Limit clipboard to text only

Parallels RAS provides administrators with the ability to limit clipboard file transfers to plain text only. This can be done, for example, to protect the user's device from the server or vice versa.

You can do this by enabling the Limit clipboard to text only option in the policies. Once this option is enabled, you can also choose a specific clipboard direction.

Available options for clipboard redirection are:

No limit

Default option. If the No Limit option is selected, then there are no clipboard redirection restrictions based on data formats. All types of files can be copied in both directions.

Client to server only When this option is selected, copying text works only from the client (user’s device) to the server. Any files copied from the server to the user's device where Parallels Client is running will not be allowed.
Server to client only When this option is selected, copying text works only from the server to the client (user’s device). Any files copied from the user's device where Parallels Client is running to the server will not be allowed.
Bidirectional Copying text works in both directions. With this setting enabled, the user will be allowed to copy text from and to the device where Parallels Client is running and the server.
Disabled When the Disabled option is selected, copying text between the server and the client (user’s device) will not be allowed.

This feature does not require any additional permissions and can be applied to all Parallels Clients.

Known issues and limitations.

• Parallels Client for Windows: The feature works only in AVD Advanced mode. The AVD Standard mode is not supported.

• Parallels Client for Linux: Supports plaintext only.

• Parallels Client for Mac: Supports rich text, HTML, and plaintext.

• Parallels Client for Android: Supports rich text, HTML, and plaintext.

• Parallels Client for iOS: Supports rich text, HTML, and plaintext.

• Parallels User Portal: Supports plaintext only.

Information:

When Limit clipboard to text only is used with the Client to server only, Server to client only, or Bidirectional options, the CF_TEXT, CF_UNICODETEXT, CF_OEMTEXT formats are allowed to be shared between the client and server depending on the direction the policy is set to. Windows will include some other formats related to text data like "Local Identifier", "Data Object", "CanIncludeInClipboardHistory", and "CanUploadToCloudHistory". The formats depend on the operating system. The option will simply force sharing of plain text without any images, colors, font information, etc.

For further information about Windows clipboard formats, please visit https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/dataxchg/clipboard-formats#standard-clipboard-formats.