the app.
• Why it is hot
• LanguageSwift
• Sourcegithub.com/ganeshmshetty/openclip · Back to Hot repos

Requirements

• A Mac running macOS 14 or later
• Accessibility permission granted to OpenClip
• Homebrew for the recommended install

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