Paste formats
ContextClip does not log into Claude Code, Cursor, or Codex. It writes a bundle on disk and puts a carefully chosen payload on the clipboard. Each host reads the clipboard differently. That is why Settings → Agents has a Bundle paste format, and why the same capture can arrive in three different shapes:
- Picture in the chat — the host accepted the image from the clipboard.
- Text in the chat — the host kept the accessibility summary and file paths you pasted.
- @ file — the host saw a file on the clipboard and attached
capture1.md(and sometimes the PNG) from your Mac.
Local agents can also open the files after the fact: they are already on disk in
~/Desktop/ContextClip-latest (see
Where the files are). Cloud chats that
cannot read your disk need the inline path — picture and/or tree text. File paths alone
will not help them.
The short version
| Agent | Pick this format | What the agent gets |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | Claude Code v2 | Image plus text, no file reference |
| Cursor | Cursor v2 | @capture1.md plus text |
| Codex | Cursor v2 | @capture1.md plus text |
| Cloud chats | Text tree or Screenshot only (capture mode) | Accessibility JSON, or pixels |
You pick the target once in Settings → Agents; the shortcut stays the same.
Claude Code
Recommended: Bundle paste format → Claude Code v2.
Claude’s desktop chat prefers an image + the text of the capture in one paste. If a
file URL is also on the clipboard, Claude turns the paste into @capture1.md and often
throws away the rest of the text.
| What you choose | What you should see after ⌘V |
|---|---|
| Claude Code v2 (default) | Picture in the thread + accessibility text and paths. No @ needed. |
| Claude Code v1 | Picture + @capture1.md (Claude reads the file). Fallback. |
| Text tree mode | Full accessibility JSON as text. No picture. |
| Screenshot only mode | Picture + a short caption. |
If something looks empty, @~/Desktop/ContextClip-latest/capture1.md still works — the
files are already on disk.
Cursor
Recommended: Bundle paste format → Cursor v2.
Cursor’s chat does not treat the clipboard the same way Claude does. The Claude-style “image + text” package, and Cursor v1 (two file URLs), both arrive as the picture only. The tree never reaches the agent.
Cursor v2 puts one file on the clipboard. After ⌘V you should see @capture1.md; the
agent reads the capture (screenshot path + accessibility). Do not use Cursor v1.
If the paste is only an image, mention @~/Desktop/ContextClip-latest/capture1.md in the
chat input.
Codex
Recommended: the same as Cursor — Cursor v2.
Codex is local. With Cursor v2 it receives @capture1.md and can read the PNG and JSON
from the paths in that file. If the thread is thin, point at
~/Desktop/ContextClip-latest/capture1.md yourself.
Do not use Text tree as the Codex default — Text tree is for agents that cannot open your disk.
Other agents and cloud chats
Use Text tree for the accessibility JSON, and Screenshot only if they need pixels.
They cannot follow ~/Library/… paths.
The full list
Settings → Agents → Advanced holds seven formats. Two of them are the ones to use — Claude Code v2 (the default) and Cursor v2. The rest are diagnostic: they exist so a thin paste can be narrowed down to the host rather than to the capture, and they are listed here only so the menu is not a surprise.
- Claude Code v1 (2 files + image)
- Claude Code v2 (image + text, no @file)
- Experiment A (2 files, no image)
- Experiment B (1 file + image)
- Cursor v1 (2 files, no image)
- Cursor v2 (1 file + rich text)
- Legacy (1 file only)
When a paste arrives thin
If the agent only saw a picture, you are probably on the Claude v2 format inside Cursor (or on Cursor v1). Switch to Cursor v2.
If a paste into your usual agent is thin or noisy, that is a product bug — tell us through Send Feedback in the menu, which opens the contact form on noteifyapp.com, or by writing to [email protected]. Four answers make it fixable:
- Which agent (Claude Code desktop / Cursor / Codex / other)
- Capture mode and paste format
- What arrived (image / @file / text / nothing)
- Whether region or the whole window would have been better