Read Next error for users syncing with Google Drive

For Read Next users connected to Google Drive to sync their reading list across their devices, there's currently an error that is causing the reading list sync to fail. This is due to an outage with an online service that authenticates Read Next with Google Drive. The error is not occurring if you're syncing your reading list using Dropbox or OneDrive.

Until this is fixed, you can still load the last-saved reading list by doing the following workaround:

1. In Firefox, open the File menu and select Work Offline. (In Windows and Linux, the File menu can be activated by pressing the ALT key.) This will temporarily disconnect the browser from the Internet.
2. Open the Read Next reading list sidebar. Your reading list should appear.
3. Repeat step 1 to restore online access in the browser. 

There is currently no estimate on when things will be running normally again. Updates will be posted here and on the AE Creations Help and Support Forum as they become available.

Clippings 7.2 beta 2 released!

The second beta release of the next version of Clippings, the extension for Firefox from AE Creations that saves frequently-entered text for later pasting into web page forms, is now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest, and are willing to tolerate a few bugs.

Read on to learn more about what's new in Clippings 7.2, and how to get it!

What's New

• Multiple clippings can be copied from Clippings Manager or Clippings Sidebar. Select the clippings in the order you want them to appear by clicking while pressing the CTRL key (Command key on macOS) to select clippings one by one, or by clicking while pressing the SHIFT key to select a range, and then right-clicking and selecting Copy Clipping Text
• You can now set the color label of a clipping from Clippings Sidebar
• A label can be set for multiple clippings by CTRL- or SHIFT-clicking the clippings from Clippings Manager or Clippings Sidebar, and then right-clicking and selecting a label from the context menu
• Clippings with a source web address now display a badge on the clipping icon
• New option for Sync Clippings users to automatically sync when opening Clippings Manager, Clippings Sidebar or the New Clipping dialog, ensuring that you're working with the most up-to-date synced clippings. This can be turned on from the Sync Clippings Settings dialog in extension preferences 
• On Firefox 157 and newer, the user interface accent color in Clippings Manager, the New Clipping dialog and other dialog boxes and extension pages is changed to purple, matching the Nova design. This can be turned off from extension preferences
•  New in 7.2b2  The most recently pasted clipping can be pasted again from the keyboard paste dialog by pressing Enter
•  New in 7.2b2  Clippings Manager now remembers the last selection in the tree list when the Synced Clippings folder is reloaded

Things You Should Know About

• The version number of this beta release will appear as 7.1.99.2 in Add-ons Manager. 
• Some features may not be available when Firefox is in Private Browsing mode, or if the browser privacy settings are too restrictive.
• While Clippings works on the vast majority of web sites, some are now preventing pasting into text boxes. If pasting doesn't work, copy the clipping from Clippings Manager or Clippings Sidebar by right-clicking on it and selecting Copy Clipping Text. You can then paste the clipping into the web page by selecting Paste from the browser context menu. 

Compatibility

Clippings 7.2 is compatible with Firefox 140 and newer.

How to Get It 

IMPORTANT! If you're already using Clippings and want to try this beta release, back up your clippings first before upgrading.

To install this beta release, head over to the Clippings 7.2 beta 2 page on GitHub. Look for the link to clippings-7.2b2.xpi, then click on it and follow the prompts to add it to Firefox.

If you've installed the previous beta release, you'll be automatically updated to this release if automatic extension updates are turned on. 

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.

Clippings for Thunderbird 7.2 beta 1 released!

The first beta release of the next version of Clippings for Thunderbird, the extension from AE Creations that saves frequently-entered text for later pasting into email messages, is now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest, and are willing to tolerate a few bugs.

Read on to learn more about what's new in Clippings for Thunderbird 7.2, and how to get it!

