clipboardRead — what this Chrome extension permission allows

Read whatever you have copied to the clipboard.

clipboardRead

Read whatever you have copied to the clipboard.

Reach	Reaches your browsing content
Shown at install	Yes, Chrome warns about it
Extensions in this catalog	8

What it actually reaches

Reads whatever is currently on your clipboard. That is often the last thing you copied anywhere on the machine, which can include a password, an address or a one-time code — not only what you copied in the browser.

Why an extension would ask for it

Paste-handling tools, clipboard managers and format converters need it. It is one of the few low-frequency permissions worth pausing on, because what lands on a clipboard is unpredictable.

How to judge it

A permission on its own says little. What matters is whether it fits what the extension is for: a note-taking tool that reads every page you visit is worth a second look, while an ad blocker that does the same is doing its job. Read the permission next to the extension's stated purpose, and check the host list beside it.