I have written some JavaScript to select the table, but I want to now automatically copy it after clicking the button.

My JavaScript is:

function selectElementContents(el) {
  var body = document.body, range, sel;
  if (document.createRange && window.getSelection) {
    range = document.createRange();
    sel = window.getSelection();
    sel.removeAllRanges();
    try {
      range.selectNodeContents(el);
      sel.addRange(range);
      document.execCommand('Copy');
    } catch (e) {
      range.selectNode(el);
      sel.addRange(range);
      document.execCommand('Copy');
    }
  } else if (body.createTextRange) {
    range = body.createTextRange();
    range.moveToElementText(el);
    range.select();
    range.execCommand('Copy');                    
  }
}

I have written some JavaScript to select the table, but I want to now automatically copy it after clicking the button.

My JavaScript is:

function selectElementContents(el) {
  var body = document.body, range, sel;
  if (document.createRange && window.getSelection) {
    range = document.createRange();
    sel = window.getSelection();
    sel.removeAllRanges();
    try {
      range.selectNodeContents(el);
      sel.addRange(range);
      document.execCommand('Copy');
    } catch (e) {
      range.selectNode(el);
      sel.addRange(range);
      document.execCommand('Copy');
    }
  } else if (body.createTextRange) {
    range = body.createTextRange();
    range.moveToElementText(el);
    range.select();
    range.execCommand('Copy');                    
  }
}

• javascript
• jquery
• html

• 1 Credit: The code here and in one of the answers appears to have been taken from: stackoverflow./a/2044793/943435 by @TimDown. See the original for his working example. – Yogi Commented May 20, 2018 at 1:04

10 Answers 10

function selectElementContents(el) {
var body = document.body, range, sel;
if (document.createRange && window.getSelection) {
    range = document.createRange();
    sel = window.getSelection();
    sel.removeAllRanges();
    try {
        range.selectNodeContents(el);
        sel.addRange(range);
    } catch (e) {
        range.selectNode(el);
        sel.addRange(range);
    }
} else if (body.createTextRange) {
    range = body.createTextRange();
    range.moveToElementText(el);
    range.select();
}
document.execCommand("Copy");}

Try this:

function copytable(el) {
  var urlField = document.getElementById(el)
  var range = document.createRange()
  range.selectNode(urlField)
  window.getSelection().addRange(range)
  document.execCommand('copy')
}

<input type="button" value="Copy to Clipboard" onClick="copytable('stats')">

<table id="stats">
  <tr>
    <td>hello</td>
  </tr>
</table>

I know this is an old one, but if any one still looking for a solution. this one worked for me

<script>
    $(document).ready(function() {
        $("#copyBtn").on("click",
            function(e) {
                copyTable("listTable", e);
            });

    });

    function copyTable(el, e) {
        e.preventDefault();
        var table = document.getElementById(el);
        
        if (navigator.clipboard) {
            var text = table.innerText.trim();
            navigator.clipboard.writeText(text).catch(function () { });
        }
    }
</script>

• This has worked for me, it is not only restricted to table, but it can even select and copy to clipboard all elements inside Node specified with id.

• I have tested in Mac Chrome as well as windows chrome.

• Usescase : Copy Signature created by Signature Generator based on JS

Demo :

<div id="signature_container">
  <p id="pany_name" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #522e64; font-weight: 700; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 1px; border-bottom: solid 2px #522e64; width:250px; padding-bottom: 3px;">The Company Name</p>
  <p style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #00706a; font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px;"> <span id="first_name_output_2"></span>Firstname<span id="last_name_output_2"> Lastname</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span id="designation_output_2" style="color: #000000; font-weight: 500; font-size: 15px;">Designation</span></p>
  <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #625469; font-weight: normal; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.6px;">[email protected]<span id="email_output_2"></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
</div>
<br><br>
<input type="button" onclick="selectElementContents( document.getElementById('signature_container') );" value="Copy to Clipboard">

