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From the first time Shaun laid eyes on a DOS computer, he’s been obsessed with tech to an unhealthy degree. After spending 4+ years in the Games Journalism field, it was time for him to take his passions to the next level. Working with companies such as Prima Games and The Escapist, Shaun decided it was time to let his true colors shine and spread his love, positivity, and excitement about the world of tech.

While tech may be a massive part of his daily life, Shaun has also been an avid Gamer since the mid-90s. From the first time he picked up an SNES controller, a lifelong hobby was born. Outside of the realm of gaming, he loves to spend time with his wife, building up his collection of Metal Gear Solid merchandise in his "Metal Geario Cabinet", and squishing on his three adorable kitties.

Throughout a standard workday, I spend an awful lot of time grabbing links, pictures, and just about everything in between. As someone who has always used the standard Windows Clipboard, I didn’t realize that there was a whole other world of applications that could replicate and build upon what I thought was already perfection. That is, until someone recommended ClipShelf to me.

There’s something beautiful about a program that helps with productivity while being incredibly unintrusive. Taking up just a few pixels on the bottom of my screen, I have complete and total access to a variety of different things that I’ve copied, and I can quickly access them without breaking a sweat or my concentration. After using ClipShelf for roughly a week now, I think I know the first thing I’ll be installing on any new PC I get in the future.

Up to five links and images available at once

Regardless of what I need, it’s all right there for me

Have you ever copied something and completely forgotten what it was? Or have you ever included a link in an email, only to find out that you accidentally attached the wrong thing? That’s something that happens to me far too often, and one of the biggest reasons why I’ve already fallen in love with ClipShelf. This new addition to my taskbar shows the last five things I’ve copied or screenshot, so I have quick, easy access to everything I might need for an article, an email, or a document I’m working on.

Want to get rid of something that you don’t need? It’s also incredibly easy — just right-click on it and remove it from the history. That way, I can ensure I’m not accidentally throwing a meme into an email and instead include the photo or link I meant to include. There’s even a little thumbnail to see exactly what you’re including, so you can always be on top of things.

ClipShelf

OS Windows 10/11

Developer Simon Knuth

Price model Free/Pro Upgrade

Plan Options Free, $3.99 OTP for Pro

ClipShelf has incredibly easy keyboard shortcuts

All it takes is just a few quick key presses

If there’s one thing I love more than simplifying something I use daily, it’s great shortcuts that make it even better. There’s a reason why I’ve grown to love SiYuan Note over any other word processor or PKMS program I’ve used in the past, and it’s because of the block-based shortcuts that it includes. ClipShelf also features an incredibly easy set of keyboard shortcuts, with a visual reminder on the left side of my screen so I never forget what it is.

By pressing Ctrl + Windows, I can use the one through five keys to quickly select anything that is saved on my ClipShelf. If I don’t want to use keyboard shortcuts for whatever reason, I can hover over any of the links or images that I have saved and click on them to insert them where I see fit.

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Standard copy and paste shortcuts also still work

Muscle memory often trumps the fancy new thing

The universal shortcuts for copying and pasting are stuck in my mind forever at this point, and more often than not, I’m going to default to using them. While I’ve been using ClipShelf for a week at this point, there are times when I completely forget that I have a laundry list of different links ready to go, so I’ll grab them with a** Ctrl + C** shortcut and paste them as I normally do.

Thankfully, the program doesn’t require you to learn a new set of shortcuts, as it simply captures anything you’re copying or screenshotting just like normal. However, it also has the added benefit of including the aforementioned Ctrl + Windows key shortcuts, so I can copy anything I need when I need it.

The best features are locked behind a purchase

At least ClipShelf Pro is incredibly cheap, I guess

ClipShelf is incredibly smart — it immediately gives users a free trial of the Pro features, so prospective users will know what they’re missing as soon as the trial ends. For roughly five days, users will have access to every feature that ClipShelf Pro has to offer, including shortcut hints, menu buttons, and a slew of additional customization features. Once that trial is over, however, it’s back to basics: driving people who have grown accustomed to what ClipShelf can do when paired with Pro toward upgrading.

At least ClipShelf Pro is incredibly cheap, coming in at roughly $3.99, and it’s a one-time purchase. In a world where I’m trying my best to ditch subscriptions to sites like Spotify by revitalizing my older MP3 player, I appreciate that the developer behind this program didn’t tie it to yet another subscription service. Honestly, it’s the fastest I’ve ever spent $3.99 in recent years.

ClipShelf has made my daily PC experience better

Really, isn’t that all we can ask for from apps we download?

ClipShelf has quickly become one of my favorite apps that I’ve ever installed on my computer, and I hope that I can find something similar for my phone soon. Honestly, it’s so good that I hope that Windows gets wise and starts to build it directly into Windows in the future. It’s an excellent addition to any user’s taskbar, and I strongly suggest you try it out for yourself.

ClipShelf may be small, but it’s incredibly mighty. It’s a tool that I can’t see myself working without from this point forward, and I’m incredibly thankful that one of my editors recommended it to me. No matter if I’m working on photo editing, writing, or anything in between, ClipShelf has quickly become my new muse.