Mac Shortcuts (Automator) for Beginners

Automate repetitive tasks on your Mac with simple shortcuts that save time.

In this guide (6 steps):

1.What are Shortcuts?
2.Open the Shortcuts app
3.Download pre-made shortcuts
4.Create a simple shortcut
5.Run shortcuts
6.Practical examples

What are Shortcuts?

~15s

Shortcuts (formerly Automator) lets you create automated workflows. Instead of doing the same steps manually, build a shortcut that does it in one click or voice command.

Open the Shortcuts app

~15s

Find Shortcuts in your Applications folder or Spotlight. Browse the Gallery for pre-made shortcuts you can add with one click. Categories include Productivity, Web, and Media.

Download pre-made shortcuts

~15s

The Gallery has hundreds of ready-to-use shortcuts: resize images, create PDFs from images, split bills, convert units, summarize text, and more. Just add to your library.

Create a simple shortcut

~15s

Click +. Drag actions from the right panel into the workflow. Example: "Get contents of clipboard" > "Make PDF" > "Save File." This converts any copied text to a PDF.

Run shortcuts

~15s

Click the shortcut in the app. Add it to your menu bar for quick access. Assign a keyboard shortcut. Ask Siri to run it by name. Add it to the Share menu for context-specific automation.

Practical examples

~15s

Batch resize photos for email. Convert HEIC photos to JPEG. Combine images into a PDF. Get your daily schedule summary. Water reminder every hour. Meeting prep: open specific apps and websites.

You Did It!

You've completed: Mac Shortcuts (Automator) for Beginners

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