Does this work in any app?

Anywhere PopClip's bar can appear — Mail, Slack, Notes, VS Code, Safari, and more. WriterBar does not care what the frontmost app is; it only needs the selection PopClip hands it.

Can I add more than one button?

Yes. Every action and snippet gets its own "Add to PopClip" button in Settings — install as many as you want, each pointing at one specific action.

Do I need WriterBar open first?

No. Clicking a PopClip button launches WriterBar automatically if it isn't already running.

What happens if I delete the action later?

The button tells you it no longer works rather than failing silently — see "Good to know" above.

Does this cost anything beyond WriterBar?

PopClip is a separate app by Pilotmoon, sold separately at popclip.app. WriterBar's own pricing is unchanged by using it — see our pricing page.

Is my selected text sent anywhere insecure?

It travels in a local writerbar:// link (or the system clipboard for long selections) directly between PopClip and WriterBar on your Mac — the same path as every other way of running an action, not a separate or less secure one.

What macOS and WriterBar version do I need?

WriterBar 1.2.0 or later, on macOS 14 or newer.

Can I use a custom action I wrote myself, not just the built-ins?

Yes — any action you create gets the same "Add to PopClip" button in its own detail view, no different from a built-in one.

WriterBar in PopClip

PopClip puts a little bar above whatever you select. WriterBar can add its own buttons to it, so a rewrite is one click on text you already selected — no hotkey, no menu bar, no copying. Every action and snippet you have can become its own button.

PopClip is a separate app by Pilotmoon, sold separately. Get it at popclip.app.

No hotkey, no menu bar

PopClip's bar is already sitting above whatever you selected. WriterBar just adds its own buttons to it.

Every action, its own button

Not one generic command — Fix Grammar, Translate, Summarize, or anything custom you built each get a dedicated click.

Works everywhere PopClip does

Mail, Slack, Notes, VS Code, Safari — anywhere you can select text on your Mac.

Replaces in place

The rewrite streams in and lands exactly where your selection was. Nothing to copy, nothing to paste.

Three steps

1
Open WriterBar settings
Go to General for the command palette button, or open any action or snippet for a button that runs just that one.
2
Click “Add to PopClip”
WriterBar generates the snippet and hands it to PopClip. PopClip asks once, you confirm, and the button is live.
3
Select text anywhere and click it
The rewrite streams in, you accept it, and your selection is replaced in place — in any app PopClip works in.

A few ways people use it

Four of the built-in actions, each one its own PopClip button. See every built-in and how to build your own on the use cases page.

Slack or Discord

Select a hastily-typed reply before you send it.

Fix Grammar & Spelling

Mail or Notes

Select a paragraph that reads too casual for the recipient.

Make Professional

Safari or a browser-based doc

Select a passage in a language you want in your own.

Translate

Notion, Docs, or a long article

Select the part you do not have time to fully read.

Summarize

What the snippet looks like

You never have to write one of these — WriterBar generates it. It is here so you can see exactly what gets installed before you install it.

Quick WriterBar

Opens the command palette so you can pick any action. This one always sends the text in the link — see “Good to know”.

# popclip
name: "WriterBar"
identifier: app.writerbar.popclip.command-menu
icon: data:image/svg+xml;base64,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
requirements: [text]
javaScript: |
  popclip.openUrl("writerbar://command-menu?text=" + encodeURIComponent(popclip.input.text));

One action, one click

Runs a single action straight away. WriterBar fills in the id for you — use “Add to PopClip” on any action.

# popclip
name: "Fix Grammar"
identifier: app.writerbar.popclip.YOUR-ACTION-ID
icon: symbol:checkmark.circle
requirements: [text]
javaScript: |
  const t = popclip.input.text;
  if (t.length < 8000) {
    popclip.openUrl("writerbar://run?action=YOUR-ACTION-ID&text=" + encodeURIComponent(t));
  } else {
    popclip.copyText(t);
    popclip.openUrl("writerbar://run?action=YOUR-ACTION-ID&src=clipboard");
  }

Good to know

A single-action button sends selections under 8,000 characters in the link, so your clipboard is left alone; longer ones go via the clipboard, because a link is not a document transport. The Quick WriterBar button only ever uses the link — WriterBar refuses a clipboard hand-off on that route, because it is the one route that needs no id and any web page can open it.
WriterBar launches itself if it isn’t running, and still needs Accessibility permission to put the rewrite back where it came from. PopClip needs its own grant, separately.
Buttons point at a specific action by id. Delete that action in WriterBar and the button will tell you so rather than failing quietly.
Requires WriterBar 1.2.0 or later on macOS 14+.

Frequently asked

⌥Space

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