【 Using Automator on MacOS 】 Step by Step Guide ▷ 2022

The Computers are currently used to carry out an endless number of tasks of all kindsso having them configured in the best way will be essential when working and get better performance on themmainly when looking for be productive.

That is why today the macOS computers you can begin to get the most out of them thanks to the automator tool and thus begin to automate as many tasks as possible, which will make users can save a lot of time by executing some specific activities.

So if you still You don’t know what Automator is on MacOS or how it works, here we are going to explain in detail how you can start using it easily and quickly. To do this, follow everything that we will teach throughout the post.

What is macOS Automator?

Many of the Apple users are still unaware of this tool, but the truth is that this macOS app It will allow you to automate different types of tasks through a workflow, which is very easy to configure. This is because Automator does not require a programming language or scripts for its operation so that any user can make use of it.

In this way, Automate It is capable of interacting with other programs and tools of the operating system in an automated way, which allows it to run several tasks or just one. Therefore, with this Mac tool users have the ability to automate multiple tasks on a consistent basis so you can reduce your work.

Can create an automated workflow with those tasks that you perform constantly will allow you saves a lot of work time and in turn be much more productive. So it is an application that is worth using when looking to have a higher work performance.

Benefits of automating tasks with Automator

no doubt power automate the tasks of your MacOS computer will offer you a series of important advantagesespecially if what you are looking for is to have a better work performance and be much more productive.

That is why we are going to show you what are the main advantages of automating tasks with Automator in MacOS.

Change sizes and formats of the files.
rename folders and files.
Make a security copy to folders.
organize the files by type within specific folders.
Remove metadata.
Run various programs in the OS.

These are some of the most important advantages What can you get at the moment? automate your operating system so that it can perform certain types of tasks for you and thus get the most out of it at all times.

What kinds of tasks can be streamlined in Automator?

You are surely wondering what types of tasks you can perform with Automator to start taking full advantage of this tool at all times.

That is why here we leave you some of the actions that can be carried out easily and quickly:

Create applications: On this occasion, no reference is made to create an app from scratchbut you will be able create shortcuts of an application that performs a certain task for you, such as a shortcut that save all photos with .jpg extension or one that delete all screenshots from computer.
Perform repetitive tasks: In this case it is about making the Mac can carry out various repetitive tasks as it is change the name or size of a file as well as make backup copies to folders. These types of tasks are easy to automate and will save you from having to do that yourself.
Create different scripts: In this opportunity the scripts that can be created they will be very similar to those that can be created with . So, you’re going to have to add to the workflow the action you are going to perform so that the program can carry it out.
Export your creations to shortcut: Automate is efficiently connected with shortcuts. That is why all workflows that are created with this application you will be able to export them to Shortcuts at any time as well as customize the name of it.

Learn how to use MacOS Automator

Taking into account What is Automator and how does it work?then the next thing will be to learn to use it and start to create your own workflows so you can get the most out of it.

To do this, you will need to follow each of the steps that we will indicate below:

create workflow

To create a workflow with Automatoryou need to select the type of workflow you want and then add the actions.

Therefore, to create the flow it will be necessary to perform the following steps:

The first thing you should do is go to the application of Automate on your Mac. When you are there you will have to select “File, Archive” and then click on “New”.

Now you will have to select the type of workflow you want, for this there are several options available such as the following:

App: It is usually independent so it is executed when it is opened or when folders or files are placed in it.
Workflow: It can be run inside the Automator app.
Image capture module: It is available in the Mac Image Capture app.
folder actions: It is associated with a Finder folder. Therefore, whenever items are added to the folder the workflow will be executed and the files will be used as the input of the workflow.
quick actions: You can add it to the Touch Bar, Finder windows or the Services menu.
calendar alarm: This workflow will be activated every time there is an activity within the calendar.
print module: It is available in the “Print” window.
Dictation command: It will be activated each time the dictation is used.
Therefore, when you already know all the workflows available, the following will be to select one of them

Run workflow

When you have selected the workflow of your preference, then the next thing will be to execute it, but for this you must add the actions to be carried out. Automate has all the actions grouped by categories by the type of application, data or file.

These actions are a single step and which we will show you right away:

find a stock

Within Automator you will have to execute the following actions so that you can find the workflow action, in this case do the following:

expand library: Enter the library and review all the actions that are available, for this click on the arrow of “expand library”.
Review the related actions: The next thing will be to see what are the actions related to the category, for this select one of the categories of “Library”.
Find a particular action: Here you can write a keyword in the search engine to perform a specific search. So, go to the category and then type the keyword.
Record your own actions: Finally, to be able to save your own actions or rather what you want to be done automatically, then click on “Engrave” and complete the task you want to automate. When you’re done, click “Having”.

Add a flow action

If you want add a flow action You will have to click on it and it will automatically appear. Keep in mind that here you can add many more actions if you wish.

Save the workflow

Finally, you will have to save the workflow, in this case you will click on the “File, Archive” and then click on “Save”. If for some reason you have created a specific workflowthis flow will be saved according to the type you created, that is, if you created a calendar one, then it will be stored in the “Calendar” and an alarm will be created.

The workflow does not work, how to fix it?

If for some reason the workflow you have created does not work correctly, then you should keep in mind that when you run a automator flowthese usually appear in the registration area, specifically at the bottom of the workflow window. Therefore, the best thing to do in this case is to use the registry to be able to analyze and diagnose event problem after the execution of the workflow.

Errors and warning messages can be found in the log area. Another way to detect this is by using the “See results” in order to solve the possible problems that the flow is presenting during its execution. Here you can see the results received from the executed action.

So, you’ll have the opportunity to briefly place this action after any other action in the workflow to see the flow of information at that point. This way you’re going to see the information of a certain point and thus determine where the workflow error to be able to work on it.