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Open URL and Open Website Actions

Open web pages, local files, and system locations.

What They Do​

Open URL — Opens URLs in your default browser or appropriate app. Handles web addresses, file paths, and system locations.

Open Website — Similar to Open URL, specifically for web addresses.

Both actions work essentially the same way and can be used interchangeably for opening web content.

Configuration​

URL/Website Address — Enter the full address you want to open:

  • Web URLs (https://example.com)
  • Local file paths (file:///Users/name/document.pdf)
  • System locations (e.g., System Settings panels)

Web URLs​

Basic Websites​

Open URL → https://github.com
Open URL → https://google.com
Open URL → https://stackoverflow.com

With Search Queries​

Open URL → https://google.com/search?q=radial+macos
Open URL → https://github.com/search?q=automation

URL Schemes​

- `slack://` — Slack
- `spotify://` — Spotify
- `notion://` — Notion
- `vscode://` — VS Code
- `figma://` — Figma
- `maps://?ll=48.8584,2.2945` — Apple Maps at the Eiffel Tower

Use Cases​

Development Resources​

Create a macro that opens all your frequently used websites for development:

1. Open URL → https://stackoverflow.com
2. Delay → 0.5 seconds
3. Open URL → https://github.com
2. Delay → 0.5 seconds
3. Open URL → https://chatgpt.com/

Morning Routine​

Open your daily websites:

1. Open URL → https://mail.google.com
2. Delay → 1 second
3. Open URL → https://calendar.google.com
4. Delay → 1 second
5. Open URL → https://slack.com

Tips​

Use full URLs — Include https:// for web addresses.

Test links first — Click the URL manually to verify it works before adding to a macro.

Consider default browser — URLs open in your default web browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.).

Encode special characters — If URLs contain spaces or special characters, use URL encoding (%20 for space).

Bookmark frequently visited pages — Create a dedicated menu for web bookmarks.

Common URL Schemes​

App URLs​

  • slack:// — Slack
  • spotify: — Spotify
  • notion:// — Notion
  • vscode:// — VS Code
  • figma:// — Figma

Examples​

Open URL → mailto:colleague@example.com?subject=Hello
Open URL → slack://channel?team=TEAM_ID&id=CHANNEL_ID
Open URL → spotify://track:TRACK_ID

Combining with Other Actions​

Open and Navigate​

1. Open URL → https://example.com
2. Delay → 2 seconds (wait for page to load)
3. Simulate Keyboard Shortcut → ⌘F (Find on page)
4. Insert Text → search term

Next Steps​