What's New

• The Clippings context menu is now available for the subject line in the compose window. A clipping can also be added to the message subject using the keyboard shortcut Alt+Shift+S (Ctrl+Option+V on macOS).
• New preset placeholders for the recipient's first name in the To and Cc fields: $[TO_FIRST_NAME] and $[CC_FIRST_NAME]. To fill in these placeholders during pasting, Clippings will ask for permission to access your contacts when using these placeholders for the first time.
• New option for Sync Clippings users to automatically sync when opening Clippings Manager or the New Clipping dialog, ensuring that you're working with the most up-to-date synced clippings. This can be turned on from the Sync Clippings Settings dialog in extension preferences
• The user interface accent color in Clippings Manager, the New Clipping dialog and other dialog boxes and extension pages now uses the system accent color, matching the UI colors in the rest of Thunderbird  

How to Get It

IMPORTANT! If you're already using Clippings and want to try the beta release, back up your clippings first before upgrading.

To install this beta release, head over to the Clippings for Thunderbird 7.2 beta 1 page on GitHub. Look for the link to clippings-tb-7.2b1.xpi, then right-click on it and select Save Link As, then choose a folder location on your system (for example, the Downloads folder). Then follow these step-by-step instructions from the Mozilla Support website to install Clippings in Thunderbird.

Clippings for Thunderbird 7.2 is compatible with Thunderbird 140 and newer.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.

Clippings 7.2 beta 1 released!

The first beta release of the next version of Clippings, the extension for Firefox from AE Creations that saves frequently-entered text for later pasting into web page forms, is now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest, and are willing to tolerate a few bugs.

Read on to learn more about what's new in Clippings 7.2, and how to get it!

What's New

• Multiple clippings can be copied from Clippings Manager or Clippings Sidebar. Select the clippings in the order you want them to appear by clicking while pressing the CTRL key (Command key on macOS) to select clippings one by one, or by clicking while pressing the SHIFT key to select a range, and then right-clicking and selecting Copy Clipping Text
• You can now set the color label of a clipping from Clippings Sidebar
• A label can be set for multiple clippings by CTRL- or SHIFT-clicking the clippings from Clippings Manager or Clippings Sidebar, and then right-clicking and selecting a label from the context menu
• Clippings with a source web address now display a badge on the clipping icon
• New option for Sync Clippings users to automatically sync when opening Clippings Manager, Clippings Sidebar or the New Clipping dialog, ensuring that you're working with the most up-to-date synced clippings. This can be turned on from the Sync Clippings Settings dialog in extension preferences 
• On Firefox 157 and newer, the user interface accent color in Clippings Manager, the New Clipping dialog and other dialog boxes and extension pages is changed to purple, matching the Nova design. This can be turned off from extension preferences

Things You Should Know About

• The version number of this beta release will appear as 7.1.99.1 in Add-ons Manager. 
• Some features may not be available when Firefox is in Private Browsing mode, or if the browser privacy settings are too restrictive.
• While Clippings works on the vast majority of web sites, some are now preventing pasting into text boxes. If pasting doesn't work, copy the clipping from Clippings Manager or Clippings Sidebar by right-clicking on it and selecting Copy Clipping Text. You can then paste the clipping into the web page by selecting Paste from the browser context menu. 

Compatibility

Clippings 7.2 is compatible with Firefox 140 and newer.

Thunderbird users take note: Clippings for Thunderbird 7.2 is also coming soon! Check back soon for news on a beta release.

How to Get It 

IMPORTANT! If you're already using Clippings and want to try this beta release, back up your clippings first before upgrading.

To install this beta release, head over to the Clippings 7.2 beta 1 page on GitHub. Look for the link to clippings-7.2b1.xpi, then click on it and follow the prompts to add it to Firefox.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.

 

Updated 8 October 2026: Added new feature: automatic syncing when opening Clippings Manager or the New Clipping dialog.

Monthly update: October 2026

The first beta release of the next version of Clippings is delayed in part because of the new Nova redesign that was recently rolled out in Firefox 157. Besides the rather controversial rounded borders on buttons and browser tabs, the UI accent color has also changed to purple. Suddenly, Clippings -- and indeed, all the Firefox extensions from AE Creations -- now look out of place.

In designing the UI of my extensions, I strive to make them blend in with the rest of the host application, while maintaining distinct details to set them apart. It's a balancing act that has worked out quite well, but is now upended with the release of Firefox Nova. The blue accent color in the extension UI now clash with the purple that is used throughout Firefox. And while I'm not a fan of the rounded borders on buttons, the button shapes in my Firefox extensions appear too squared.

