Help, Q&A, How-to
If you are encountering a “clipboard permission denied” error in Safari on macOS 12.7 (Monterey), it is likely due to Safari’s strict security protocols, which only permit clipboard actions triggered by direct user interaction (like a mouse click).
Here are the steps to fix this issue:
1. Fix Site-Specific Clipboard Permissions
- Open Safari.
- In the menu bar, go to Safari > Preferences (or Settings).
- Click the Websites tab.
- Scroll down on the left-hand menu and select Clipboard.
- Find the website causing the issue in the list and change its permission to Allow.
2. General Troubleshooting for Safari
Trigger with User Action: Ensure you are clicking a button (like “Copy” or “Paste”) rather than letting a script run automatically. Safari often blocks scripts that try to access the clipboard without a user action.
Clear Cache & History: Go to Safari > Clear History and clear all data. This can reset stalled permissions.
Disable Extensions: Go to Safari > Preferences > Extensions and temporarily turn them off to see if a blocker is causing the issue.
Enable Develop Menu: Go to Safari > Preferences > Advanced and check “Show Develop menu in menu bar.” Then, use the Develop menu to Empty Caches.
3. macOS System Fixes
Restart Your Mac: This fixes temporary clipboard glitches.
Force Quit Pasteboard: If the issue persists, open Activity Monitor, search for “pboard,” select it, and click the X button to force quit it.
Update macOS: Ensure you are on the latest version of macOS 12.7 to get security patches.
If you are using a site that uses complex JavaScript (like async calls) to copy, Safari may fail. A common workaround is to use a simple button click rather than an automatic copy action.