Screenshot Support via Clipboard Paste in Claude Code CLI

For macOS and Linux users at least, you can paste images directly into the chat via <kbd>Ctrl+V</kbd> (not <kbd>Cmd+V</kbd>). On Windows, you can drag images directly into the Claude Code input box where you send messages, but you still have to save the screenshot first.

https://code.claude.com/docs/en/common-workflows#work-with-images:~:text=You%20can%20use,your/image.png%E2%80%9D

For macOS and Linux users at least, you can paste images directly into the chat via Ctrl+V (not Cmd+V). On Windows, you can drag images directly into the Claude Code input box where you send messages, but you still have to save the screenshot first. https://code.claude.com/docs/en/common-workflows#work-with-images:~:text=You%20can%20use,your/image.png%E2%80%9D

Not sure about native Linux, but Ctrl+V pasting doesn't work when using Claude code on ubuntu WSL2 from Win11

@whackedMallard Did you try dragging the image directly from File Explorer into the CC input box?

That works but is not useful. I want to paste directly from clipboard without saving

workaround might be a slight derivation of the below (untested):

Setup

1. Create the script ~/.local/bin/lastshot:

``bash
#!/bin/bash
LATEST=$(ls -1t /mnt/c/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/Pictures/Screenshots/*.png | head -n1)
echo "$LATEST"
``

1. Make executable:

``bash
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/lastshot
``

1. Add to your CLAUDE.md:

``
When I type 'ss', run lastshot and read the returned screenshot path.
``

## Usage

• Take screenshot with Windows (Win+Shift+S, save to Screenshots folder)
• In Claude Code, type "ss" to reference your latest screenshot

Anyone know if this is a limitation of terminal applications on windows or claude code? I've tried windows terminal and alacritty both with WSL1 and neither allowed pasting images

Edit: i'm guessing it's a claude code windows implementation issue. Just realized I can't paste images in iTerm in mac so I'm thinking claude code is just reading the clipboard when you hit ctrl+v on mac

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This issue has been inactive for 30 days. If the issue is still occurring, please comment to let us know. Otherwise, this issue will be automatically closed in 30 days for housekeeping purposes.

Issue still occurring

I need a /paste command similar to Aider's capability.

I need a /paste command similar to Aider's capability.

I usually paste the picture in my work area and @ this picture, and Claude can understand.

I also find this feature very interesting. I usually rely on images to “show” Claude the designs so it can understand them better. Without this, I have to resort to workarounds, which isn’t very practical — especially as a Windows user.

I cannot believe claude code has not make this happen yet, already late to the party, putting bullshit no one asked on their claude code cli app and not adding this incredible important feature and totally ignoring it.

Paste works for me on windows CLI using powershell and alt+v as of v2.1.19 and beyond

Ethan, thanks for the tip. you were right!

Alt + V worked. I tried Ctrl + V, Shift + Insert... without any luck, but
I'm glad it works.

For macOS and Linux users at least, you can paste images directly into the chat via Ctrl+V (not Cmd+V)

For MacOS I was amazed to find that CTRL+V works (especially because that means something completely different in terminals, usually)! But why does CMD+V for clipboard images work on mac?

Workaround for Windows/WSL using a shell function + custom slash command: https://gist.github.com/halboffen/5af17dc08ff34e75737cccdfc99c2e8a

+1 on this feature request.

Adding macOS-specific observations (iTerm2 + external Logitech keyboard):

Claude Code v2.1.74, macOS Darwin 25.2.0, iTerm2

Two behaviors that I haven't seen reported:

1. Image paste fails when text is already in the input field. If the input field is empty, Ctrl+V pastes

the image successfully. But if I've already typed some text, Ctrl+V does nothing — the image is silently
ignored. Expected: image should be appended regardless of existing text.

1. Intermittent paste failures. Even with an empty input field, Ctrl+V sometimes works and sometimes

doesn't within the same session. Claude Code occasionally detects the image in clipboard and prompts "Press
Ctrl+V to paste", but pressing Ctrl+V still does nothing.

Both issues are independent of key mapping — verified the correct macOS Control+V is being sent.

macOS Solution: Clipboard Image Paste in Kitty Terminal

For anyone struggling with image paste on macOS + Kitty, here's a working solution that enables unlimited image pastes via Cmd+V (or Ctrl+V).

The Problem

Kitty's paste_from_clipboard only handles text. There's no native way to paste clipboard images into Claude Code.

