Alfred's Automation Tasks have been able to interact with web browsers since their first release. They allow you to effortlessly get a list of open tabs, create new windows, interact with tabs matching a certain pattern, run JavaScript, and more.
Because different browsers require different commands for certain operations, until now, you needed to specify which browser to run an action on. While that's fine for your own workflows if you only use one browser, it requires extra steps if you wish to support multiple browsers at once.
This is why, in the 2023.3
release of Automation Tasks, we introduced the Frontmost Browser collection. It supports every Task from the other groups and adapts its behaviour to the browser which is the frontmost app.
While the previous tasks maintain their relevance because they can target specific browsers in multiple contexts, often you just want to run something on whatever browser you're working in at the moment. With the new Tasks, that becomes significantly easier.
This update also includes support for two new browsers: full support for Orion and initial support for Arc.
A few caveats apply: because Webkit browsers (Safari, Orion) do not have AppleScript hooks to open Private Windows, that functionality is disabled for them. In that same vein, Arc's AppleScript support is limited (e.g. cannot get tabs from a single window) and strays from other Chromium browsers, so current support is restricted to tasks which interact with the frontmost tab. We will continue to adapt the Automation Tasks as browsers evolve their AppleScript functionality.
Error handling has also gotten a lift: every browser Automation Task checks early if it can act on a particular browser and will show an error on the debugger if it cannot, together with an exhaustive list of every browser which supports the action.
Finally, this update brings with it general code improvements and other new tasks, including one to change the URL of the current tab and ways to strip leading and trailing arguments and lines of text.
Did you know that you can select a file, some text or a URL anywhere on your Mac or in Alfred, and perform an action instantly?
For example, you can select a file in Finder and move it to the right folder, or choose a snip of text from your browser and turn it into a new snippet in just a few keypresses.
Using Universal Actions
Universal Actions are deeply integrated into Alfred, so you can trigger them from search results, File Navigation or the Clipboard Viewer. Press the right arrow to reveal the File Actions panel from any of these views.
From Finder or any other app on your Mac, you can select a file, a URL or some text and use Cmd + Alt + \ to pop up relevant actions for the item type you picked.
You can even use Alfred's File Buffer to gather a few files first before taking action on all of them at once.
Using Workflows and Custom Actions
Need more than the built-in actions? Many workflows also include Universal Actions as part of their features. There are currently 45+ workflows in the Gallery containing Universal Actions like image compression, file comparison, QR code generation, and much more!
Still want more? You can create your own custom actions to perform tasks tailored to your specific needs, like moving files to a specific backup, running scripts for a selected URL, or anything that can make your day easier!
Automation Tasks were introduced in Alfred 5 to allow you to build even more complex Workflows without a line of code. Nothing beats introducing someone to Automation Tasks, and seeing the world of new ideas they spark!
With Alfred 5.1, they've had a big upgrade; New Automation Tasks were added, and installation, auto-updating and searching is even easier now.
New installation mechanism and auto-updates
When navigating the Workflow Preferences, Alfred lets you know if Automation Tasks updates are available.
Turn on auto-updates and you'll never have to wonder if you have the latest version.
New ways of searching Automation Tasks
Automation Tasks can now be searched for and added directly from the Workflows Palette, helping you filter and find what you want faster.
New Automation Tasks
New tasks have been added, including keyboard simulation (media keys, volume keys, screen and keyboard brightness keys), clicking menubar items, opening in Quick Look, timezone conversion, and general improvements to existing tasks.
We add new tasks regularly, so do check the Automation Tasks object periodically to discover what new ones you can include in your own workflows!
More ways of providing input
Tasks like Does Path Exist?
used to have no configuration. Instead, you'd need to have the preceding object (or Inbound Configuration) send it the path to check. This makes the task versatile, allowing dynamic paths or multiple paths to be specified. But sometimes you always want to act on the same fixed file, or you saved it as a variable earlier in the workflow and don't want to add a new Arg and Vars Utility just to pass that in.
So we added an alternative: Automation Tasks which require an input can now have it be given from the preceding object or from configuration directly in the task ({var:}
variables work). This makes them easier to set up for simple cases, while keeping the more powerful functionality. And it gives you more hints of what's happening!
Future Automation Tasks
This update gives you new functionality to play with while strengthening the framework Automation Tasks are built upon. New ones will continue to be added with these improvements for all Alfred 5 users.
If you're just discovering Automation Tasks, this Introduction to Automation Tasks is a good place to start.
You can also ask questions about using them in our friendly community forum.
Amongst all the new features in Alfred 5.1, there is an inconspicuous new workflow object: the Expression Utility. It allows you to do maths calculations within your workflow without having to code a script.
It became immediately useful in the Yak Saver Workflow. Because it uses a Delay Utility which waits a number of seconds, you'd have to do some arithmetic yourself to configure the desired wait time.
Now we can ask for minutes and let the Expression Utility do the maths.
Much better! A small change which makes a big difference.
Download the Yak Saver Workflow or browse the Alfred Gallery.
Alfred 5.1 was released this week; It's a major update adding a wide range of improvements to Automation Tasks and the Alfred Gallery integration, Clipboard History and Snippets, and much more.
You can update to Alfred 5.1 from the Update tab in the preferences, or download it from alfredapp.com.
Automation Tasks Auto-Updater
Automation Tasks make it effortless to perform a wide variety of tasks; From changing your wallpaper or opening a new Safari tab to moving windows and converting dates and times.
There are over 150 tasks currently available already, which can be used as building blocks to create more complex workflows without writing a single line of code!
To support this, we've added the ability to keep these Automation Tasks auto-updated; In Workflows > Alfred Gallery > Automation Tasks Options..., check the box next to "Automatically keep Automation Tasks up to date" to ensure you always have the most recent version.
If you're a workflow creator, you can also add the Automation Tasks to the Palette to make them easier to add to your own workflows; They'll then be included in the Palette search results for fast access.
The Workflow Gallery is Growing
The Alfred Gallery now contains more than 150 curated workflows and continues to grow with so many more to be added. Be sure to check out the Gallery and grab some new favourites!
Take a look at the Change Log for the full list of changes and improvements in this release.