Alfred Workflows - My 10 Favorite Workflows

TL;DR

Typing “1p” in Alfred provides fast access to 1Password entries, including direct website opening and Command-based “View in 1Password” for drag-and-drop credentials.

Briefing Cornell Notes

Briefing

Alfred Workflows turns macOS search into a command center by chaining everyday tasks—password access, conversions, privacy tools, media discovery, writing help, and device switching—into single keystrokes. The biggest payoff comes from workflow-driven shortcuts that connect Alfred to other services, especially 1Password, so users can jump from typing a few letters to opening the exact item they need.

A central example is the 1Password workflow. Typing “1p” brings up stored credentials and lets users open sites immediately; holding Command reveals “View in 1Password,” enabling a drag-and-drop transfer of usernames and passwords for sites that don’t autofill. The same integration extends beyond logins: users can locate licenses, bank details, and identity documents like a driver’s license or passport ID directly inside 1Password, then open the precise record on demand.

For calculations and everyday planning, “Calculate Anything” acts as a multi-purpose converter. It handles standard arithmetic and converts across units in both imperial and metric systems—feet/inches to centimeters, pounds to grams or kilograms. It also functions as a currency converter, supporting quick cross-currency math (e.g., GBP to EUR, Thai bots to USD). A related but more specialized workflow, “Currency Converter,” adds a default “home” currency so conversions always return to a consistent baseline (often dollars), reducing extra steps when most lookups are “what is this worth in USD?”

Privacy and discovery workflows round out the utility. “Temporary Email” generates disposable addresses for forms that demand an email, opening an inbox tab where messages update every 10 seconds and expire after one hour—useful for avoiding spam and protecting real accounts. “Book Search” and “Movies and TV Show Search” pull results from Goodreads and across review sites, respectively, with options to add books to shelves or a “want to read” list from Alfred. Movie and TV searches also surface trailer links on YouTube.

Writing and scheduling features target common friction points. “Power Thesaurus” provides synonyms and antonyms via short commands (“syn” and “a+t”), while “Time Zones” lists selected countries and supports adding new cities (like Austin, Texas) to plan calls and meetings. For note-taking, an “Obsidian workflow” is referenced as a dedicated integration, with a separate guide linked for deeper coverage.

The list also includes small but high-frequency helpers: “Emoji Search” for quick copy/paste, and “Audio Switch” for changing input/output devices (useful when moving between microphones and speakers). Honorable mentions add convenience for file and browser management (“Last Changed Files,” “Browser Tabs”), GitHub navigation (“github”), and a “Coffee” workflow that prevents sleep for a chosen duration. Finally, Alfred workflows can be found through the Alfred official site, Paco and Pacmax, GitHub repositories, and community-curated lists—plus users can build and share their own as workflow creation becomes easier with Alfred’s ecosystem.

Cornell Notes

Alfred workflows compress common tasks into fast keyboard commands, with the biggest gains coming from integrations—especially with 1Password. The 1Password workflow lets users search credentials by typing “1p,” open sites instantly, and jump into specific records (including licenses and IDs) using Command-based options. “Calculate Anything” handles arithmetic plus unit and currency conversions, while “Currency Converter” adds a default currency so results consistently return to (often) USD. Privacy and discovery are covered by “Temporary Email” (disposable inboxes that delete after one hour) and media search workflows that pull book ratings from Goodreads and movie/TV reviews plus trailer links. Smaller utilities like “Audio Switch,” “Emoji Search,” and “Time Zones” reduce everyday friction for writing, planning, and device changes.

How does the 1Password workflow in Alfred reduce the time between “I need a credential” and “I have the right login or document”?

Typing “1p” in Alfred surfaces stored items inside 1Password. Pressing Enter opens the associated website (example given: chess.com). For manual cases, holding Command shows “View in 1Password,” and the user can drag and drop the username and password into the target site. The workflow also supports non-login items stored in 1Password—bank details, software licenses, and identity documents like a driver’s license or passport ID—so the user can jump directly to the exact record.

