Copy and Select Non-Editable Text on Mac
Choose a method based on how the app exposes its content. A read-only text field, a selectable document, and an image of text do not offer the same operations.
Choose a task
Section titled “Choose a task”| Your goal | Guide |
|---|---|
| Copy all text exposed by an element; OCR may be used when no text is available | Copy Text from Mac Interface Elements Without Selecting It |
| Inspect extracted content and copy a smaller portion | Extract and Copy Part of a Mac Element’s Text |
| Find a match in a supported native read-only field | Find and Select Text in Read-Only Mac Text Fields |
| The original app supports text selection by dragging | Select Text with a Keyboard-Controlled Drag on Mac |
| Keep the visual appearance as an image | Screenshot a Mac Interface Element with the Keyboard |
Start with the simplest method
Section titled “Start with the simplest method”Try Copy Full Text when you want the whole target’s text. Use Element Burst when you need to inspect and select a portion. Use Input Mode only when the target is a readable text field, and simulated dragging only when the original app supports selection. OCR is a fallback for reading text, not a way to make the original content editable.
Get started
Section titled “Get started”Set up Cursor Crane before trying the steps. Each guide explains relevant requirements; see Free and Unlocked for the current feature comparison.