Automatic moving of documents using Automator

This short Automator Folder Action script works for me in 10.13.6 High Sierra.

I start with a desktop folder named "Send to iCloud". Any files I drop into the folder are automatically sent to my iCloud storage.

The (To:) location specified in the Move Finder Items action was specified by dragging the iCloud Drive location from the Finder window sidebar.

I have no way to test in Mojave at this time, but I don't see why it should not work.

Victoria,

The following will move files dropped on a Desktop drop folder to your iCloud Drive location. In this example, I have created an arbitrarily named new folder on iCloud Drive as Dropped. The Automator Folder Action will also pop a dialog box when done informing that it was done, and the count of files moved. Tested on Mojave 10.14.6 (18G3020), and on Catalina 10.15.3 (19D76). The folder action setup will already be completed when you save the Automator folder action.

#!/bin/zsh

# global counter variable
typeset -ig cnt=0

ICLOUD="${HOME}/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs/Dropped"

for f in "$@"
do
	# extract filename from full path of this drop folder
	OUT="${f:a:t}"

	# force (-f) overwrite, and construct drop folder path and filename as source for move
	/bin/mv -f "${f:a:h}/${OUT}" "${ICLOUD}/${OUT}"

	# count dropped files in drop folder, but not dot files
	$((cnt++))
done

/usr/bin/osascript -e "display dialog \"Drop operation complete\" & return & \"Files moved:  \" & \"$cnt\"  with title \"Folder Action Drop Status\""

So, In Automator, you create the folder action and aim it at the designated drop folder on your Desktop. You need a single action in your workflow which is Utilities : Run Shell Script, where you specify Shell: as /bin/zsh, and Pass input: as arguments. You replace the boilerplate content in that Run Shell Script action with the above zsh script code, and save the folder action. I called mine Drop to iCloud Folder.

When done:



Hello, Victoria.

Take a look at this:

Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive – Apple Support

You do not use Script Editor for the script that I posted. Just copy/paste it (as shown) into the Run Shell Script Automator action.

Did you check to see if the Folder Action was attached to the folder?

Ctrl-click the drop folder > Folder Actions Setup...

You shouldn't be getting the folder contents.

A folder action grabs the files that have been added when it is triggered.

🙂👍🏽