What’s the practical difference between “Calculate Anything” and “Currency Converter”?

“Calculate Anything” performs general calculations plus conversions across units (feet/inches to centimeters, pounds to grams/kg) and also supports currency conversion for arbitrary pairs. “Currency Converter” is narrower: it uses a default currency to convert everything back to a consistent baseline (often dollars). That default behavior removes an extra step when most lookups are “what is this amount worth in USD?”

Why is “Temporary Email” useful, and what are its key behavior details?

It generates a disposable email address for forms that require an email address, helping avoid spam and protect real accounts. When triggered from Alfred, it opens a new inbox tab tied to that exact generated address. The inbox updates every 10 seconds, and messages are deleted after one hour.

How do the book and media search workflows support “save it now” behavior?

“Book Search” searches Goodreads from Alfred (triggered by “bk,” configurable in workflow settings). It shows ratings quickly, and Command+Enter reveals additional actions such as adding books to shelves or a “want to read” list directly from Alfred. “Movies and TV Show Search” similarly searches from Alfred (using “movie” or “tv”), then aggregates reviews across multiple sites and includes a direct YouTube trailer link.

Which workflows target communication and writing friction, and what commands do they use?

“Power Thesaurus” targets writing by offering synonyms and antonyms: “syn” for synonyms and “a+t” for antonyms, followed by the word (example: “happy”). “Time Zones” targets scheduling by listing selected time zones via “tz,” and it can add new cities (example: adding “Austin” to get Austin, Texas) so meetings can be planned across countries.

What are the “small utility” workflows that improve daily workflow beyond search and conversion?

“Emoji Search” (triggered with “e”) lets users type what they want and then copy/paste the resulting emoji. “Audio Switch” helps when changing input/output devices: typing “input” shows available input audio devices (example: mic connected to a Wave XLR), and typing “output” lists output devices. Honorable mentions include “Last Changed Files” (trigger “last,” including last downloaded) and “Browser Tabs” (trigger “tabs” across major browsers).

Review Questions

Which Alfred workflow would you choose if you need to convert “4 feet 2 inches” into centimeters, and why?
What are the two main ways the 1Password workflow helps with logins—automatic opening and manual drag-and-drop—and when would you use each?
How does “Temporary Email” balance convenience with privacy, based on its update frequency and deletion timing?

Key Points

1
Typing “1p” in Alfred provides fast access to 1Password entries, including direct website opening and Command-based “View in 1Password” for drag-and-drop credentials.
2
The 1Password workflow supports more than passwords, including licenses and identity documents stored inside 1Password.
3
“Calculate Anything” handles arithmetic plus unit and currency conversions across both imperial and metric systems.
4
“Currency Converter” streamlines currency lookups by converting everything back to a configurable default currency (often USD).
5
“Temporary Email” creates disposable inboxes that update frequently and delete messages after one hour, reducing spam and privacy risk.
6
Book and media search workflows connect Alfred to Goodreads and multi-site review results, including actions like adding to shelves and trailer links.
7
Audio and writing utilities—“Audio Switch,” “Power Thesaurus,” “Time Zones,” and “Emoji Search”—turn common friction points into single-command tasks.

Highlights

The 1Password workflow lets users open credentials instantly by typing “1p,” and for non-autofill sites it enables Command-based “View in 1Password” with drag-and-drop username/password.

“Calculate Anything” is both a unit converter and a currency converter, while “Currency Converter” adds a default currency so results consistently return to a baseline like USD.

“Temporary Email” provides a disposable inbox with updates every 10 seconds and automatic deletion after one hour.

Book Search pulls Goodreads ratings and supports adding books to shelves or “want to read” directly from Alfred.

Audio Switch can swap input and output devices from Alfred, including switching to a mic connected to a Wave XLR.

Topics

Alfred Workflows
1Password Integration
Unit and Currency Conversion
Temporary Email
Media Search
Writing Tools
Time Zones
Audio Switching