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Good Troubleshooting Practices for Automator Workflows

Working out why an Automator Workflow is not functioning correctly can be a frustrating and time-consuming process. A forgotten Action or an incorrectly set Action can cause significant problems and may even bring a Workflow to a standstill. While we hope you do not experience any difficulties, the following Troubleshooting Practices should help you identify and rectify any Workflow problems.

Use View Results Action
Automator has a View Results Action that allows you to view the results (or output) from the previous Action. This also allows you to view the result (or input) that is passed into the next Action when the Workflow is run. If you suspect a result-related problem, insert a View Results Action between the two Actions where you think the problem lies. Then re-run the Workflow to check what has been passed.

The Log
Automator keeps a log of the events that occur when a Workflow is running. The log contains descriptions of those Actions that have been executed and information about any errors that may have occurred. Always check the log when troubleshooting a "Workflow Execution Failed" message. To view the log, select 'Show Log' in the 'View' menu.

Test your Logic!
Often a problem in a Workflow occurs because:

• a step in the process you are automating has been forgotten
• an Action has not been set correctly
• the wrong Action is being used.

Take the time to assess the suitability and set-up of each Action in your Workflow. As you work from top to bottom try to determine what the Action is actually doing, as opposed to what you would like it to be doing.

The expression "Test early. Test often." applies here!