Is there a way to stop specific text from being copied to the clipboard?

Question

Is there a way to stop specific text from being copied to the clipboard?

Just to clarify, using user-select is not the solution I'm looking for.

Although Daniel O'Connor has a CSS method that's close, it doesn't meet my needs due to "Accessibility concerns".

I'm searching for a more effective way to achieve the same goal. I can't come up with a method myself; it seems there might not be a reliable cross-browser compatible approach to copying content to the clipboard with JavaScript. Thus, an HTML & CSS solution seems necessary.

Edit

When I mentioned doubts about a reliable cross-browser way of copying content with JavaScript, one potential option was to trigger the copy event (if universally supported). However, I now realize this might not work on mobile devices when users attempt to copy text. Feel free to correct me if I am mistaken.

Edit 2

To clarify, I don't intend to prevent users from copying text in any manner. Blocking access to the content is neither feasible nor recommended. My aim is simply to enhance the experience for users who are copying multiple elements' text from my app and wish to avoid unnecessary content being included in their clipboard, such as timestamp elements' text, etc.

javascript html css text copy

Answer 1

Answer №1

Unique Answer

If you're looking to customize which parts of text can be selected and copied by users, there are a couple of clever solutions available:

Structuring the text within different parent elements
Hiding specific elements when users begin selecting

The first solution is commonly used for displaying source code with line numbers. By skillfully using CSS, two DIVs can be aligned vertically so that each line number appears next to the corresponding line of source code in a separate DIV.

This method allows users to select the source code without accidentally including the line numbers. It works best for content displayed in neatly aligned boxes or table cells.

As for the second solution, it involves instantly hiding specified elements upon the user's initial click, achieved through applying display: none to elements with a designated class like omit-during-copy.

An advantage of this approach is that users can visually confirm what they are copying as the unwanted information disappears.

However, one challenge with Solution #2 lies in determining how and when to revert the element states accordingly.

A more intricate variation includes using absolute positioning to place elements precisely where desired. While effective, this method requires meticulous spacing adjustments when dealing with texts like aHIDEb, making it advisable to reorganize the layout beforehand if possible.

Prior Answer Recap:

In contrast, previous suggestions to prevent text copying in HTML pages involved extreme measures such as withholding the text entirely or resorting to password fields.

Attempts to dissuade copying through JavaScript interventions often proved futile as users could easily circumvent these restrictions, whether by utilizing alternative methods or tools like Tampermonkey.

Even unconventional tactics like replacing text with images couldn't fully safeguard against optical character recognition technologies, illustrating the limited efficacy of such prohibitive measures.

It's worth noting that overly restrictive measures on websites may deter visitors rather than achieve the intended objectives, potentially leading to negative perceptions about the site among users.

Answer 2

Unique Answer

If you're looking to customize which parts of text can be selected and copied by users, there are a couple of clever solutions available:

Structuring the text within different parent elements
Hiding specific elements when users begin selecting

The first solution is commonly used for displaying source code with line numbers. By skillfully using CSS, two DIVs can be aligned vertically so that each line number appears next to the corresponding line of source code in a separate DIV.

This method allows users to select the source code without accidentally including the line numbers. It works best for content displayed in neatly aligned boxes or table cells.

As for the second solution, it involves instantly hiding specified elements upon the user's initial click, achieved through applying display: none to elements with a designated class like omit-during-copy.

An advantage of this approach is that users can visually confirm what they are copying as the unwanted information disappears.

However, one challenge with Solution #2 lies in determining how and when to revert the element states accordingly.

A more intricate variation includes using absolute positioning to place elements precisely where desired. While effective, this method requires meticulous spacing adjustments when dealing with texts like aHIDEb, making it advisable to reorganize the layout beforehand if possible.

Prior Answer Recap:

In contrast, previous suggestions to prevent text copying in HTML pages involved extreme measures such as withholding the text entirely or resorting to password fields.

Attempts to dissuade copying through JavaScript interventions often proved futile as users could easily circumvent these restrictions, whether by utilizing alternative methods or tools like Tampermonkey.

Even unconventional tactics like replacing text with images couldn't fully safeguard against optical character recognition technologies, illustrating the limited efficacy of such prohibitive measures.

It's worth noting that overly restrictive measures on websites may deter visitors rather than achieve the intended objectives, potentially leading to negative perceptions about the site among users.

Answer 3

Answer №2

If you're still on the hunt for a solution to prevent the copying of unimportant elements like line numbers, consider using pseudo elements:

.code {
  white-space: pre;
  font-family: monospace;
  padding-left: 40px;
}
.line-number {
  position: absolute;
  left: 0;
  width: 38px;
  color: #888;
  text-align: right;
}
.line-number::before {
  content: attr(data-line-number);
}

<div class="code">
<span class="line-number" data-line-number="1"></span>const greet = () => {
<span class="line-number" data-line-number="2"></span>  console.log("Hello World!");
<span class="line-number" data-line-number="3"></span>};
</div>

Answer 4

If you're still on the hunt for a solution to prevent the copying of unimportant elements like line numbers, consider using pseudo elements:

.code {
  white-space: pre;
  font-family: monospace;
  padding-left: 40px;
}
.line-number {
  position: absolute;
  left: 0;
  width: 38px;
  color: #888;
  text-align: right;
}
.line-number::before {
  content: attr(data-line-number);
}

<div class="code">
<span class="line-number" data-line-number="1"></span>const greet = () => {
<span class="line-number" data-line-number="2"></span>  console.log("Hello World!");
<span class="line-number" data-line-number="3"></span>};
</div>

Is there a way to stop specific text from being copied to the clipboard?

Edit

Edit 2

Answer №1

Unique Answer

Prior Answer Recap:

Answer №2

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