If you’re like most people who work on their Macs, you probably perform several tasks repeatedly every day, which are both time-consuming and tedious. Automator is an app that comes with macOS that lets you create automated workflows to perform both simple and complex tasks so you can save a lot of time behind the keyboard.
Although it looks complicated, it’s an easy-to-use tool that anyone can use. With automator, you can create your app without any programming or scripting skills. It comes with the building blocks needed for developing an app, so all you need to do is to select the blocks you need, put them in the right order and save. Viola! You have your custom, fully app that can perform repetitive tasks and you can also share it with others.
Automator is really a brilliant tool that lets you add functionality to your Mac that might not have been otherwise there. It’s why it’s commonly referred to as the ultimate automation assistant for Mac.
Automator for Mac is what you need when you’re looking for a way to increase the speed of the things you do on a regular basis and boost your productivity. The tool lets you create custom workflows, which is simply a way of telling Automator what to do, where to get the resources it needs and what to do at each stage of execution.
- Batch rename files
- Resize images
- Convert image file formats
- Convert PDFs to images
- Combine multiple PDFs
- Create a Light/Dark Mode switch for your Dock
- Create birthday greetings for your contacts
- Have text files read aloud
The basics of Automator for Mac
Now that you have an idea of the tasks Automator can do for you, let’s get into the basics of the tool. This is vital as it lets you know how to navigate Automator for Mac.
Actions are tasks that workflows execute. They’re the first component of workflows. For instance, if you want the tool to copy text, when you highlight the text and press cmd + C, your workflow will execute the task by copying the text. Depending on the goal you have in mind, your workflow can be just one action or a series of actions.
Variables are not a necessity when it comes to creating workflows but they do allow you create more complex workflows. Variables refer to the output of action that can be stored for later use by another action. For instance, you can copy the first word in a text and automatically create a new document named after it. The variable could be called “First Word in a Text.”
If you know how to write code, you can also write code to run your workflow. You can use AppleScript, JavaScript and even shell commands to build custom workflows. What’s more, you can combine your script with built-in Automator actions.
These refer to actions you can introduce to Automator Mac from third-party apps like Microsoft Word and Excel, provided you have them installed on your Mac.
Automator for Mac is a clever tool that lets you cut down on the things you do on your Mac so you can complete tasks faster. It’s an unpopular gem that’s worth exploring for its usefulness. Regardless of what you do with your Mac, you can be sure the tool has something for you.