Setup OS X Folder Actions to Know When a File Is Added GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Computers, Laptops & Tablets > Apple 31 31 people found this article helpful

Setup OS X Folder Actions to Know When a File Is Added

Mac's handy Folder Actions utility gets it done

By Tom Nelson Tom Nelson Writer Tom Nelson is an engineer, programmer, network manager, and computer network and systems designer who has written for Other World Computing,and others. Tom is also president of Coyote Moon, Inc., a Macintosh and Windows consulting firm. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on May 24, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Apple Macs iPad Folder Actions direct your computer to perform a task whenever a monitored folder undergoes one of the following changes: the folder is opened, closed, moved, or resized, or has an item added to or removed from it. Here's how to set it up to let you know an item has been added to a folder on any Mac with OS X Mavericks (10.9) through macOS Catalina (10.15).

How to Create the New Item Alert Folder Action

Choose a folder that you want to monitor for additions. You can select any folder, including one that's shared on the local network or one you use for syncing information via the cloud, such as Dropbox, iCloud, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive. Then, perform the following steps: Right-click the folder you want to monitor, and select Folder Actions Setup in the pop-up menu. Click Run Service. In the list of available folder action scripts, highlight add - new item alert.scpt and click Attach. Check the boxes next to Enable Folder Actions and the folder you want to monitor. Confirm that add - new item alert.scpt is checked as well. Close the Folder Actions Setup window. Now, when an item is added to the specified folder, a dialog box pops up to notify you and gives you the option to view the new items immediately. The dialog box eventually dismisses itself. So, if you're away from your computer, you could miss a notification. If you're familiar with AppleScript, you can write folder actions. To learn more about AppleScript, start with Apple's Introduction to AppleScript. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Modify the Mac Finder Sidebar How to Import Outlook Contacts Into Apple Mail How to Resize Multiple Files with Photoshop Elements How to Add Shortcuts to Windows 10 Desktops How to Delete Temporary Files in Windows How to Zip and Unzip Files and Folders on a Mac How to Access the Windows 10 Startup Folder How to Add Programs to Startup in Windows 10 How to Open Zip Files on iPad or iPhone How to Set Finder Views for Folders and Sub-Folders Sharing OS X 10.5 Files With Windows XP How to Configure the Finder's Spring-Loaded Folders How to Add Music to Windows Media Player 11 Three Ways to Access the Library Folder on Your Mac How to Whitelist a Domain in Mac OS X Mail App Filter One Sender's Mail to a Certain Folder in Outlook Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies