A specialized tool for automating macOS tasks by executing and composing Automator workflows through native CLI and AppleScript interfaces.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install automator
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install automator using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is macOS Automator?
The macOS Automator skill enables seamless interaction with the native macOS Automator ecosystem, allowing users to move beyond manual UI steps. By leveraging the automator command-line utility and osascript, this skill provides a robust framework for managing system-level automations. It is designed for developers and power users who utilize Openclaw Skills to build reliable, repeatable runbooks that can handle everything from simple file processing to complex cross-application sequences.
Built with a safety-first philosophy, this skill ensures that all destructive or bulk operations are gated by explicit user confirmation. It maintains a local memory structure to keep track of verified actions and successful execution patterns, making it an essential component for anyone looking to programmatically control their macOS environment while maintaining high standards of security and reliability.
macOS Automator Use Cases
- Automating repetitive file management and system administration tasks without manual intervention.
- Running existing .workflow files directly from the terminal or via agent-led scripts.
- Composing new Automator workflows programmatically using AppleScript authoring patterns.
- Integrating macOS system services into broader multi-agent automation sequences.
- Troubleshooting and debugging existing workflows by inspecting action catalogs and runtime logs.
How macOS Automator Works
- The skill evaluates the user's intent to determine whether to execute an existing workflow or author a new one.
- It verifies the presence of required system tools, specifically the
automatorCLI and theosascriptengine. - For execution tasks, it invokes the
automatorcommand with specific flags and validated input parameters to run.workflowfiles. - For authoring or modification, it uses AppleScript commands to interact with the Automator application dictionary to inspect or mutate workflow structures.
- It references a local data store in
~/automator/to validate action names and paths before execution. - The skill enforces a strict read-before-write policy, ensuring the current state is known before any changes are applied.
macOS Automator Setup
To use this skill, you must be on a macOS system with the Automator application installed. Follow these configuration steps:
- Ensure the Automator app is located at its default path:
/System/Applications/Automator.app. - Verify that both
automatorandosascriptare accessible in your shell environment. - Run the initial setup via your agent to initialize the
~/automator/directory and memory files.
# Verify dependencies
which automator
which osascript
# Sync Openclaw Skills to ensure the latest version
clawhub sync
macOS Automator Data Schema & Taxonomy
The skill manages its state and configuration locally within the ~/automator/ directory using the following file structure:
| File | Description |
|---|---|
memory.md |
Stores activation rules, safety defaults, and user preferences. |
workflows.md |
A registry of known workflow paths and their associated run arguments. |
action-catalog.md |
A verified list of Automator action names and categories for authoring. |
incidents.md |
Logs failure cases and successful recovery patterns for future reference. |
macOS Automator Advanced Features
- Smart interface selection that prioritizes the
automatorCLI for performance and AppleScript for deep customization. - Granular parameterization support using
automator -ifor standard input or-Dfor variable definitions. - Multi-step execution guardrails that require explicit confirmation for any operation involving deletion or bulk changes.
- Detailed observability through verbose logging (
-v) to assist in debugging complex automation failures. - Integration with the Openclaw Skills ecosystem, allowing handoffs to related skills like
applescriptormacoscommand-line tools.
SKILL.md
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