Paste as keystrokes (macOS)

keystroke the clipboard extended.workflow

# Why?
# To paste text into windows that normally don't allow it or have access to the clipboard.
# Examples: Virtual machines that do not yet have tools installed, websites that hijack paste
#
# Extended vs Simple?
# * Includes an initial delay to allow you to change active windows
# * Adds small delay between keypresses for slower responding windows like SSH sessions
# * Better handling of numbers
# * VMWare bug fix
#
# Setup
# Apple Shortcuts app
#
# MAKE SURE YOUR CAPSLOCK IS OFF

on run
    tell application "System Events"
        delay 2 # DELAY BEFORE BEGINNING KEYPRESSES IN SECONDS
        repeat with char in (the clipboard)
            set cID to id of char

            if ((cID ≥ 48) and (cID ≤ 57)) then
                # Converts numbers to ANSI_# characters rather than ANSI_Keypad# characters
                # https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/227940
                key code {item (cID - 47) of {29, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 22, 26, 28, 25}}
            else if (cID = 46) then
                # Fix VMware Fusion period bug
                # https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/331574
                key code 47
            else
                keystroke char
            end if

            delay 0.5 # DELAY BETWEEEN EACH KEYPRESS IN SECONDS
        end repeat
    end tell
end run

keystroke the clipboard simple.workflow

on run
    tell application "System Events"
        keystroke (the clipboard)
    end tell
end run

Any chance one of you could develop a Mac app to paste clipboard as keystrokes entry? I use this daily where text windows don’t allow pasting and it’s critical for my daily work but lately I’ve been getting error messages at times trying in Chrome and Safari. If this stops working entirely it would be a severe blow to my daily work so I would gladly pay for a reliable and easily installed app.

please help!!

I found a Golang script, with a little modification:

package main

import (
	"github.com/GuoFlight/gkeybd"
	"golang.design/x/clipboard"
)

func main() {
	err := clipboard.Init()
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	content := string(clipboard.Read(clipboard.FmtText))
	err = gkeybd.TypeStr(content)
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
}

and after compiling it, with iCanHazShortcut, I can finally bind the paste key to the keyboard, it works like a charm.

Warning: need to change #import <Foundation/Foundation.h> in vendor/github.com/micmonay/keybd_event/keybd_darwin.go to #import <Cocoa/Cocoa.h> in macOS when compiling.

@PeetMcK @markmcjr

Not sure if the regular Scripts Menu Privacy settings were different in Big Sur. I can however confirm that the following works on my 12.3.1 box (as an FYI, it is supervised in MDM, just in case that has an affect on this that I'm unaware of).

1. ...
...
5. In Script Editor Preferences ensure ...
6. In SystemPreferences -> Security & Privacy -> Accessibility add ...
...

I think think this way of embedding into MacOS menu has more merit than via "Quick Action" method. In the latter case you have to give any app that initiates the Quick Action permissions to control the computer, which is inconvenient and security threat. In the way mentioned by PeetKcK you only have to perform one time a few actions for only one Apple Supplied MacOS App.

Thanks @sscotth for creating this script and others for making it more user-friendly !

Hello! Is it possible to paste UTF8?

Thanks @sscotth for creating this script and others for making it more user-friendly !

I try to make it work with UTF8

on run
	set clipboardContent to (the clipboard as Unicode text)
	tell application "System Events"
		delay 2 -- DELAY BEFORE BEGINNING KEYPRESSES IN SECONDS
		repeat with char in clipboardContent
			try
				keystroke char
			on error
				-- Ignore symbol if it's not accessible direct and log it
				log "Can't recognise symbol: " & (char as Unicode text)
			end try
			delay 0.1 -- DELAY BETWEEN EACH KEYPRESS IN SECONDS
		end repeat
	end tell
end run