Quick Action will not show as service in bottom list

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Quick Action will not show as service in bottom list

I have created a Quick Action that I want to run when I right-click on a folder. I have created the script in AppleScript and then made it run via a Quick Action (which used to be Service if I am not mistaken) in Automator. So far so good. When I right click on a folder, I go to Quick Actions and I can run my script.

My problem/question/immense frustration is that I actually want the action/service to appear in the bottom of the right-click menu and NOT go through the Quick Action sub-menu (saving a click, on something you do often does add up).

To do that, I went into System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Keyboard Shorcuts... and checked the service I created.

That has not worked. I have tried to use pbs to flush and update the service cache. I have tried and look to other services Info.plist to see if there is a sutble key I am missing, but to no avail.

Is there anyone who knows what I am doing wrong (or maybe Apple in its infinite wisdom decided I, as a user, can't do that while application providers can 😡😭) ?

Thanks for any help.

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 13.6

Posted on Dec 15, 2023 7:43 PM

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Answer 1

Ghys Phys Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 16, 2023 10:45 AM in response to Ghys Phys

I answered myself by going on another site (after hours of searching: it's hard sometimes to get the correct search query that will lead you to the answer). I wanted to reference the other place here, but Apple does not seem to allow that... Hoping they will let this answer stand.

Anyhow, the solution is, for now it seems, to remove, in the Info.plist file that Automator generates for the Quick Action, the NSIconName key and its value. That is, remove those two lines (assuming you left the default action icon):

<key>NSIconName</key>
<string>NSActionTemplate</string>

You can do it by editing the file directly in your favorite text editor, or using this command (untested by me, but found some other place):

plutil -remove NSServices.0.NSIconName /path/to/action.workflow/Contents/Info.plist

Once those lines were removed (I have not found a way to remove them in automator), the service was not in the Quick Actions sub menu anymore, but in the main service one (which if you have 4-5 or less (haven't tested the actual limit) available you do not need to expand by hovering).

Hope this helps someone if they stumble on this question/answer.

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Quick Action will not show as service in bottom list

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