Terminal Copy On Select
Automatically copy selected text from the VS Code integrated terminal to your clipboard.
Terminal Copy On Select is a lightweight productivity extension for developers who copy terminal output often. Select text in the integrated terminal and paste it anywhere—no right-click menu, no Ctrl+C, and no extra command required.
Why Install It?
- Copy terminal output faster: select any text in the VS Code terminal and it is copied automatically.
- Reduce context switching: skip right-click menus and keyboard shortcuts when collecting logs, paths, commands, or error messages.
- Use native VS Code behavior: enables the built-in
terminal.integrated.copyOnSelection setting when you have not configured it yet.
- Keep your preferences: existing user, workspace, and workspace-folder terminal copy settings are respected.
- Stay lightweight: no commands, no UI clutter, and no runtime dependencies.
Features
- Automatic terminal copy on selection
- Works with the VS Code integrated terminal
- Supports shells such as bash, zsh, fish, PowerShell, Command Prompt, and WSL terminals
- Useful for copying logs, stack traces, file paths, command output, and snippets
- Zero configuration for most users
Installation
VS Code Marketplace
- Open VS Code.
- Go to Extensions with
Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X.
- Search for
Terminal Copy On Select.
- Click Install.
You can also install it from the VS Code Marketplace.
Open VSX
Install from Open VSX for compatible editors such as VSCodium.
Usage
- Open the integrated terminal with
Ctrl+` or Cmd+`.
- Select text in the terminal.
- Paste the copied text anywhere with
Ctrl+V or Cmd+V.
That is it. Terminal selections copy automatically after the extension activates.
Configuration
This extension uses VS Code's built-in terminal setting:
{
"terminal.integrated.copyOnSelection": true
}
If terminal.integrated.copyOnSelection is already configured in your user, workspace, or workspace-folder settings, the extension leaves your value unchanged.
To turn the behavior off later, set the same option to false in your VS Code settings:
{
"terminal.integrated.copyOnSelection": false
}
Commands
This extension does not add commands. It quietly enables terminal copy-on-select behavior and keeps VS Code's command palette clean.
Troubleshooting
- Nothing copies after selecting terminal text: confirm
terminal.integrated.copyOnSelection is set to true.
- The setting keeps a custom value: remove the user, workspace, or workspace-folder override if you want the extension to enable it automatically.
- Clipboard behavior differs by shell or OS: restart VS Code after installation and test again in the integrated terminal.
FAQ
Does this copy editor selections?
No. It only affects selected text in the VS Code integrated terminal.
Does it replace Ctrl+C or Cmd+C?
No. Keyboard copy shortcuts continue to work normally.
Does it change my existing settings?
Only when terminal.integrated.copyOnSelection has not been set before. Existing user, workspace, and workspace-folder values are preserved.
Requirements
- VS Code
1.97.0 or newer
- Windows, macOS, or Linux
Use Cases
- Copy build logs, stack traces, test failures, and command output
- Copy file paths, URLs, environment variables, and shell snippets
- Speed up debugging, support replies, issue reports, and documentation writing
Development
pnpm install
pnpm run update
pnpm run build
pnpm test
Contributing
Issues and pull requests are welcome. Before submitting a change, run the relevant checks:
pnpm run typecheck
pnpm run lint
pnpm test
Publishing
Before publishing, make sure publisher, repository links, icon, version, and Marketplace URLs match the final extension identity.
pnpm run ext:package
pnpm run ext:publish
Keywords
VS Code terminal copy on select, integrated terminal clipboard, automatic terminal copy, copy selected terminal text, terminal clipboard, copy terminal output, VS Code productivity extension.
License
MIT
Contributors ✨
Thanks goes to these wonderful people (emoji key):
This project follows the all-contributors specification. Contributions of any kind welcome!
