How to Use Automator on a Mac

Take the tedium out of common tasks by creating scripts

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Updated on February 5, 2021

Macs
iPad

What to Know

Can use Automator to open applications, folders, and URLs.
To open URLs, Library > Internet > Get Specified URLs > Add > enter URL > Enter > drag URL(s) to Display Webpages pane.
To test workflow, select Run at the top-right corner. To save workflow, File > Save.

This article explains how to use Automator on a Mac. Instructions apply to devices running Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) and later.

How to Use Automator to Open Applications and Folders

It only takes a few clicks to get Automator working for you. Here's how to use it to open applications and folders in your Finder.

Open Automator from your Applications folder.
Select New Document in the window that pops up when you first open Automator.

Older versions of Mac OS X don't have the New Document step. You can click on Application first.
Select Application and click Choose.
In the Library list on the left side of Automator, select Files & Folders.
Locate Get Specified Finder Items in the middle panel and drag it to the panel on the right side of Automator.

You can also double-click Get Specified Finder Items in place of dragging it.
Click the Add button to add an application or folder to the list of Finder items.
Navigate to the application or folder you want to open, select it, and then click Add. Repeat this step until you've added all the items you want to open.
Drag the Open Specified Finder Items to the workflow pane beneath the previous action.
This completes the part of the workflow that opens applications and folders. To have your browser open a specific URL when you run your program, continue on with the next step.

How to Work With URLs in Automator

You can use Automator to open URLs automatically. Use this feature to not only open Safari but to get to the pages you need to use without entering the addresses or clicking bookmarks manually. Here's how to set it up.

You can include both applications and URLs in the same workflow.

In the Library pane, select Internet.
Drag the Get Specified URLs action to the workflow panel.

This action will include Apple's home page as a URL to open—select the Apple URL and click the Remove button (unless, of course, you want that URL to open in your program).
Click the Add button to attach a new item to the URL list.
Type the URL of the site you want to open and press Return. Repeat this step for each additional URL you want to open automatically.
When you're done adding URLs, drag Display Webpages to the workflow pane, just below the previous action.

How to Test, Save, and Use the Workflow

When you've added the applications and URLs to your workflow, here's how to test and save it.

Test your workflow to make sure it functions correctly by clicking the Run button at the top-right corner of Automator.
Automator runs the workflow. Check to be sure that all the applications opened, as well as any folders you may have included. If you wanted to open your browser to a specific page, make sure the correct page loaded.
After you confirm that the workflow works as expected, save it as an application. To do so, select Save under the File menu.
Enter a name and location for your workflow application and click Save.
Saving the workflow creates an application on your computer. Double-click it to run the actions you specified. Because it works just like any other Mac application, you can also click and drag the workflow application to the Dock or to a Finder window sidebar or toolbar.

Other Tasks You Can Do with Automator

These instructions are just two of the things Automator can do. It contains a variety of commands for several different applications, including Mail, Music, and System Preferences.

You can also create workflows in the iOS Workflow app for your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch.

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