How to give Claude Code screenshots from your Mac

Updated October 15, 2026

Claude Code runs in your terminal, but it can still look at images: a broken layout, a design mock, a stack trace you only have as a picture. There are three built-in ways to hand it a screenshot on a Mac, and one shortcut that trips most people up.

Method 1: Paste with Ctrl+V, not Cmd+V

  1. Press Cmd + Ctrl + Shift + 4 and select the area. The screenshot goes to the clipboard.
  2. Click into the Claude Code prompt in your terminal.
  3. Press Ctrl + V. Claude Code inserts an [Image #1] marker at the cursor.
  4. Type your question around it and press Return.

In most terminals Cmd + V pastes text only, so an image on the clipboard seems to do nothing. Claude Code's docs list Ctrl + V as the image paste shortcut, with Cmd + V also working in iTerm2. Because the marker is placed at the cursor, you can refer to it in your sentence, as in "compare [Image #1] with the mock".

Method 2: Drag the file into the terminal

  1. Take the screenshot with Cmd + Shift + 4 so it's saved as a file.
  2. Drag the file from Finder, or drag the floating thumbnail that appears after the capture, into the terminal window running Claude Code.
  3. Add your question and press Return.

Method 3: Give it the file path

Claude Code can read an image from disk if you tell it where the file is. This is the easiest way to give it several screenshots at once.

Look at these two screenshots and tell me why the button is misaligned:
~/Pictures/Screenshots/before.png ~/Pictures/Screenshots/after.png

To copy a file's path, select it in Finder and press Cmd + Option + C. Paths with spaces, like the default Screenshot 2026-10-15 at 10.42.13.png, are easier to handle if you wrap them in quotes.

Claude Code may ask for permission to read files outside your project folder. Saving screenshots to a fixed folder means you approve one location instead of many. To change where macOS saves screenshots:

mkdir -p ~/Pictures/Screenshots
defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Pictures/Screenshots
killall SystemUIServer

With a fixed folder you can also just say "look at the newest screenshot in ~/Pictures/Screenshots" and let Claude Code find it.

Which method to use

Or use ShotRack

ShotRack collects screenshots and copied text as you work, and it includes an MCP server, so Claude Code can read what you've collected directly. You ask "read my rack" or "look at my newest screenshots", and Claude Code fetches them. No pasting, no paths.

Screenshots you take with Cmd + Shift + 4 (on English-language macOS) or Cmd + Ctrl + Shift + 4 land in ShotRack automatically, and Cmd + Shift + X adds whatever text you last copied. Then register ShotRack with Claude Code once:

claude mcp add --scope user shotrack -- /Applications/ShotRack.app/Contents/MacOS/shotrack-mcp

Check it with claude mcp list, then start a new Claude Code session; a session that was already open won't see the new server. Claude Code works the same in any terminal, including the ones built into Cursor and VS Code. ShotRack's MCP server has been tested with Claude Code and the Claude desktop app.

ShotRack's Copy all button is built for chat apps like Claude, where one paste brings in the whole batch. For Claude Code, use the MCP connection, or Export the batch to a folder and give Claude Code that folder's path.

$19 once, for Apple silicon Macs.

Get ShotRack for Mac

FAQ

Why doesn't Cmd+V paste an image into Claude Code?

Most terminals paste only text with Cmd + V. Use Ctrl + V to paste an image from the clipboard into Claude Code. In iTerm2, Cmd + V also works.

Can Claude Code read image files from my Mac?

Yes. Give it the path, for example "Analyze this image: ~/Desktop/error.png". It may ask for permission if the file is outside your project folder.

How do I copy a file path on a Mac?

Select the file in Finder and press Cmd + Option + C. You can also drag the file into the terminal, which types its path for you.

Can I give Claude Code several screenshots at once?

Yes. List several file paths in one prompt, paste several images one after another, or connect an MCP server that serves your screenshots.