The mentioned Puzzle Clipper free script is one solution to this today:
https://github.com/alexander-ladygin/illustrator-scripts#puzzleclipper

Another one is a dedicated command in IllustKit plugin: https://illustkit.totallypic.com/en/docs/menus/create-clipping-masks/repeat-make/

I would like to request a new feature for Illustrator that allows users to split a compound clipping mask into individual clipping groups.

For example, if I have one image and 50 separate shapes, I currently have to create a compound path and use it as a clipping mask. However, after creating the clipping mask, all 50 shapes remain part of a single clipping group.

It would be extremely useful to have a command such as:

Object → Clipping Mask → Split Into Individual Clipping Masks

This command should automatically convert each sub-path of the compound clipping mask into its own independent clipping group while preserving the exact position and crop of the original image.

Example:

1 Image + 50 Shapes
↓
Compound Clipping Mask
↓
"Split Clipping Mask"
↓
50 Independent Groups

Each resulting group should contain:
• One individual shape
• The corresponding cropped portion of the original image
• The original image positioning preserved

This would be a huge time-saver for photo grids, collages, layouts, thumbnails, social media designs, packaging, and other workflows involving multiple image masks.

Currently, doing this manually requires duplicating the image for every shape, which becomes extremely inefficient when working with 50, 100, or more shapes.

Please consider adding this as a native Illustrator feature.

Clipping masks are hard to expand. Please make the Expand function work for Clipping masks too,

This is such a basic function! I need it every time I submit a cover template to Lightning Source.

Please make Expand work for Clipping Groups / Clipping Masks too.

Adobe will never invent any development of once teleased tools. It's such a bugy and inconsitent UI and this feature lacks for years ...

Relates to https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/32315653

Thanks, Jussi!
Yet another solution we can try to workaround this.

For anyone interested: I made a js solution to this problem for my own pen plotting / laser cutting purposes. https://github.com/jokjus/SVGFlattener

No guarantees of anything :) It's meant for simple shapes and paths and it definitely won't keep complex fills. But if you just want to flatten the clipping masks of an image and keep the shape outlines, it'll do the trick.

Indeed, the link got broken. Perhaps Dropbox made some changes.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jrnmbo7t67iuvtx/Clip%20Image%20Crop.jsx?dl=1
Please try this one. Also share some feedback after you use the script.

Hello Egor.
Can you re-upload the script? Link does not work
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3a12zgdklj6hjog/Clip%20Image%20Crop.jsx?dl=1

OK, UV does not allow scripts, so here’s the link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3a12zgdklj6hjog/Clip%20Image%20Crop.jsx?dl=1

Oscar, yeah, I am seeing the problem and confirm it.

If you want more automated solution, you can try https://mai-tools.com/super-magic-eraser commercial script. Hope this can help at least in some cases.

Hi Egor, It's been a while since I posted the comment above but if I remember correctly, I had issues expanding some complex repeat objects. I covered it in this video: https://youtu.be/n1_p_qCGdlo?t=468

Jan, can you illustrate it with a mockup?
What do you have, and what you expect to get?

Oscar, you can Expand new Repeat objects, and it gives a clipping group. What do you expect to get then? Please elaborate.

This would be super useful and save a bunch of time. Currently when you click 'Crop Image' the crop location is pretty random. Most of the time I don't want to crop an image until I check it out with a clipping mask first. In fact most of the I don't think it's a good workflow to be committing to cropping an image before at least looking at it as a clipping mask. But once you've put the work into making a clipping mask you shouldn't have to make the rectangle again. Either or both, the 'Crop Image' button should default to the shape of the clipping mask, and/or a 'Crop Image to Clipping Mask...' option should be added to as an Image right click drop-down menu to when it already has a clipping mask.

If an image already has a clipping mask having to click and drag after clicking 'Crop Image' is just non-intuitive. It should already be in the boundary of the clipping mask as default.

Jan, this is an extremely difficult task.
Remember, we can clip whatever we want. Gradient mesh grids, art with opacity masks, linked images, live text — how do you see the operation handling all of these?

A clipping mask is a non destructive Pathfinder function avant la lettre.
Please make it possible to 'expand' it, in the same way as Compound Pathfinder shapes.