Published on August 10, 2016.
For productivity on a Mac, there isn't a tool I rely on more than Alfred, the Spotlight replacement that does so much more. I use Alfred to search, launch applications, find files, do math, and put my computer to sleep.
If you pay Alfred's one-time "PowerPack," you also get the ability to add custom extensions to Alfred, called workflows. I downloaded and programmed different workflows, curating a list of shortcuts and powerful tools that I use constantly. Take a look at my favorites, or if you trust me, download them all. Enjoy!
Colors
Convert color formats to Hexadecimal, RGB, HSL, named colors and copy the result to your clipboard. No more need to search around online for a converter. As a bonus, it even displays the color inline!
Convert
Convert between different units of quantities, distances, time and more. No internet connection required. I used this a ton to convert currencies while travelling.
Domainr
Search Domainr to see if a domain has been taken or not. If you are prone to impulse domain purchases, this workflow may not be for you. You have been warned.
Dropbox Search
I use dropbox very regularly, and sometimes it's nice to narrow down a file search to just files within my Dropbox folder. I found myself doing this enough that I made a simple workflow for it!
EggTimer
Set timers and alarms, all without opening a web browser or pulling out your phone. It will send a mac notification and beep when the timer completes.
Encode:Decode
Forget what the HTML encoded version of & is? Have a base64-encoded string that you want to parse? This awesome workflow has your back.
GitHub
Easily launch your Github repos from a list that autocompletes suggests. Works with github.com and GitHub Enterprise.
Google Suggest
Want to search Google without all the work of searching Google? This workflow populates with autocomplete search suggestions from Google right in Alfred.
IP Address
No more searching "What's my IP Address" in your browser. Just type ip into Alfred to get your local and external IP addresses.
Kill Process
For those of us *cough* who write code that hangs forever, easily kill a process from Alfred.
Quick REPL Access
This workflow lets you quickly jump into a Read-Evaluate-Print Loop (REPL) for JavaScript, Ruby, and Python. Or, as a bonus feature, evaluate Python code right in Alfred: Typing python math.sqrt(100) and then hitting enter will copy 10 to your clipboard.
RDM Change Resolution
This workflow is designed for Mac users on retina screens. It uses RDM for Mac to set the effective screen resolution of your display. Great for switching between the recommended retina resolution and a lower-resolution, more-real estate one.
Show Hidden Files
If you're a programmer you might have noticed that Finder doesn't display dotfiles (files with a leading .) or hidden files. This is actaully configurable, and this workflow lets you toggle hidden files to be displayed or not.
Simple Folders Filter
This dead-simple workflow lets you narrow a file search for just folders, ignoring files, applications, and everything else.
Symbols
This workflow makes the entire UTF-8 character set just a simple search away. No need to Google around to find copy and paste ♥♦♠♣ from some table online. Searching utf heart will get you ♥
Tap to Click
This one is super specific. It's an automatic toggle on or off for tap-to-click on a Mac trackpad. I hate digging around in the Mac Preferences app, and this workflow solves that problem for my most common use case: disabling or enabling tap-to-click (depending on my mood).
TerminalFinder
Another time saver: Open your current finder location in Terminal (or iTerm), or vice versa. No more dragging and dropping a URL or anything weird like that. Just type ft and hit enter.
TimeZones
What time is it in Berlin? How about California? This handy workflow will give you the time pretty much anywhere in the world. It will find everything from a country to a small town.
Weather
Get a four-day fourcast right in Alfred! Set your preferred location and weather units and you're all set to go.
