A lightweight, cross-platform clipboard uploader that turns screenshots, copied images, or files into instantly shareable paths — so you can paste them straight into your favorite coding CLI and let the LLM see what you see.
Modern coding assistants in the terminal (like Claude Code, Cursor CLI, Aider, etc.) are incredibly powerful, but they live in a text-only world. When you want an LLM to look at a screenshot, a diagram, or a local file, the friction is real: you have to save it somewhere, find the path, and then type it out.
Clipship removes that friction.
- Copy or screenshot anything.
- Press a global hotkey.
- Paste the resulting path into your CLI.
The LLM now has direct access to the image or file.
If your coding CLI runs on a remote machine via SSH, Clipship has you covered. It can automatically detect the remote OS, provision a temporary directory, and upload the file over SCP so the path you paste is valid on the remote side.
| Step | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copy an image, a file, or take a screenshot. | Clipboard captures the content. |
| 2 | Press the global shortcut (CmdOrCtrl+Shift+U by default). |
Clipship uploads it to a stable location. |
| 3 | Paste the returned path into your coding CLI. | The LLM reads the file directly. |
You: [takes a screenshot of an error message]
You: [presses Ctrl+Shift+U]
Clipship: /tmp/clipship/20260416-161145-377-efqgjx-clipboard.png
You: "look at this error /tmp/clipship/20260416-161145-377-efqgjx-clipboard.png"
LLM: "I see the issue..."
- One-hotkey upload — screenshots, copied images, or files.
- Local mode — writes to a local temp directory, perfect for local CLI workflows.
- SSH mode — connects to a remote host, auto-detects the OS (macOS / Linux), and uploads to the remote temp directory over SCP.
- Auto-cleanup — optionally deletes files older than 7 days every hour.
- Global shortcut with double-tap guard — press once or require a quick double-tap to avoid accidents.
- Tray icon — runs quietly in the background; right-click for quick actions.
Pre-built binaries will be available on the Releases page soon.
Requirements: Node.js, pnpm, Rust
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/cokekitten/clipship.git
cd clipship
# Install frontend dependencies
pnpm install
# Run in development mode
pnpm tauri dev
# Build a production binary
pnpm tauri build- Launch Clipship. It will sit in your system tray.
- Open the settings window from the tray icon.
- Choose your mode:
- Local — files are saved to your local temp directory.
- SSH — enter your host, username, and private key; Clipship will test the connection, detect the remote OS, and pick the right temp directory for you.
- Set your preferred global shortcut (default is
CmdOrCtrl+Shift+U). - Close the settings window — Clipship keeps running in the background.
- Whenever you copy an image or file, press the shortcut and paste the path into your CLI.
| Platform | Local Mode | SSH Remote Upload |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | ✅ | ✅ (client side) |
| macOS | ✅ | ✅ (local & remote) |
| Linux | ✅ | ✅ (local & remote) |
Note: SSH auto-configuration currently supports macOS and Linux remotes. For Windows SSH servers, please configure the destination directory manually.
MIT
Made with ☕ by cokekitten