Revolutionize Your Mac Workflow: Discover the Secret to Crafting Custom Quick Actions with Automator!
If you’re an avid Mac user, it’s likely that you’re already familiar with Automator- Apple’s built-in application for creating custom workflows.
But did you know that you can create custom Quick Actions using Automator to streamline your Mac workflow?
Quick Actions are shortcuts that allow you to perform repetitive tasks with just a few clicks or keystrokes, making your workflow faster and more efficient. Whether you’re a content creator, developer, or just someone who wants to boost their productivity, Quick Actions can save you a significant amount of time.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the process of creating custom Quick Actions using Automator.
Step 1: Launch Automator
To create a Quick Action, the first thing you need to do is launch Automator. You can do this by typing “Automator” in Spotlight or by going to your Applications folder and selecting Automator.
Step 2: Create a New Quick Action
Once you’ve launched Automator, select “New Quick Action” from the menu. You can also use the keyboard shortcut “Command+N” to create a new Quick Action.
Step 3: Choose an Action
Next, you need to choose an action for your Quick Action. Automator offers a wide range of actions to choose from, including renaming files, resizing images, converting files, and more.
To choose an action, simply scroll through the list and select the one that best fits your needs. If you’re not sure which action to choose, you can use the search bar at the top of the window to find the action you need.
Step 4: Configure the Action
After you’ve chosen an action, you need to configure it to fit your specific needs. Depending on the action you’ve chosen, there may be several parameters that you can adjust.
For example, if you’ve chosen the “Rename Finder Items” action, you can specify how you want the files to be renamed, what you want to replace in the file name, and more.
Step 5: Save and Test Your Quick Action
Once you’ve configured your action, you can save your Quick Action and give it a name. Make sure to choose a descriptive name so that you can easily remember what it does.
To test your Quick Action, simply select a file or group of files and then click on your Quick Action in the Services menu. The action will be performed automatically, saving you time and energy.
Conclusion
Creating custom Quick Actions using Automator is a simple yet powerful way to streamline your Mac workflow. By automating repetitive tasks, you can save time and focus on the things that matter most.
So why not give it a try and see how Quick Actions can revolutionize your workflow? With just a little bit of effort, you can start crafting custom Quick Actions that will make your Mac experience even more enjoyable!
However, you’re not totally out of luck, as Apple includes a tool that makes it pretty simple to create your own Quick Actions to the Finder context menu. That tool is called Automator, and I’m going to show you how to use it to create custom Quick Actions.
Requirements
The only thing you’ll need for this is a device running an updated version of MacOS. This can be done on a MacBook Pro, MacBookAir or an iMac. That’s it, let’s make some Apple magic.
Create a new Quick Action
1. Open Automator
Open the macOS Launchpad and search for Automator. You will see a new Finder window, where you’ll need to click New Document at the bottom left corner (Figure 1). A new pop-up will appear (Figure 2), from which you’ll need to select Quick Action and then click Choose.
2. Select the Quick Action to be created
In the resulting window (Figure 3), click Actions near the upper left corner of the window.
3. Scaling an image
Let’s say you want to create a Quick Action that will scale images. For that, select Photos in the left-most column and then double-click Scale Images in the column immediately to the right. You will be asked if you want to add a copy of the Finder item (Figure 4), which you should do (to retain a copy of the original image). So far, so good.
4. Select the size option for scaling
You can now configure how you want the scaling to work. You can select in pixels or percentages. Let’s say you want to scale your images to 50% of their original size. For that, select By Percentage from the drop-down and then type 50 in the percentage field (Figure 5). You might also want to change the location to house the newly created images from the To drop-down.
5. Add a file rename feature
Let’s also add a step that will rename the resized images. For that, select Files & Folders under Library and then double-click Rename Finder Items in the Action column. In the resulting item (Figure 6), make sure to select Add Text from the drop-down, type the text you want to add (such as -resized) and select After Name.
6. Set the Workflow receives current option and save
At the top of Automator, make sure to change Workflow Receives Current to Image Files and then click File > Save. When prompted, give the Quick Action a name (such as Resize) and click Save.
Use your new Quick Action
Open Finder, two-finger tap (or right-click) an image, select Quick Actions, and you should see your new custom Quick Action listed (Figure 7). Congratulations, you’ve just added your first Quick Action to MacOS Finder. Keep creating new Quick Actions to further expand the functionality of Finder, and you’ll find things that can get seriously efficient.
