Features
Keyboard Maestro is a productivity enhancer with several main functions. It allows you to:
Macro Groups allow you to organize your macros. Think of them as folders of macros. Each Macro Group controls when the macros it contains are active. A Macro is made of two parts: a set of Triggers you choose to determine when the macro is executed and a list of Actions that define what the macro does when it is executed.
By creating macros, you can customize your Mac to suit your use, streamline tedious tasks, and remove opportunities for mistakes by automating repetitive jobs. Make a stuburnly difficult applications behvave the way you want them to; press a key and have the computer do the next minute worth of tedious tasks for you; type a few characters and have a page full of boilerplate text appear; and so much more. Soon you'll wonder how you could have used your Mac without Keyboard Maestro.
Here are some of the primary features of Keyboard Maestro.
General
Sync your macros across multiple Macs using DropBox or other file sharing systems.
Trigger macros by name.
Use the fantastic status menu icons from Iconaholic .
Download or make your own Status Menu Icons .Customize your macro icons with the Icon Chooser and creator.
Full retina display support.
Use the included Macro Debugger for detailed control of your macros in action.
Macro Groups
Create Macro Groups, which contain Macros and control when they are active.
Macro Groups can be restricted to or excluded from specific applications.
Macro Groups can be activated or deactivated with hot keys, or via the status menu or global macro palette.
Macro Groups can display a palette of contained macros.
Macro Groups can be enabled or disabled.
Customize the Macro Group icon by pasting an icon, or using the Icon Chooser and creator.
If you are syncing your macros, Macro Groups can be disabled on specific Macs.
Triggers
Macros can be triggered by one or more Macro Triggers using any number of the following:
Hot Key – press, hold or release a key.Typed String – type a string of keys.Applications – on launch, quit, activate, deactivate, or periodically while an application is running or active.Login – when you log in to your Mac.Engine Launch – when the Keyboard Maestro engine launches.System Wake – when the system wakes from sleep.Time – at a particular time of day.While Logged In – periodically while logged in.Macro Palette – with a click on a context sensitive Macro Palette .Status Menu – by selecting from a global system status menu.Public Web – over the Internet, explicitly to the public, or via authenticated log in.Mounted Volume – when a volume is mounted or unmounted.USB Device – when a USB device is attached or detached.Wireless Network – when your Mac connects or disconnects to/from a wireless network.Device Key – when any HID (Human Interface Device) device key is pressed, held down or released.MIDI Note – when a MIDI note is pressed or released.iPhone – from your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.By Script – from an AppleScript or a shell script.
Actions
You can create Macro Actions manually or by recording them.
You can download or write your own Plug In Actions .
Macros can execute a sequence of one or more Macro Actions including:
Plug In Third Party Actions
Application Control Actions
Activate Last, Next or a specific application.
Bring the current application's windows to the front.
Quit All, Other, the current or a specific application.
Hide All, Other, the current or a specific application.
Show All or a specific application.
Clipboard Actions
Simulate Cut, Copy or Paste.
Set the system clipboard to specific styled tokenized text.
Set the system clipboard to a past copy of the clipboard.
Set the system clipboard to a variable.
Set the system clipboard to a Named Clipboard .
Delete the current or a past clipboard entry from the clipboard history.
Cut, Copy or Paste to/from a permanent Named Clipboard .
Set a Named Clipboard to the system clipboard.
Copy a Named Clipboard to another Named Clipboard .
Apply styles (font, colors, underlines, etc) to a (portion of) the a clipboard.
Apply a BBEdit Text Factory to the current clipboard.
Apply various Filters to the contents of the current clipboard.
Search and Replace a clipboard.
Search a clipboard and extract information.
Get a substring of a clipboard.
Display a clipboard.
Control the Flow and Behavior of a Macro
Pause for a number of seconds (possibly calculated).
Pause Until conditions are met.
Execute a list of actions until conditions are met.
Execute a list of actions while conditions are met.
Repeat a list of actions a number (may be a calculation) of times.
If conditions are met, execute a list of actions, otherwise execute another list.
Execute another macro (like a subroutine).
Cancel all, other, or this macro.
Debugger Actions
Start, finish, or toggle debugging.
Have new macros begin paused, or run until paused.
Breakpoint this, all, or other macros.
Step over, into, or out of macros.
Continue this or other macros.
Note: debugging actions are not paused by the debugger.
Mail Actions
Send or create a mail message.
Set a status flag on the currently selected mail message.
Execution Actions
Execute an AppleScript and optionally display or store the results.
Execute a shell script and optionally display or store the results.
Execute an Automator workflow.
