diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py b/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
index 51941369fa..32e87cb899 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ def create_defs():
     defs['row_numbers_in_book_list'] = True
     defs['hidpi'] = 'auto'
     defs['tag_browser_item_padding'] = 0.5
+    defs['paste_isbn_prefixes'] = ['isbn', 'url', 'amazon', 'google']
 
 
 create_defs()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
index acbd3ce493..629e6b84b6 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ from calibre.ebooks.metadata import (
     title_sort, string_to_authors, check_isbn, authors_to_sort_string)
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.meta import get_metadata
 from calibre.gui2 import (file_icon_provider, UNDEFINED_QDATETIME,
-        choose_files, error_dialog, choose_images)
+        choose_files, error_dialog, choose_images, gprefs)
 from calibre.gui2.complete2 import EditWithComplete
 from calibre.utils.date import (
     local_tz, qt_to_dt, as_local_time, UNDEFINED_DATE, is_date_undefined,
@@ -1536,6 +1536,23 @@ class IdentifiersEdit(QLineEdit, ToMetadataMixin):
         self.setToolTip(tt+extra)
         self.setStyleSheet(INDICATOR_SHEET % col)
 
+    def paste_identifier(self):
+        try:
+            prefix = gprefs['paste_isbn_prefixes'][0]
+        except IndexError:
+            prefix = 'isbn'
+        self.paste_prefix(prefix)
+
+    def paste_prefix(self, prefix):
+        if prefix == 'isbn':
+            self.paste_isbn()
+        else:
+            text = unicode(QApplication.clipboard().text()).strip()
+            if text:
+                vals = self.current_val
+                vals[prefix] = text
+                self.current_val = vals
+
     def paste_isbn(self):
         text = unicode(QApplication.clipboard().text()).strip()
         if not text or not check_isbn(text):
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/single.py b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/single.py
index 65f2782333..68625d59b0 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/single.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/single.py
@@ -9,10 +9,11 @@ __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
 import os, errno
 from datetime import datetime
+from functools import partial
 
 from PyQt5.Qt import (Qt, QVBoxLayout, QHBoxLayout, QWidget, QPushButton,
         QGridLayout, pyqtSignal, QDialogButtonBox, QScrollArea, QFont, QCoreApplication,
-        QTabWidget, QIcon, QToolButton, QSplitter, QGroupBox, QSpacerItem,
+        QTabWidget, QIcon, QToolButton, QSplitter, QGroupBox, QSpacerItem, QInputDialog,
         QSizePolicy, QFrame, QSize, QKeySequence, QMenu, QShortcut, QDialog)
 
 from calibre.constants import isosx
@@ -242,12 +243,16 @@ class MetadataSingleDialogBase(QDialog):
         self.clear_identifiers_button.setIcon(QIcon(I('trash.png')))
         self.clear_identifiers_button.setToolTip(_('Clear Ids'))
         self.clear_identifiers_button.clicked.connect(self.identifiers.clear)
-        self.paste_isbn_button = QToolButton(self)
-        self.paste_isbn_button.setToolTip('<p>' +
+        self.paste_isbn_button = b = RightClickButton(self)
+        b.setToolTip('<p>' +
                     _('Paste the contents of the clipboard into the '
-                      'identifiers box prefixed with isbn:') + '</p>')
-        self.paste_isbn_button.setIcon(QIcon(I('edit-paste.png')))
-        self.paste_isbn_button.clicked.connect(self.identifiers.paste_isbn)
+                      'identifiers prefixed with isbn:. Or right click, '
+                      'to choose a different prefix.') + '</p>')
+        b.setIcon(QIcon(I('edit-paste.png')))
+        b.clicked.connect(self.identifiers.paste_identifier)
+        b.setPopupMode(b.DelayedPopup)
+        b.setMenu(QMenu())
+        self.update_paste_identifiers_menu()
 
         self.publisher = PublisherEdit(self)
         self.basic_metadata_widgets.append(self.publisher)
@@ -290,6 +295,22 @@ class MetadataSingleDialogBase(QDialog):
 
     # }}}
 
+    def update_paste_identifiers_menu(self):
+        m = self.paste_isbn_button.menu()
+        m.clear()
+        m.addAction(_('Edit list of prefixes'), self.edit_prefix_list)
+        m.addSeparator()
+        for prefix in gprefs['paste_isbn_prefixes'][1:]:
+            m.addAction(prefix, partial(self.identifiers.paste_prefix, prefix))
+
+    def edit_prefix_list(self):
+        prefixes, ok = QInputDialog.getMultiLineText(
+            self, _('Edit prefixes'), _('Enter prefixes, one on a line. The first prefix becomes the default.'),
+            '\n'.join(list(map(type(u''), gprefs['paste_isbn_prefixes']))))
+        if ok:
+            gprefs['paste_isbn_prefixes'] = list(filter(None, (x.strip() for x in prefixes.splitlines()))) or gprefs.defaults['paste_isbn_prefixes']
+            self.update_paste_identifiers_menu()
+
     def create_custom_metadata_widgets(self):  # {{{
         self.custom_metadata_widgets_parent = w = QWidget(self)
         layout = QGridLayout()