<script>
  function selectElementContents(el) {
    var body = document.body,
      range, sel;
    if (document.createRange && window.getSelection) {
      range = document.createRange();
      sel = window.getSelection();
      sel.removeAllRanges();
      range.selectNodeContents(el);
      sel.addRange(range);
    }
    document.execCommand("Copy");
  }
</script>

The previous scripts did not work for me because the .execCommand("Copy") was not triggering. By attaching it to the document itself, and moving it outside of the conditional, I was able to get it to work:

I think this function is more robust:

  function selectElementContents(el) {
    var body = document.body, range, sel;
    if (document.createRange && window.getSelection) {
        range = document.createRange();
        sel = window.getSelection();
        sel.removeAllRanges();
        try {
            range.selectNodeContents(el);
            sel.addRange(range);
        } catch (e) {
            range.selectNode(el);
            sel.addRange(range);
        }
    } else if (body.createTextRange) {
        range = body.createTextRange();
        range.moveToElementText(el);
        range.select();
    }
    document.execCommand("Copy");
}

You can use this custom script, if you need to copy to clipboard all data from table; html:

<button class='btnclipboard' data-source='tableStudents'> Copy table </button>

<table id="tableStudents">
<thead>
 <th> user_id </th>
 <th> Name </th> 
</thead> 
<tbody>
 <tr>
  <td> 123 </td>
  <td> Proba </td>
 </tr>
<tbody>
</table>

<script>
    $('.btnclipboard').click(function(e) {
    e.preventDefault();
        copyTableToClipboard($(this).data('source'));
});

function copyTableToClipboard() {


var clipboard=new Clipboard('.btnclipboard',{

    text: function(trigger) {

        var txt=[];
                var headColumns = [];
                $("#tableStudents th").each(function(){
                    var textColumn = $(this).text();
                    if(textColumn == null || textColumn == "") {
                        textColumn = $(this).attr('title');
                    }
                    if(textColumn == undefined || textColumn == null) {
                        textColumn = "";
                    }
                    headColumns.push(textColumn);
                    // console.log($(this).text());
                });
                console.log('headColumns', headColumns);
                var head=headColumns;
                txt.push(head.join("\t"));

                var rowColumns=[];
                $("#tableStudents tr").each(function(){
                    var row=[];
                    $(this).find('td').each(function(){
                        var textColumn = $(this).text();
                        if($(this).find("i").hasClass('fa-check')){
                            textColumn = "1";
                        }
                        // if(textColumn == "") {
                        //  // textColumn = $(this).attr('title');
                        //  textColumn = "";
                        // }
                        // if(textColumn != null) {
                            row.push(textColumn);
                        // }
                    //console.log($(this).text());
                    });
                    if(row.length > 0) {
                        rowColumns.push(row);
                        txt.push(row.join("\t"));
                    }
                });
                console.log('rowColumns', rowColumns);
                return txt.join("\n");
    }


});

clipboard.on('success', function(e) {

    console.info('Action:', e.action);
    e.clearSelection();

    if (Notification.permission == "granted")
    {
        var notification = new Notification('Data copied to clipboard', {
            icon: '../dist/img/favicon.png',
            body: "You can now paste (Ctrl+v) into your favorite spreadsheet editor !"
        });
    }else{
        console.warn(Notification.permission);
    }
});

clipboard.on('error', function(e) {
    console.error('Action:', e.action);
    console.error('Trigger:', e.trigger);
});
}
</script>

After you click on the button, your table data should be copied.

UPDATE

Use this code instead.

