Will the AI make up facts when it expands my notes?

It shouldn't, and you should review the output. Expansion is meant to phrase the points you provide, not invent new ones. Keep your input accurate and check the result before sending.

How is expand different from summarize?

Expand goes from fragments to full sentences; summarize goes from long text to a short version. Use expand when you have the points but not the prose.

Does my text leave my Mac?

Only the note you choose to expand, and it goes directly to the AI provider you configured with your own API key. There's no ClipHistory account or cloud sync, and your clipboard history stays local.

Can I reuse a template I expand often?

Yes. Save it as a snippet. Snippets are unlimited and don't count against the rolling 150-clip history, so your go-to structures are always available.

Is ClipHistory a subscription?

No. It's a one-time $19.99 purchase with a 12-month license and no auto-renewal.

Expand Short Text With AI on Mac

You jot "follow up re: invoice, ask for PO number, mention deadline" and now you have to turn it into an email. The thinking is done; the typing is the chore. Expanding terse notes into full prose is exactly the kind of mechanical writing that an AI transform handles well, if you don't have to leave your editor to do it.

ClipHistory runs that expansion on your clipboard. Copy the bullet points, run the transform, paste the paragraph.

What expanding text means here

Expansion is the opposite of summarizing. You start with the skeleton, keywords, fragments, a list, and the AI fleshes it out into complete sentences with connective tissue. It does not invent facts; it phrases the points you gave it. You stay the author of the content, the AI handles the grammar and flow.

In ClipHistory this lives in the AI transforms (summarize, rewrite, translate, clean, and expansion-style rewrites). You drive it with the rewrite transform and a short instruction like "expand into a full paragraph."

The macOS workflow

Type or copy your notes, then Cmd+C.
Open ClipHistory with Cmd+Shift+V.
Select the clip and run the rewrite/expand transform.
Paste the finished text with Cmd+V.

Because the result lands back on your clipboard, you paste it straight into Mail, Slack, a doc, or a ticket without switching apps.

Where expansion pays off

Email from bullet points. Draft the points, expand, edit lightly, send. Faster than writing prose cold.

Filling out structured fields. A status report that wants a paragraph but you only have three facts.

Turning an outline into a first draft. Expand each line of an outline into its section, then revise.

Replies in a second language. Write the gist in fragments, expand into fluent prose, and review before sending.

The key habit: keep your input honest. Expansion is for phrasing, not for fabricating detail. If the note doesn't contain a fact, the expansion shouldn't either, so review the output.

Local, with your own key

The expansion runs through whichever AI provider you set up: Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Google, or a custom endpoint, using your own API key. There is no ClipHistory account and no cloud sync. Your clipboard history, 150 recent unpinned clips plus unlimited pinned ones, stays on your Mac. Only the specific note you choose to expand is sent to your provider.

Give the AI a little structure

Expansion is better when your fragments carry intent, not just nouns. "invoice" is thin; "remind client invoice #204 is 10 days overdue, polite tone" gives the model enough to write something you'll barely edit. You don't need full sentences, just the who, what, and tone. A few extra words in the input save you a rewrite on the output.

If the first expansion runs long or formal, you have options without leaving your clipboard: rewrite the result with a "shorter, casual" instruction, or simplify it to bring the reading level down. Each transform acts on the current clipboard, so you refine in place.

Save the patterns you reuse

If you keep expanding the same kind of note, an outreach email, a standup update, save the structure as a snippet. Snippets are unlimited and don't count against the 150-clip rolling history. Next time you expand, you start from a template that already matches your voice.

You can also build a paste stack: collect several short notes, then expand and paste them in sequence without re-copying each one. For a status report assembled from scattered bullet points, this turns a tedious copy-paste-copy loop into a single pass.

Why local matters for drafts

Early drafts are often the most candid version of what you want to say, the unfiltered note before you polish it. Keeping that on your own machine, rather than in a web tool's history, is the safer default. ClipHistory stores your clips locally and only sends the specific fragment you choose to expand. Your rough thinking stays yours.

Expand versus summarize: pick the direction

Expand — fragments to full sentences. Use when you have the points but not the prose.
Summarize — long text to short. Use when you have prose but need the gist.
Rewrite — same length, different tone. Use to adjust voice.

Knowing the direction you need saves you a wasted transform.

Install and license

ClipHistory is a universal binary for Apple Silicon and Intel, requiring macOS 12 or later. It is signed and notarized by Apple, so it installs cleanly. Set your API key once, and expansion is available everywhere through Cmd+Shift+V.

Pricing is a one-time $19.99 with a 12-month license and no auto-renewal. No subscription to forget about.

Get ClipHistory for macOS

Turn bullet points into finished writing without leaving your editor. Local clips, your own AI key, one shortcut. Get ClipHistory for macOS ($19.99).