MacMost: Automator

If you need to create a random password outside of Safari or another password manager, you can use a variety of techniques. You can use the Keychain Access app, some Terminal commands, or even make your own Automator action to generate one on demand.

While there is no Clock app on a Mac yet, you can use the Calendar to set an alarm for any time on any day. By adding an Automator script, you can have that alarm play a sound at full volume or speak some text.

When you export photos from the Photos app the date of the file doesn't match the date the photo was taken. This is correct as the file is new and the photo in it does retain the metadata with the original date. But if you want to force the file date to match the photo date, you can do it in the Terminal or with an Automator app.

The new Shortcuts app coming to macOS Monterey will let you create automations to control your Mac in various ways. It will co-exist with Automator and works in a similar way. Look at some examples of Mac Shortcuts that you'll be able to create.

You can put your Mac to sleep many different ways including keyboard shortcuts, special gestures and interactions, an automatic timeout, and even Terminal or Automator scripts.

If you need to see or copy the full path to a file, there are many ways to do it on a Mac. You can use one of several techniques in the Finder, in the document window, or while searching. You can easily place the path into a document or the Terminal. We'll also look at an Automator Quick Action that will show the path as a notification and copy it.

Automator can be used to script some third-party apps. As an example, here's how to write a script for Pixelmator Pro that adds a border and caption to a photo you select in the Photos app.

By using JavaScript in Automator you can change the value of selected cells in Numbers. But a little more coding you can place specific or random values in the cells, reorder them, insert data from the clipboard or even an Internet location. There are allo sorts of ways to use code like this to do things you couldn't easily do in Numbers otherwise.

Learn a little bit of JavaScript by creating an Automator Quick Action to center the current window on your Mac. You can assign this to a keybard shortcut and also alter the script to position the window in other ways.

Want to clear your inbox but need to set reminders to get back to email messages later on? You can use this Automator Quick Action to set a reminder with a link to the message and then archive the message.

By using a Shell script in an Automator Folder Action you can create a "drop zone" folder that moves any file placed into it. By using a Shell script it is easy to add new conditions and destination folders.

While you can use text replacements to insert reusable blocks of text, it is sometimes necessary to customize the text for various situations. You can build an Automator service to trigger a series of prompts and then create a block of text based on your responses. In this example, we'll build a way to quickly respond to support email messages.

You can go to the Terminal and use simple one-line shell scripts to get various pieces of information such as the date and time, your Internet IP address and your Wi-Fi network name. Using Automator, you can incorporate these bits of information into a simple notification that appears whenever you press a keyboard shortcut.

Many Mac users wish there was a way to create a new text file in the Finder just like you can in Windows. With the help of a simple Automator service you can add this to your Mac, and even customize how it works.

In Mac Notes you can only export one note at a time as a PDF file. With the help of a script, you can quickly and easily export all of your notes to html files as a backup or archive. You can also save notes this way to clear out your Notes app.

If you need to repeat a specific set of keyboard commands or movements often, you can reduce the sequence to a single action. One method is to use Automator Watch Me Do actions, which record key presses and allow you to repeat them. You can also write a script in Automator to press keys. A third method involves using the Mac Accessibility Keyboard to record and play back the sequence.

Learn the basics of using Automator on your Mac to create workflows. Automator is a useful productivity tool but it can be intimidating for non-programmers. Learn how to use Actions to build Workflows to get things done. This is a basic introduction for those who have never used Automator before.

You can use a shell script inside an Automator Quick Action to add the date of a file to the beginning of the file's name. You can also make this work with photos using the date the photo was taken from the metadata in the file. As a Quick Action you can easily apply this name change to one or many files at once.

You can use JavaScript in Automator to save the positions of each window in each app to a file. Then you can recall those positions later if you want to resume working with the same window locations. This script will save as many position settings as you like and then allow you to recall them easily. You can even set it up as a keyboard shortcut.

When you scan in documents with your iPhone or other device you sometimes end up with files too large to store or send in an email. You can easily compress a PDF using the Preview app on your Mac. However, the default compression setting is too high for most uses. Learn how to customize the compression with your own quartz filter and then use it in Preview or turn it into a Quick Action using Automator for one-step PDF compression.