Automator Service to open a link in another browser, not always working

Question

Automator Service to open a link in another browser, not always working

I'm trying to use Automator to create a service to open a selected link in Google Chrome (The reasons are a long story that involve some network filtering technology we have to use at one site). It's a very simple service:

And it works. Sometimes. In some programs. I can get it to reliably show up in the services menu in Safari when I right click on a URL, but in Mail, for instance, even though the selection is recognized as a web link, the service does not appear in the services menu.

If I right click on a link on, say a Google News page, it does NOT show up in the Services menu, usually. SOmetimes I have to hold my tongue just right and click in just the right spot over the link and it works.

When it shows up in the services menu, it works, so I don't think the issue is the action, I think it's that the link is not being recognized as a URL. Nothing in the 'Service receives selected' menu is usable but URL's. I tried "Web Content' but that generates an error.

Why is it not showing up when I right-click on links in other programs?

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.5)

Posted on Jun 1, 2016 2:20 PM

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Answer 1

Sep 2, 2016 12:13 AM in response to Bruce Johnson3

Hi Bruce,

I am using two different services found on the web to have "open in Firefox" and "open in Chrome" from any application.

However I don't see your screenshot. If you could upload it again…

The one I found is to execute the following Apple Scriot :

on run {input}

set theURL to input

tell application "Google Chrome"

if not (exists first window) then

make new window

set URL of last tab of first window to theURL

else

tell first window

set newTab to make new tab with properties {URL:theURL}

end tell

end if

activate

end tell

end run

H

I hope that helps!

Regards,

Ben

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