# How to paste an older item from NotchStar clipboard history

> Open the notch, pick Clipboard, click the item you want, then press Command V where you want it. NotchStar copies the item back and does not paste for you.

Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/help/paste-from-notchstar-clipboard-history/
Last updated: 2026-11-04

Published 2026-11-04.

To paste an older copy, open NotchStar's Clipboard tab, click the item and press Command V in the place you want it. NotchStar puts the item back on the Mac clipboard. You do the paste yourself.

## Steps

1. Click in the document, chat or field where the text should go, so the cursor is there.
2. Hover over the notch and pick **Clipboard**.
3. Find the item. Type in the search box if the list is long. See [how to search your history](https://www.notchstar.com/help/search-your-clipboard-history/).
4. Click the row. A green [checkmark](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-checkmark-meaning/) shows for a second.
5. Move the pointer away from the notch, and press Command V.

## Why NotchStar does not paste for you

NotchStar copies the item and leaves it at that. It does not type into other apps or send key presses. That keeps it simple, and it is why the tool does not need extra access to your Mac. See [permissions](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-permissions-notchstar/).

## What gets pasted

- Text and links: the plain text. See [rich text](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-rich-text-plain-text/).
- Images: the reduced size version.
- Files: the file, in apps that accept files.

## If nothing pastes

The notch may have taken the keyboard focus. Click once in the place you want to paste, then try Command V again.

## Limits

The history is in memory, 50 items, and clears when you quit.

The tool is described on the [Clipboard feature page](https://www.notchstar.com/features/clipboard/).

## Quick answers.

### Does NotchStar have a keyboard shortcut to paste?

Open the notch, click the item, then press Command V. No shortcut for the Clipboard tool is documented on this site.

## Keep reading.

- [Clipboard history that lives in your notch](https://www.notchstar.com/features/clipboard/): Searchable clipboard history in the Mac notch: text, links, images and files. Skips password manager copies. Click any item to copy it again.
- [What the checkmark means in NotchStar clipboard](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-checkmark-meaning/): The green checkmark in a NotchStar clipboard row means that item was just put back on your clipboard and is ready to paste. It shows for about one second.
- [How to search your clipboard history in NotchStar](https://www.notchstar.com/help/search-your-clipboard-history/): Open the notch, pick Clipboard and type to filter 50 recent copies. Search ignores capitals and accents, and typing image finds copied images.
- [Does NotchStar keep rich text formatting](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-rich-text-plain-text/): NotchStar stores copied text as plain text. Fonts, bold and colours are dropped, so clicking a row pastes without formatting.

## More in Clipboard.

- [How to search your clipboard history in NotchStar](https://www.notchstar.com/help/search-your-clipboard-history/): Open the notch, pick Clipboard and type to filter 50 recent copies. Search ignores capitals and accents, and typing image finds copied images.
- [How many items NotchStar clipboard history keeps](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-limit-50-items/): NotchStar keeps the 50 most recent clipboard items, at most 10 of them images. Older items drop off, and the list shows the 30 newest matches at a time.
- [Why your NotchStar clipboard history clears when you quit](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-clears-on-quit/): NotchStar keeps clipboard history in memory only, so quitting the app clears it. Nothing is written to disk, and password manager copies are skipped.
- [What happens when you copy the same thing twice in NotchStar](https://www.notchstar.com/help/copy-again-moves-clipboard-item-to-top/): Copy the same text, image or file again and NotchStar moves it to the top of the clipboard list instead of adding a duplicate. Here is how it matches.
- [What NotchStar does with files you copy in Finder](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-files-copied-in-finder/): NotchStar records files copied in Finder as files, with their icon, not as text names. Click a row to copy the file again. Search matches name and path.
- [How NotchStar clipboard history handles images](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-images-notchstar/): NotchStar keeps images you copy in clipboard history at a reduced size, shows a thumbnail, and keeps only the 10 newest. Search finds them with the word image.