Keyword Input
Keywords are one of the primary ways to control Alfred, and the most commonly used input type for workflows. It can be used alone or followed by a query, telling Alfred to perform an action or search for the query that follows.
In this example, the search term fitbit shows me results for both the application installed on my Mac and for the workflow keyword that launches Fitbit in my Google Chrome browser.
How do I use keyword inputs?
Use keywords to create workflows that appear when you type your set keyword.
When creating a keyword, you can set a few parameters;
- Keyword: Set the word you want to type into Alfred to activate your workflow
- with space: Decide whether you require a space between your keyword and the query
- Argument: Is an argument required?
Connect your keyword with the appropriate action or actions to perform the task you want.
Advanced Keyword Uses
As well as setting a fixed keyword, they can be set dynamically or in multiples for greater flexibility.
Workflow Examples Using a Keyword Input
"Should I watch this movie?" example workflow
A great way to see a keyword input in action so to take a look at the "Should I watch this movie?" example in Alfred's Workflow Examples in the Preferences.
The "movie" keyword is connected to three actions, and is set to require a keyword (the title of a movie).
Setting the argument to "optional" would allow the website to launch without a query, if you pressed the Return key without adding a query.
With the title and subtitle set above, Alfred presents this text until you've typed your query and he can show you search results.
"Fitbit in Chrome" workflow
You can download the Fitbit workflow shown in the first screenshot at the top of this page, for a very simple workflow where one keyword is connected to one "Open URL" action.
