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User profile for user: mrokloricred37
mrokloricred37 Author
User level: Level 3
588 points

Automator Clicking

I am trying to get Automator to click every 3 minutes and repeat for 3 hours unless you think this is detrimental to the Mac


I was trying to set this up with the following example (pictured below), just to see if it would work over 1 minute.

Would like to know how to set this up to click every 3 minutes for 9 minutes and also click every3 minutes for 180 minutes.


The reason for the shorter time frame is I don't know how to stop the repetition without force shutting the mac down as the pointer is engaged with Automator.


Is there a way to stop Automator once the clicking program is engaged?


I realize my pic is not what I want, just was testing and can't see how to get the pointer to click every 20 sec for a minute. It shuts off in a minute, but the clicking is not every 20 seconds.


Hope this is not too confusing :(


As always, many thanks


iMac (2017 – 2020)

Posted on Apr 30, 2023 4:46 PM

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User profile for user: Camelot
Camelot
User level: Level 9
55,203 points

Posted on May 1, 2023 9:41 AM

Short answer: you're doing it wrong.


The Timeout parameter is NOT how long this action will take, it's how long Automator will allow the action to take before giving up - normally the 'watch me' actions would be more than a single click, and it's a way to prevent the script from getting stuck in complex actions.


Instead, what you want is a SHORT timeout on the Watch Me action, then insert a Pause action for 20 seconds, then the loop.



You will have complete control over the system during the pause phase, so you're clear to quit the workflow if you're done

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User profile for user: Camelot
Camelot
User level: Level 9
55,203 points

May 1, 2023 9:41 AM in response to mrokloricred37

Short answer: you're doing it wrong.


The Timeout parameter is NOT how long this action will take, it's how long Automator will allow the action to take before giving up - normally the 'watch me' actions would be more than a single click, and it's a way to prevent the script from getting stuck in complex actions.


Instead, what you want is a SHORT timeout on the Watch Me action, then insert a Pause action for 20 seconds, then the loop.



You will have complete control over the system during the pause phase, so you're clear to quit the workflow if you're done

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Automator Clicking

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