Image-Paste Pipeline (Zipline + ShareX + sharex-clip2path)

S2 · Pattern 🔬 Research 2026-04-17

The problem

Terminal-based AI coding CLIs (Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex) can reference images by URL but cannot accept pasted image data from the OS clipboard. This is a real friction: when explaining a UI bug or sharing a diagram, you screenshot → save → upload → paste URL → finally tell the AI. Five steps for what should be one.

The pattern: hotkey a screenshot → auto-upload to a personal image host → URL copies to clipboard → paste into terminal. Five steps become one hotkey + one paste.

The components

ShareX (Windows)              sharex-clip2path            Zipline (self-hosted)
  │                             (my tool)                   │
  │ PrintScreen hotkey          │                           │ Tailscale-gated
  │───────────────────────────→ │ Configures ShareX         │ img.<your-local-domain>/u/ABCD.png
  │                             │ to upload to Zipline      │
  │ Captures screenshot         │                           │
  │                             │ Copies final URL          │
  │ ShareX uploads to Zipline ──┼──────────────────────────→│
  │                             │                           │
  │                             │ URL now on clipboard      │
  │                             │                           │
  │     Ctrl+V in terminal      │                           │
  │     → paste URL             │                           │
  │                             │                           │
  │                             │                           │
  └── Claude Code reads the URL → fetches image ────────────┘

My components (concrete picks)

Zipline (self-hosted image host)

What it is: zipline.diced.sh — a self-hosted file/image uploader with short URLs, API, auth. Think “private imgur with a real API.”
Where it runs: Docker container on my home server.
Access: Tailscale-gated. The URL img.<your-local-domain>/u/ABCD.png only resolves on my tailnet. No public exposure.
Install: Zipline setup guide.

ShareX (Windows)

What it is: open-source Windows screenshot + upload tool. Highly configurable: hotkeys, upload destinations, post-actions.
Why it: mature, works with custom uploaders, has every knob you’d want. Free.
Alternative for Mac/Linux: Flameshot + custom upload script (similar but more DIY).

sharex-clip2path (my tool)

Repo: github.com/cybersader/sharex-clip2path
What it is: a small utility I built to load hotkeys into ShareX that implement the full “screenshot → upload → URL on clipboard” flow with my preferred conventions.
Why built: ShareX’s out-of-box hotkey config is verbose. clip2path packages the workflow into one configurable block.

Setup walkthrough

1. Stand up Zipline

# On the home server (Docker)
docker run -d \
  --name zipline \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  -v /path/to/uploads:/zipline/uploads \
  -e CORE_SECRET=<random-secret> \
  ghcr.io/diced/zipline:trunk

Set a reverse proxy (Nginx, Caddy) if you want a pretty hostname. Tailscale handles the auth layer — the reverse proxy just provides hostname + HTTPS termination inside the tailnet.

2. Configure Tailscale-only access

In Tailscale ACLs (or the host’s firewall), restrict Zipline’s port to the tailnet. No 0.0.0.0 binding. If you’re running behind a reverse proxy, bind the proxy to the tailnet interface only.

3. Install ShareX on Windows

Download from getsharex.com. Default install fine.

4. Install sharex-clip2path

Follow the README. It configures ShareX’s upload destination to point at your Zipline instance, sets hotkeys, and wires the clipboard handoff.

5. Test

Press the screenshot hotkey
ShareX captures + uploads to Zipline (via tailnet)
URL lands on clipboard
Paste into a terminal running Claude Code: Look at this bug: https://img.<your-local-domain>/u/ABCD.png
Claude fetches the image and responds

Mac/Linux equivalent

Not as polished. What works:

Flameshot + custom script that calls Zipline’s upload API and puts URL on clipboard.
imgcat + a rehost step.

I use Windows for most of my agentic dev (via WSL), so ShareX is the primary path.

Android equivalent

Termux has termux-clipboard-set and can upload via curl to the Zipline API. Combined with Android’s sharing menu → send to Termux script, you can approximate the same flow.

Security notes

Tailscale ACLs — restrict the image host to devices/users that actually need it.
Upload retention — set max age on Zipline or you’ll accumulate old screenshots forever.

Integration with the rest of the stack

06 · Dev Infra — Zipline is part of dev infra.
03 · Cross-Device — Tailscale is what gates Zipline access.
01 · AI Coding CLIs — the consumers of the resulting URLs.