It logs the content you want to move and either places a copy or allows the original content to be placed elsewhere. You can use the clipboard on your computer to copy, cut, and paste text or pictures in various applications. Read on to see how the clipboard works on your Mac, and what you can do with it in various forms. We're here to help answer these questions and more. But what is the clipboard exactly? And how can you see everything that has been recorded over the years? The clipboard has been around on computers for decades, and Macs are no exception.