[UX/Feature Request]: Automatically close Editor window after clicking "Copy to Clipboard"

[dennyschroeder]

Hi @richiemcilroy,

Currently, when I finish editing a screenshot and click the "Copy to Clipboard" button in the top-right corner, the image is copied, but the Editor window remains open.

The Problem:
This creates redundant friction in the daily workflow. Clicking "Copy to Clipboard" signals that the user is done with the asset. Having to manually click the close button afterward feels like a double effort.

Using ⌘Q is not an alternative, as it completely quits the Cap background agent process.

Proposed Solution:
Please implement an option (or make it the default behavior) that automatically closes the active Annotation/Editor window the moment the "Copy to Clipboard" action is triggered.

This would allow for a lightning-fast "Edit -> Copy -> Auto-Close" flow, leaving the desktop clean and ready to paste immediately.
Thanks, Denny

[linear]

CAP-723

[tembo]

This request is closely related to issue #1860, which proposes a broader "After Capture" settings panel with customizable behaviors including auto-save and auto-copy-to-clipboard options. The auto-close-on-copy behavior you're describing would fit naturally within that settings framework.

For anyone implementing this, the relevant code is in apps/desktop/src/routes/screenshot-editor/useScreenshotExport.ts. The exportImage function (starting around line 260) handles both "file" and "clipboard" destinations. The copy-to-clipboard logic is in lines 377-394 and already has a success path that shows a toast but doesn't close the window. You could add a getCurrentWindow().close() call after the toast.success("Screenshot copied to clipboard!") line (line 393).

For a configurable approach, this would need a new setting in the screenshot settings schema and then checking that setting before closing. The settings page is at apps/desktop/src/routes/(window-chrome)/settings/screenshots.tsx. Currently there aren't any behavioral toggles there - it's just a screenshot gallery view - so you'd likely need to add a settings section similar to what exists in settings/general.tsx.

One consideration: if implementing as an option rather than default behavior, you might want to make it part of the larger #1860 initiative so users have cohesive control over all post-capture behaviors in one place.