So I'm making a few UI changes in Clippings to improve integration with the new Nova look. Purple will now be the accent color on buttons, checkboxes and radio buttons. I'm experimenting with increased corner rounding of modal dialogs, buttons and menus, but doing so without going overboard. A checkbox option in the extension preferences page will be added to let you bring back the blue accent color if that's preferred.

The goal is to roll out these changes in the next version of Clippings, and testers will get a chance to see them first in a beta release that will be out soon. The UI redesign won't be brought over to Clippings for Thunderbird, as Thunderbird is a separate product with its own UI standards, so changes there will be minimal. 

Read Next 1.6.4 released!

Another minor update for Read Next, the reading list extension for Firefox from AE Creations, has been released and is now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website. Read Next 1.6 is compatible with Firefox 128 and newer.

If you already have an older version of Read Next installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Firefox menu, select "Extensions and Themes"), click on the entry for Read Next in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Minor fixes and improvements 

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Read Next should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Monthly update: September 2026

Work on the next version of Clippings continues, with the goal of a first beta release by the end of the month. As always, the beta release and a call for testers will be announced on this blog. Also look for a maintenance release of Read Next in the next few weeks. 

Clippings for Thunderbird 7.1.9 released!

Another minor update for Clippings for Thunderbird, the extension that saves frequently-entered text for later pasting into email messages, has been released and is now available from Add-ons for Thunderbird and the AE Creations website. Compatible with Thunderbird 140 and newer.

If you already have an older version of Clippings for Thunderbird installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Thunderbird menu, click Add-ons and Themes), click on the entry for Clippings for Thunderbird in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Minor fixes and improvements

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings for Thunderbird should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Clippings 7.1.9 released!

Another minor update for Clippings, the Firefox extension from AE Creations that lets you save frequently-entered text for later pasting into web page forms, has been released and is now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website. Clippings 7.1 is compatible with Firefox 140 and newer. 

If you already have Clippings installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Firefox menu, select "Extensions and Themes"), click on the entry for Clippings in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Bug fix: Error when pasting a clipping into an email textbox on a website (issue #592)

Things You Should Know About

• Thunderbird Users: This version of Clippings is designed for Firefox and is not compatible with Thunderbird. Get Clippings for Thunderbird, which is compatible with Thunderbird 140 and newer.
  
• Some features may not be available when Firefox is in Private Browsing mode, or if the browser privacy settings are too restrictive.
• While Clippings works on the vast majority of web sites, some are now preventing pasting into text boxes. If pasting doesn't work, copy the clipping from Clippings Manager or Clippings Sidebar by right-clicking on it and selecting Copy Clipping Text. You can then paste the clipping into the web page by selecting Paste from the browser context menu.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Monthly update: August 2026

Work has begun on the next version of Clippings, the Firefox extension that saves frequently-entered text for pasting later. In addition to behind-the-scenes maintenance, Clippings 7.2 will contain a few improvements, including some much-requested features. Many of these will also be found in Clippings for Thunderbird 7.2.

There will be one more minor update to Clippings 7.1 later this month to fix a bug affecting Firefox. As always, it will be announced here once it's released. 

Monthly update: July 2026

I haven't made much progress on the planned work for the next version of Clippings due to ongoing efforts to get Start Menu for Mac ready for version 1.0. I've just released a Preview Release of this macOS app, and am targeting mid-July for the first public release. Once things settle down with Start Menu for Mac, I hope to dedicate more time on Clippings as well as catch up on maintenance for the other Firefox and Thunderbird extensions from AE Creations.

Leave a Review!

If you're enjoying any of the AE Creations extensions for Firefox and Thunderbird, take a few moments to leave a review on their Firefox Add-ons (AMO) or Add-ons for Thunderbird (ATN) page:

• Clippings: AMO, ATN
• Check Links: ATN
• Read Next: AMO
• Panic Button: AMO

Please refrain from posting support requests or bug reports to the review pages, as I would not be able to answer them from there. Use the GitHub issue tracker for the respective product, or post to the Groups.io forum.

Reminder: Back up your clippings!

