macOS Automator

macOS Automator MCP 🤖 — Give your agent a Mac to operate

macOS Automator MCP is a Model Context Protocol server that lets MCP clients discover and run AppleScript or JavaScript for Automation (JXA). It is for agents that need to control macOS applications, inspect the system, or reuse scripts from a bundled knowledge base.

Install

You need macOS and Node.js 24 or newer. Add the server to your MCP client's configuration; npx downloads the current npm release when the client starts it.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "macos_automator": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "--package", "@steipete/macos-automator-mcp", "macos-automator-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

If your client has a separate package field, use @steipete/macos-automator-mcp without @latest.

Quick start

Restart your MCP client after adding the configuration. First, ask it to call get_scripting_tips with a small search:

{
  "search_term": "Safari front tab URL",
  "limit": 3
}

Then verify script execution with a read-only inline script through execute_script:

{
  "script_content": "return \"Hello from macOS Automator\""
}

The result is Hello from macOS Automator. Calls that control applications or the user interface may prompt for macOS permissions.

Tools

Tool	Purpose
get_scripting_tips	List knowledge-base categories or search for AppleScript and JXA tips.
execute_script	Run one inline script, script file, or knowledge-base script ID.

Use get_scripting_tips before writing a script from scratch. A returned runnable ID can be passed to execute_script as kb_script_id; scripts with placeholders accept named input_data or positional arguments.

execute_script runs with the privileges of the process hosting the MCP server. Only run scripts you trust, and inspect generated scripts before allowing destructive actions. See the tool reference for every input and response option.

Permissions

The application that launches the MCP server—such as Terminal, an editor, or a desktop MCP client—owns its macOS privacy permissions:

• Grant Automation access when scripts control Finder, Safari, Mail, or another application.
• Grant Accessibility access when scripts use System Events for clicks, keystrokes, menus, or other UI scripting.

macOS may show a first-use prompt for each target application. The server cannot grant these permissions itself. See configuration and permissions for setup and common error codes.

Knowledge base

The package includes hundreds of AppleScript and JXA tips covering system tasks, files, browsers, terminals, productivity apps, developer tools, and UI automation. Search by keyword or category, then execute a result by its runnable ID.

A local knowledge base can add or override bundled tips without changing the package. It defaults to ~/.macos-automator/knowledge_base; see configuration and permissions for its layout and override rules.

Configuration

Variable	Values	Default
LOG_LEVEL	DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR	INFO
KB_PARSING	lazy, eager	lazy
LOCAL_KB_PATH	Absolute path to a custom knowledge base	~/.macos-automator/knowledge_base

lazy loads the knowledge base on first use; eager loads it at server startup. More detail is in configuration and permissions.

Troubleshooting

• Permission errors such as -1743 or -10004 usually mean the host application needs Automation or Accessibility access.
• Script syntax errors are easiest to isolate with include_executed_script_in_output and include_substitution_logs, then reproduce in Script Editor.
• Use an absolute POSIX path with script_path, and raise timeout_seconds for scripts that legitimately need more than 60 seconds.
• JXA normally works best with output_format_mode: "direct"; the default auto mode selects it for JXA.

See Debugging AppleScript and JXA for a longer diagnostic guide.

Development

pnpm install
pnpm run build
pnpm test
pnpm run lint
pnpm run validate

The repository uses pnpm 11 and Node.js 24. The development guide covers local server setup and knowledge-base contributions.

Community

Report bugs and propose scripts in GitHub Issues.

License

MIT