# How to customize the Clipboard export in 'File annotations'

**URL:** <https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-customize-the-clipboard-export-in-file-annotations/2580>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [March 2, 2021, 10:37am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-customize-the-clipboard-export-in-file-annotations/2580 "2021-03-02T10:37:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ari](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/ari/32/896_2.png) [@Ari](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Ari)\
**Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 10:37am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-customize-the-clipboard-export-in-file-annotations/2580/1 "2021-03-02T10:37:15Z")

</div>

Hi everyone,

I am looking for an Option to customize the Clipboard-export  
(File annotations → ~chose an annotation~ → Copy to clipboard)  
Currently it looks like this:

> Author: myname  
> Date: 2021-03-02 08:54:19,  
> Page: 239,  
> Content: ‘my comment’  
> Marking: ~ the text I marked ~

How can I customize this output?

I found this post describing something similar:  
[https://discourse.jabref.org/t/copy-as-plain-text/427](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/copy-as-plain-text/427)  
But I could not get the custom export to work with the annotations.

I’m using: JabRef 5.2 portable\_windows

Regards,

Albin

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-customize-the-clipboard-export-in-file-annotations/2580/2 "2021-03-02T18:54:04Z")

</div>

Hi,

this is currently not possible because the FileAnnotations are not stored as bib entry fields and therefore cannot be used. The output format is hardcoded.  
However, this could be an enhancement, I think one could maybe create a “special field” which refers to the annotation details that could be integrated in the Preview/Custom exports.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ari](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/ari/32/896_2.png) [@Ari](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Ari)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 6:43am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-customize-the-clipboard-export-in-file-annotations/2580/3 "2021-03-03T06:43:22Z")

</div>

> [@Siedlerchr](#):
>
> this is currently not possible because the FileAnnotations are not stored as bib entry fields and therefore cannot be used. The output format is hardcoded.

Ok thank you very much 👍

> [@Siedlerchr](#):
>
> However, this could be an enhancement, I think one could maybe create a “special field” which refers to the annotation details that could be integrated in the Preview/Custom exports.

I leave it up to the devs to decide whether its worth implementing.  
I just thought bc. the data is already handled there is a way.  
I thought maybe somewhere next to the ‘copy to clipboard’ option, since the printing of quotes will likely only occur in this ‘file annotations’ tab.

Nevertheless, I am amazed, how smooth and flexible this program is.

Great work!

Albin