Clippings, the extension for Firefox and Thunderbird that saves frequently-entered text for pasting later, is an indispensable tool for daily use, and the clippings that are saved with it are just as valuable, if not more so. It's worth taking a few moments to back up your clippings on a regular basis for safekeeping.

While Clippings itself is stable and robust, there are potentially many other things outside of it that can go wrong:

• your computer might suddenly not turn on anymore;
• your computer's storage may get corrupted due to a hardware issue;
• an operating system update may fail and render your system unusable;
• a virus or malware may wreak havoc on your system or even lock you out unless you pay a ransom to the hacker;
• your Firefox profile might be left in a bad state for any number of reasons;

...and so on. As the old saying goes, anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

Backing up your clippings regularly is the best thing you can do to protect them. It's easy and quick -- just open Clippings Manager, and then select Tools → Backup from the toolbar. Save the backup file to a folder or an external drive set aside for backing up your data.

Back up your clippings from Clippings Manager.

Clippings also has a handy backup reminder feature that will show a notification on a regular basis, reminding you to back up your clippings; you can even control how frequently it appears (daily, every few days, once a week, etc.) from Clippings preferences.

Backup reminder notification.

If you haven't backed up your clippings in a while, or don't remember when it was the last time you did, then it's time to do it. Take a moment now to back up your clippings for safekeeping, and make it a habit! They'll be there when you need it the most, and your future self will thank you.

Clippings for Thunderbird 7.1.8 released!

Another minor update for Clippings for Thunderbird, the extension that saves frequently-entered text for later pasting into email messages, has been released and is now available from Add-ons for Thunderbird and the AE Creations website. Compatible with Thunderbird 140 and newer.

If you already have an older version of Clippings for Thunderbird installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Thunderbird menu, click Add-ons and Themes), click on the entry for Clippings for Thunderbird in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Bug fix: If the option to show only synced items in the Clippings menu is turned on, the New Clipping dialog incorrectly creates a clipping in the root Clippings folder instead of the Synced Clippings folder (issue #262) 

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings for Thunderbird should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Clippings 7.1.8 released!

Another minor update for Clippings, the Firefox extension from AE Creations that lets you save frequently-entered text for later pasting into web page forms, has been released and is now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website. Clippings 7.1 is compatible with Firefox 140 and newer. 

If you already have Clippings installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Firefox menu, select "Extensions and Themes"), click on the entry for Clippings in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Bug fix: If the option to show only synced items in the Clippings menu is turned on, the New Clipping dialog incorrectly creates a clipping in the root Clippings folder instead of the Synced Clippings folder (issue #588) 

Things You Should Know About

• Thunderbird Users: This version of Clippings is designed for Firefox and is not compatible with Thunderbird. Get Clippings for Thunderbird, which is compatible with Thunderbird 140 and newer.
  
• Some features may not be available when Firefox is in Private Browsing mode, or if the browser privacy settings are too restrictive.
• While Clippings works on the vast majority of web sites, some are now preventing pasting into text boxes. If pasting doesn't work, copy the clipping from Clippings Manager or Clippings Sidebar by right-clicking on it and selecting Copy Clipping Text. You can then paste the clipping into the web page by selecting Paste from the browser context menu.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Read Next 1.6.3 released!

Another minor update for Read Next, the reading list extension for Firefox from AE Creations, has been released and is now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website. Read Next 1.6 is compatible with Firefox 128 and newer.

If you already have an older version of Read Next installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Firefox menu, select "Extensions and Themes"), click on the entry for Read Next in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Minor fixes and improvements 

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Read Next should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Monthly update: June 2026

I'm continuing to focus my attention on Start Menu for Mac, the new customizable app launcher for macOS -- just today, I released version 0.9, a major milestone on the road to version 1.0.

In between learning, research, writing code, testing and troubleshooting for Start Menu for Mac, I've used whatever spare time I can find to think ahead about upcoming work for Clippings and other Firefox and Thunderbird extensions from AE Creations. A bug fix for Clippings will be coming in an update which is planned for release later this month. I'm also planning new features and improvements for the next version of Clippings which is the next project after Start Menu for Mac 1.0 is released.