The Solution: clip2path Script

A lightweight bash script that intercepts paste, checks for clipboard images, saves to a temp file, and injects the file path into the terminal via Kitty's remote control API. Claude Code automatically detects the image path and displays it as [Image #N].

Step 1: Install pngpaste

brew install pngpaste

Step 2: Create ~/bin/clip2path

#!/bin/bash
# clip2path - macOS clipboard image paste for Kitty + Claude Code
# If clipboard has image → save to temp file, paste path
# If clipboard has text → delegate to Kitty's built-in paste

TMPFILE="/tmp/clip2path_$(date +%s)_$$.png"

if /opt/homebrew/bin/pngpaste "$TMPFILE" 2>/dev/null; then
    kitty @ send-text --match state:focused -- "$TMPFILE"
else
    rm -f "$TMPFILE"
    kitty @ action paste_from_clipboard
fi

chmod +x ~/bin/clip2path

Step 3: Update ~/.config/kitty/kitty.conf

# Enable remote control (required)
allow_remote_control socket-only
listen_on unix:/tmp/kitty-sock

# Clipboard settings
clipboard_control write-clipboard write-primary read-clipboard read-primary

# Override paste to use clip2path
map cmd+v launch --type=background --allow-remote-control --keep-focus ~/bin/clip2path
map ctrl+v launch --type=background --allow-remote-control --keep-focus ~/bin/clip2path

Step 4: Restart Kitty — done!

How It Works

1. Cmd+V triggers clip2path as a background process
2. Script checks clipboard for image data via pngpaste
3. Image found: saves to /tmp/clip2path_<timestamp>_<pid>.png, injects path via kitty @ send-text
4. No image: falls back to Kitty's native paste_from_clipboard for normal text paste

Tested With

• macOS (Darwin 24.6.0, Apple Silicon)
• Kitty 0.45.0
• Claude Code (Anthropic CLI)
• Successfully pasted 6+ images consecutively with no failures

Credits

Inspired by claude-code-kitty-paste (Linux solution). This is the macOS adaptation using pngpaste instead of wl-paste/xclip.

Here's a general solution for tmux + MacOS users.

Enables a tmux keybind to save a clipboard image to /tmp and paste the path directly into tmux. Requires pngpaste.

brew install pngpaste

Step 1: Create the script

~/dotfiles/tmux/scripts/clip2img

#!/bin/bash
TMPFILE="/tmp/clip2img_$(date +%s)_$$.png"

if pngpaste "$TMPFILE" 2>/dev/null; then
  echo -n "$TMPFILE"
else
  rm -f "$TMPFILE"
  exit 1
fi

chmod +x ~/dotfiles/tmux/scripts/clip2img

Step 2: Add tmux binding

I used prefix + v

~/dotfiles/tmux/tmux.conf
bind v run-shell -b "~/dotfiles/tmux/scripts/clip2img | tmux load-buffer -; tmux paste-buffer"

Windows workaround: AutoHotkey v2 script

For anyone stuck on Windows where clipboard paste doesn't work — here's a clean workaround using AutoHotkey v2.

The idea: leave Win+Shift+S alone (normal snip, image on clipboard). Add a second hotkey Ctrl+Win+Shift+S that triggers the same Snipping Tool, but after the snip completes, replaces the clipboard with the file path instead of the image. Paste the path into Claude Code.

Requires Windows 11 Snipping Tool (which auto-saves every snip to %USERPROFILE%\Pictures\Screenshots) and AutoHotkey v2.

Gist: https://gist.github.com/moravsky/e521900225004ef5f8100d69a543b050

How it works:

1. Records the newest file in the Screenshots folder
2. Fires Win+Shift+S (normal Snipping Tool)
3. Polls the folder until a new file appears
4. Waits for Snipping Tool to finish its clipboard activity
5. Overwrites clipboard with the file path

To auto-start, drop a shortcut to the .ahk file into shell:startup.

Works great, but this really should be a native Claude Code feature.

For macOS users: I built clipaste as a workaround that makes screenshot paste work today, without waiting for an official fix.

It's a tiny background daemon (~18 MB, 0% CPU) that detects when a screenshot is on the clipboard and auto-saves it as a temp PNG, then registers the file path. After that, both Cmd+V (file path paste) and Ctrl+V (image data paste) work in any terminal + Claude Code / Codex CLI.

brew install hqhq1025/clipaste/clipaste
brew services start clipaste

Works with Ghostty, Alacritty, iTerm2, Terminal.app.