Code:

function selectElementContents(el) {
    var body = document.body, range, sel;
    if (document.createRange && window.getSelection) {
        range = document.createRange();
        sel = window.getSelection();
        sel.removeAllRanges();
        try {
            range.selectNodeContents(el);
            sel.addRange(range);
        } catch (e) {
            range.selectNode(el);
            sel.addRange(range);
        }
    } else if (body.createTextRange) {
        range = body.createTextRange();
        range.moveToElementText(el);
        range.select();
        document.execCommand("copy");
    }
}

<input type="button" value="select table"
  onclick="selectElementContents( document.getElementById('table') );">
  
<table id="table">
    <thead>
        <tr><th>Heading</th><th>Heading</th></tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr><td>cell</td><td>cell</td></tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

by using a library called clipboard.js making it much easier. for more info, check: https://webdesign.tutsplus./tutorials/copy-to-clipboard-made-easy-with-clipboardjs--cms-25086

<script src="//cdnjs.cloudflare./ajax/libs/clipboard.js/1.4.0/clipboard.min.js">
(function(){
    new Clipboard('#copy-table-button');
})();
</script>

<button class="btn" id="copy-table-button" data-clipboard-target="#table_results">Copy</button>
               

<table id='table_results' >

</table>

function selectElementContents(el) {
var body = document.body, range, sel;
if (document.createRange && window.getSelection) {
    range = document.createRange();
    sel = window.getSelection();
    sel.removeAllRanges();
    try {
        range.selectNodeContents(el);
        sel.addRange(range);
    } catch (e) {
        range.selectNode(el);
        sel.addRange(range);
    }
} else if (body.createTextRange) {
    range = body.createTextRange();
    range.moveToElementText(el);
    range.select();





}
CopiedTxt = document.selection.createRange();
CopiedTxt.execCommand("Copy");}

I needed to paste data from memory, not from an existing HTML table, but still use HTML table as a convenient format for later pasting the data in Excel.

I am also using the navigator.clipboard API instead of execCommand("copy").

(The small copyToClipboard script further down is the most important part)

But first, I construct a simple HTML string by iterating over my data collection:

function arrayToHtmlTable(data) {
    if (!data || data.length === 0) return "<table></table>";

    let html = "<table><thead><tr>";

    // Add table headers
    const headers = Object.keys(data[0]);
    headers.forEach(header => {
        html += `<th>${header}</th>`;
    });

    html += "</tr></thead><tbody>";

    // Add table rows
    data.forEach(item => {
        html += "<tr>";
        headers.forEach(header => {
            html += `<td>${item[header]}</td>`;
        });
        html += "</tr>";
    });

    html += "</tbody></table>";
    return html;
}

Now I just need to write it to the clipboard and mark it as "text/html", but somebody may try to paste it in a plain text editor so it's absolutely remended to also include "text/plain" version

clipboard often contains multiple versions of the data and when you paste it, the consuming app will pick the best fit - image, rich text, plain text...

function copyToClipboard(html) {
    const clip = [new ClipboardItem({
        ["text/plain"]: htmlToText(html),
        ["text/html"]: html,
    })];

    navigator.clipboard.write(clip);
}

And the last piece is this helper function that converts it to plain text needed above:

function htmlToText(html) {
    // Create a temporary DOM element to parse the HTML for us
    const tempElement = document.createElement('div');
    tempElement.innerHTML = html;

    function convert(element) {
        let text = '';

        // Iterate through child nodes
        element.childNodes.forEach(node => {
            if (node.nodeType === Node.TEXT_NODE) {
                text += node.nodeValue;
            } else if (node.nodeType === Node.ELEMENT_NODE) {
                const tagName = node.tagName.toLowerCase();

                if (tagName === 'br') {
                    text += '\n';
                } else if (tagName === 'p' || tagName === 'div') {
                    text += convert(node) + '\n';
                } else if (tagName === 'table') {
                    text += convertTable(node) + '\n';
                } else {
                    text += convert(node);
                }
            }
        });

        return text;
    }

    // Function to handle table conversion
    function convertTable(table) {
        let text = '';
        const rows = table.querySelectorAll('tr');

        rows.forEach(row => {
            const cells = row.querySelectorAll('td, th');
            cells.forEach(cell => {
                text += convert(cell) + '\t';
            });
            text = text.trim() + '\n';
        });

        return text.trim();
    }

    return convert(tempElement).trim();
}