Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
To reuse a workflow, save it (choose File > Save, choose a name and location, and click Save);
you can then double-click it to reopen it in Automator. Or you can save it as an app (same
procedure, but choose Application from the File Format menu in the Save dialog), and you
get a stand-alone, double-clickable Automator app. (For other ways to package a workflow,
see the sidebar
Automator Workflow Types
.)
Find and Run Sample Workflows
Automator workflows you find online usually work unmodified on your Mac—you
double-click them and, depending on how they were saved, you either run them in
Automator or they run as apps. (If you want to edit an Automator app, drop it onto the
Automator icon.)
Try some of the sample workflows at these sites:
MacStories
•
15 Automator and AppleScripts You Can't Live Without
at MacLife
•
10 Awesome Uses for Automator Explained
at Tuts+
Tip:
If a workflow doesn't function on your Mac, it may have been configured to look
for a file or folder in a location that doesn't exist on your Mac. You should be able to
change the relevant action(s) to point to valid locations.
You may find workflows that
almost
do what you want them to do. Feel free to experiment
by changing options within actions, or by swapping out one action for another. Unlike
AppleScript, Automator makes it simple to tinker without worrying that you'll make a syntax
error or have no idea what command to use—your only building blocks are the actions you
see in the list.
