Service (older) Quick Action (newer): A workflow that you can add to Finder windows, the Touch Bar, and the Services menu. For more information about using Quick Action workflows, see Use Quick Action workflows on Mac.

See also MacDev! MacOS! Development (jandp.biz/is/dev/sw/macdev/) for important notes around problems around Security.

Services, Workflows – Automator-based (macOS)

Common pattern

In many cases, start with writing a shell script / command line interface (CLI) tool/executable, then create some small wrapper code for GUI use in applications / Finder.

I.e.

1. Implement core functionality in CLI tool, e.g. mime-tool-by-j.sh
   1. That can be used in terminal – gred for both development, using flags for verbose outputs, et c, as well as actual use when anyway down there in terminal windows.
   2. Save such in $HOME/bin/ (a subdirectory I’ve had a habit to alway have since maybe around early 1990s on every computer worked with)
2. Wrapper: as appropriately.
   Creating a Quick Action in Automator app, e.g. Save Web as mhtml J
   1. Quick Action to make tool available via
      1. <App> menu under Services> submenu
      2. As applicable (depending on functionality, how tool has been implemented) possibly in
         1. Finder’s popup menu under Quick Actions, OR
         2. Finder’s popup menu under Services
            which depend on generation of macOS….. NOT the best solution and Apple should fix this….!!!
   2. Most often writing most of code in AppleScript but it happens using other means like bash
   3. Tool that in turn call CLI utility, e.g. mime-tool-by-j.sh

Gotchas / Issues

1. General: Often start a new script/tool based on some existing, AND OLD code for copied tool may still be around, which can be confusing… NOTE: most scripts created are ONLY intended for my personal use.
   1. And in many cases lots of Work In Progress until a more stable set of pieces works well.
   2. Time that can be months, as lots of work is done when get focus for some period.
2.  CLI-tools
   1. Such may be using commands that are not standard macOS but downloaded in various ways over many years and lost track if standard or added by myself, and also where such may be stored
   2. via applications (code within apps that are ‘re-usable’ / can be used via CLI/scripts)
   3. brew … (and other download managers)
   4. python ecosystem – yeah…. that also happens, and opens up THAT area of quagmire.
3. AppleScript: keystrokes (e.g. of areas of issues)
   1. Controlling applications via AppleScript can be really messy when get into some more advanced things like controlling dialogs.
   2. Must give apps rights via System Settings > security … (don’t remember exactly what to do where just now….)
      
   3. More below in Troubles-Problems section below.

That’s it for now – more a starting point of potential issues.

Scripts! by J

❓⚠️ ✅

2026-09-29: Started including info related to macos 27.

2026-10-03: Started using color indications to highlight DISCONTINUED #ffcfcf, verified working (macOS27) #d7fcac,

Troubles / Problem Areas

Access – Security Limitations, Restrictions

‘Assistive Access’

• General:
  • search.brave.com/search?q=what+is+%22assistive+access%22
  • support.apple.com/guide/assistive-access-iphone/welcome/ios
• Scripts, programming level:
  • search.brave.com/search?q=what+is+%22assistive+access%22+when+scripts+requires+such
  • To grant this permission, users must navigate to System Settings (or System Preferences) > Privacy & Security > Accessibility and check the box next to the specific application running the script. (macOS 26)
  • macOS27: System Settings > Privacy & Security, then look for Device Control and Data Access in the list — that’s where the app-level accessibility/keystroke permissions now live.

General research

search.brave.com/search?q=macOS27%2C+for+Automator+Service%2C+how+to+allowed+assistive+access

Granting assistive access directly to an Automator Service is often problematic because services are saved as workflows, which macOS does not allow to be selected in the Accessibility list. To resolve this, you must use a workaround that involves creating a standalone application or authorizing the underlying system agents.

1. The Standalone Application Workaround (Recommended)
The most reliable method is to decouple the automation logic from the service trigger:

• Open Script Editor and paste your AppleScript code.

• Export the file as an Application (File > Export > File Format: Application).

• Sign the app locally if prompted (“Sign to Run Locally”).

• Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility and add this new standalone application to the list.

• Create your Automator Service to use the “Run Application” action, pointing it to the standalone app you just created.

2. Authorizing System Agents
If you must run scripts directly within an Automator workflow, you may need to authorize the system processes that execute them:

• Navigate to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility.

• Unlock the pane with your administrator password.

• Add Automator, Script Editor, and AppleScript Utility (located in /System/Library/CoreServices/) to the list.

• For Quick Actions specifically, you may also need to add ServicesUIAgent. Locate it by using the path input (Shift-Command-G) and navigating to /System/Library/CoreServices/, then select ServicesUIAgent.app.

3. Troubleshooting Permissions
If permissions do not take effect immediately:

• Toggle Permissions: Turn the accessibility checkbox off and on for the relevant apps, then quit and reopen System Settings.

• Target App Permissions: Some users find success by adding the target application (the app being controlled, e.g., Chrome or Finder) to the Accessibility list, rather than Automator itself.

• Reset Privacy Database: As an advanced step, you can clear the privacy database using the Terminal command: tccutil reset Accessibility. 

Full Disk Access

See Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access (In upper section of items in right side.)

Control key… “Press Run to run this scropt, or Quit or quit.” – dialogs

SOLUTION/WORKAROUND: Be quick when use shortcut keys combination, don’t hold the Space key for long.

NOT seen earlier, or at least for many, many, years as can’t remember ever seeing BUT started getting dialogs now in Sep 2026:

• When trigger services using keyboard, e.g. Command+Control+Space+S,
  • in a (due to macOS 27) rewritten family of scripts (app, using Script Editor)
• in macOS 27 – in which I strongly suspect something pertinent has been changed behind the scene

More research:

• search.brave.com/search?q=%22Untitled%22%2C+%22Press+Run+to+run+this+script%2C+or+Quit+to+quit.%22
• “Press Run to run this script, or Quit to quit.” discussions.apple.com/thread/253878258?sortBy=rank

  • Jun 3, 2011 5:24 AM in response to Barry Margolin
    Well just in case anyone is still wondering about this, I think I figured it out. Make sure whatever app you’re using to trigger the script (Alfred in my case) does not use the CONTROL Key as part of the keyboard shortcut. That fixed it for me

  • May 8, 2014 11:15 AM in response to fedeboraxx
    Bingo! Removing the Control key from the keyboard shortcut fixed my problem.

I.e., it seems to be something that has been around ‘for ever’.

EoP