Does the proofreading shortcut work in every app?

Yes. Cmd+Shift+V is a global shortcut, so you can open clipboard history and run Clean from any application without switching to a separate proofreading tool.

Will Clean change my wording?

No. Clean fixes typos, spacing, capitalization, and punctuation while leaving your meaning intact. For rephrasing, use the separate Rewrite transform.

Is my text sent anywhere?

Only the single clip you choose to proofread is sent, and it goes directly to your own AI provider using your own API key. There's no ClipHistory account or cloud storage of your clips.

How many clips does ClipHistory keep?

It keeps your last 150 unpinned clips plus unlimited pinned clips, so frequently reused, already-proofed text stays available indefinitely.

An AI Proofreading Shortcut for Mac

Proofreading usually means pasting text into a separate tool, waiting, copying it back, and losing your place. A clipboard manager with AI transforms collapses that into a single shortcut. This guide shows how to set up an AI proofreading shortcut on macOS that works in any app.

The problem with app-hopping proofreaders

Most proofreading happens in a browser tab or a dedicated editor. The cost adds up:

You break focus to switch apps.
You paste sensitive text into a web tool you don't control.
You manually copy the corrected version back.

A clipboard-level transform skips all three. The text you already copied is right there, and the fix happens where your clipboard lives.

The shortcut: Cmd+Shift+V then Clean

ClipHistory is a macOS clipboard manager that keeps your last 150 clips and adds AI transforms. For proofreading, the relevant one is Clean, which fixes typos, spacing, capitalization, and punctuation.

Copy the text you want checked (Cmd+C).
Press the global shortcut Cmd+Shift+V.
Select the clip and run Clean.
Paste the corrected version.

The global shortcut works from any application, so you proofread without leaving your editor, email, or chat window.

Clean versus Rewrite for proofreading

Clean is the proofreader: typos, whitespace, punctuation — meaning untouched.
Rewrite is the editor: it can restructure and rephrase.

For pure proofreading, stick with Clean. It won't quietly change your wording, which matters when accuracy is the whole point.

Local by design

There's no ClipHistory account and no cloud sync. The app uses your own API key with one of five providers — Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Google, or a custom endpoint — and the proofreading call goes directly to that provider.

Practically:

Your clipboard history lives only on your Mac.
The only data that leaves is the single clip you choose to proofread, sent to your provider.
You're billed by the provider, not through a subscription.

Building it into your workflow

A proofreading shortcut earns its place when it's instant. A few habits help:

Proofread before you paste, not after — Clean the clip in history, then paste once.
Pin boilerplate you reuse (signatures, addresses) after cleaning it once; pinned clips never expire.
Use a fast, inexpensive model for proofreading and reserve a stronger one for heavier rewriting.

What a clipboard proofreader can and can't do

It helps to set expectations. A clipboard-level AI proofreader is excellent at the mechanical layer of writing:

Spelling and typos
Doubled words and stray spaces
Capitalization and basic punctuation
Smart-quote and dash consistency

It's not a substitute for a human editor on matters of argument, structure, or factual accuracy. The model improves the surface; you still own the substance. For most everyday writing — emails, messages, notes — the surface is exactly what trips you up, which is why a one-shortcut Clean pass is worth the keystroke.

Privacy when proofreading sensitive text

Proofreading often touches text you'd rather not hand to a random web tool: contract language, internal notes, draft announcements. Two design choices make this safer:

ClipHistory keeps your clip history only on your Mac — there's no account and no cloud copy.
The proofreading call goes to your own provider with your own key, so you choose a provider you already trust and the data path is one you control.

If a particular clip is too sensitive to send anywhere, simply don't run AI Clean on it — fix it manually and the text never leaves your machine at all.

Example

Copied draft with slips:

Thanks for you're patience, we recieved the documents and will reveiw them shortly.

After Clean:

Thanks for your patience. We received the documents and will review them shortly.

Three corrections, zero app switches, one shortcut.

Choosing the right model for proofreading

Proofreading is one of the cheapest AI tasks you can run, so it rarely justifies your most powerful model. Since you bring your own API key, you decide:

A small, fast model catches the vast majority of typos and spacing issues at minimal cost.
A stronger model is worth it only when subtle grammar or tricky punctuation is on the line.
Because the original clip stays in history, re-running with a better model after a weak result costs nothing but a second attempt.

That per-task control is the practical upside of using your own provider instead of a bundled model you can't swap.

Proofreading in any language

Clean isn't limited to English. If you write in more than one language, point your provider at a model that handles those languages well, and Clean will tidy typos and spacing accordingly. For moving text between languages entirely, that's the separate Translate transform — keeping the two distinct means a proofread never accidentally becomes a translation.

Setup checklist

macOS 12 or later (universal binary: Apple Silicon and Intel)
ClipHistory installed (signed and notarized by Apple)
Provider API key added in Settings
Cmd+Shift+V to open history, then Clean

Get ClipHistory for macOS

Make proofreading a single keystroke. Get ClipHistory for macOS — $19.99, one-time (12-month license, no auto-renewal) and check any clip in place.