Execute a JavaScript in the front Safari or Google Chrome window.
Execute another macros (like a subroutine).
File Actions
Reveal a File.
Move, rename, copy, duplicate, trash or delete a file.
Read and write files (text, styled text or images).
Append text to a file.
Create a new folder.
Read or write a file attribute (eg modification date).
Read, set, add, remove or toggle Mavericks Tags.
Safari and Google Chrome Actions
Create a new window or tab.
Move to the next, previous or a specific tab.
Wait for the page to finish loading.
Set the page URL or title.
Focus or select a specific field.
Read or write a specific field.
Submit or reset a form.
Execute a JavaScript in the front window.
Image Actions
Screen Capture an image.
Find an image on the screen.
Read and write an image file.
Create a new image.
Flip, rotate, resize, trim or crop an image.
Composite a clipboard or styled text onto an image.
Draw a shape onto an image.
Display an image.
Get an image size.
Interface Control Actions
Manipulate a window – resize, move, center, close, zoom, minimize, bring to front.
Move or click the mouse with modifiers.
Select or show a specific menu.
Press a button with a specific name.
Type a keystroke.
Simulate moving the scroll wheel.
Use a variable to set the mouse, window, or application.
iTunes Actions
Play a specific a specific song, a random song or a specific Playlist.
Play, pause or stop.
Rewind or fast forward.
Go to the next or previous track.
Raise, lower or set the volume to a specific level.
Raise, lower or set the rating of the current song.
Keyboard Maestro Actions
Record a quick macro without launching Keyboard Maestro.
Trigger a macro by name.
Set (or toggle) whether a Macro Group or Macro is enabled.
Activate a macro group (optionally with palette) for one or more actions.
Cancel this, all, or other macros.
Comment (no action, just for helping you document a macro sequence).
Show, hide or toggle the Global Macro Palette.
Send a MIDI Note or Control Change.
Notification Actions
Display a Notification Center notification.
Display a growl notification.
Display text.
Display an alert, optionally stopping the macro.
Prompt for user input in a variety of forms.
Play a system beep.
Play a sound.
Speak some text.
Highlight a location on the screen.
Open Actions
Open a file, folder, or application.
Open the current Finder selection.
Open a URL.
Open a System Preferences pane.
QuickTime Player Actions
Play or pause the current movie.
Step backward or forward.
Increase, decrease or set the volume.
Switcher Actions
Activate the application launcher.
Activate the application switcher.
Activate the window switcher.
Activate the named clipboard switcher.
Activate the clipboard history switcher.
System Control Actions
Sleep, Restart, Shut Down, Fast User Switch or Log Out.
Set the system “Find” pasteboard.
Open/close the CD tray.
Increase, decrease, set or mute/unmute the system volume.
Increase or decrease the brightness.
Start or stop the screen saver.
Wake the screen.
Set the system Network Location.
Text Actions
Insert text by typing or pasting with built-in token expansion.
Display text with built-in token expansion.
Type a keystroke.
Set the clipboard to text.
Set a variable to text.
Apply styles (font, colors, underlines, etc) to a clipboard.
Speak text.
Variable Actions
Set a variable to specific tokenized text.
Set a variable to a calculation.
Set a variable to a clipboard.
Set a variable to a keychain password.
Set a keychain password to a variable or text.
Apply various Filters to the contents of a variable.
Search and Replace a variable.
Search a variable and extract information.
Get a substring of a variable.
Use a variable to set the mouse, window, or application.
Prompt for user information to set a variety of variables.
Web Actions
Open a URL.
Search the Web.
Application Launcher
Display a Cover Flow view of available applications for quick selection.
Type ahead selection including abbreviations (eg "a p" for Adobe Photoshop).
Application and Window Switcher
Optionally replace the system Command-Tab application switcher.
Customize the switcher to match the look you want.
Switch to any application or window with a keystroke.
Switch to an application and hide all others.
Easily select the exact application or window you want.
Launch, hide, quit or force quit any application.
Close or minimize any window.
Quit (or force quit) and relaunch applications.
Get Info or reveal applications.
Choose the application ordering you want: alphabetically, by last use, or by launch order.
Sort windows alphabetically or by window depth order.
Optionally hide other applications.
Optionally always hide other applications.
Clipboard Switcher
Clipboard History Switcher
Never lose your clipboard again.
Browse your past clipboards and paste any previous clipboard item.
Send clipboard entries to other Macs.
Clipboards display rich text and images.
Use Quick Look to view clipboard entries.
Set clipboard entries as favorites so they are always available in your clipboard history.
Clipboard History is optionally saved across logins and restarts.
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Keyboard Maestro 6