What Is An ‘Automator’ On Mac?
Automator is a macOS application that lets you automate your workflows to save time. You can create Automator workflows and run them with the click of a button. Apple first introduced Automator with Mac OS X Tiger in 2005.
It is one of the best macOS default apps, and it is also among the more underappreciated ones. The geeky interface might confuse you just by the looks of it, but using Automator on Mac doesn’t require any programming or scripting skills. On the contrary, you can use its vast library to combine your repetitive actions with a single command.
What can Automators do?
There’s no limit to what you can do on Automator. Here is a vast list of actions connected to the app on your Mac. All you have to do is arrange the actions into a workflow and save it. Then when you need to use all those commands again, use the workflow and save time.
The above video is an excellent video tutorial for Automator. Apple has also created a series of Automator tutorials that you can use to understand the app better.
For example, you can create a workflow to resize an image, change its format, label it, and export it to a folder. Once this workflow is ready, you’ll have to perform just one command instead of four commands.
Going further, you can use Automator on Mac to combine multiple files into a single PDF or split a PDF into multiple files. You can also create independent applications that run without opening the Automator.
The program also lets you create quick actions to add to the Finder or the Services menu. You can also create folder actions that are workflows that work inside a folder. Lastly, you can create dictation commands triggered with dictation and don’t require any additional input to start.
If you’re using macOS Monterey, you can export Automator workflows as shortcuts on your Mac. We’ve also listed some of the best macOS Monterey features that you get on the latest Macs.
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