One of the first few apps I downloaded was the popular Alfred launcher. Being able to launch apps, open files, shutdown and restart my laptop with just a few taps on the keyboard intrigued me, so I decided to give it a shot. And hey, who can resist that adorable black bowler hat?
Months after, Alfred is now one of my favorite Mac apps and the most commonly used in a day. Moreover, there is this nifty upgrade called the Alfred Powerpack that contains features that enable me to do so much more with Alfred—features that will surely boost time efficiency and productivity better than ever before.
The Powerpack is definitely an upgrade many Alfred power users enjoy. In my case, my favorite Powerpack feature is the ability to extend Alfred, and it is in this post that I’ll explain briefly what extensions do as well as share a list of 20 really cool Alfred extensions you should download and try.
Alfred Extensions: A Brief Overview
An Alfred extension is what its label says it is. It extends Alfred’s effectiveness by allowing you to perform more actions, tasks, and commands using short and quick keywords. You can make Alfred open groups of files or folders, run Automator workflows (if you use any) and shell and Apple scripts with just a letter or two.
The Alfred extensions pane
Installing these extensions is a breeze. You can install either by double-clicking on the .alfredextension file or dropping the extension onto Alfred in the “Drop and Install” area at the bottom right of the Extensions pane. Check Alfred’s Extension tutorial for more info on how to install, how scripts work, search filters, etc.
20 Really Cool Alfred Extensions
Okay, so we’re now ready to download some really cool Alfred extensions! But before we go to that, make sure you have the following requirements:
- Alfred Powerpack upgrade (a must-have)
- Growl 1.3 or below (some extensions will need the latest version)
All right, let’s get right to it:
Tweet via Alfred
AlfredTweet
AlfredTweet enables you to send tweets, mentions, and direct messages to Twitter using Alfred. You can also follow, unfollow, block, unblock, and view your timeline with the help of Growl notifications. You will have to authenticate to Twitter first before using this extension. Just follow the steps and you’re ready to tweet using Alfred.
Requires: Growl
Developer: David Ferguson
Create shortened Goo.gl URLs
Create a Goo.gl Shortlink
In times when you need to shorten a link to share on Twitter, Facebook, or directly to friends and family, this extension comes in handy. It’s a simple, one-liner extension that shortens long URLs into goo.gl links and pastes them into your clipboard.
Requires: N/A
Developer: Don Southard
Screencasting with Alfred
Start a Screencast
If I had known there was an extension for this, I could have saved myself from buying a separate screen recording app. This extension uses Quicktime’s screen recording ability to take a screencast of your desktop. It’s nifty for users who need basic screencasting for work or when troubleshooting. It automatically saves the video file in the Movies folder of your directory.
Requires: N/A
Developer: Don Southard
Share files on Dropbox and CloudApp
Share on Dropbox and CloudApp
Share to Dropbox is an extension that allows you to select a file and share it to your Dropbox Public folder. It then generates a CloudApp URL for it so that you can easily share it to others online. Make sure to enter your CloudApp account credentials before using this extension to make it work.
Requires: Growl
Developer: Don Southard
Wunderlist for Alfred
Wunderlist for Alfred
Wunderlist for Alfred adds and views tasks with the help of Growl notifications. Just type the default keyword “wl” plus the task to automatically place it in your Inbox list. You can then use the keywords “wl tasks” or “wl all tasks” to view your Inbox task list or tasks from all of your lists.
Requires: Growl
Developer: David Ferguson
Zip files and create archives with Alfred
Zip a File Using Alfred
Thanks to this extension, it’s now easy to zip a file or create archives using Alfred.
Begin by searching for a file or folder using the Find command on Alfred. Once you find it, press the right arrow key and scroll down till you see the Zip option. It will then place the newly zipped file on your desktop.
Requires: Growl
Developer: David Ferguson
Control Spotify with Alfred
Control Spotify with Alfred
Spotify users, here’s an extension that will enable you to control Spotify from Alfred. Once you’ve installed the extension, you can take a look at the list of commands found in the same page where the download link is located in.
Requires: Growl
Developer: Jeff Johns
Create task lists with Alfred
AlfredTasks
As crazy as it sounds, you can create tasks with just Alfred and Growl. This extension is a simple to-do manager that creates tasks, organizes task groups, removes tasks, and many other functions with just a few keystrokes. It’s productivity, Alfred style!
Requires: Growl
Developer: David Ferguson
Fantastical with Alfred
Fantastical with Alfred
Throwing events into Fantastical is now easier and quicker thanks to this extension. Type the default command “f” and the basic details about your event. In an instant, it’s on your Fantastical calendar.
Requires: N/A
Developer: David Ferguson
Things with Alfred
Create a Task in Things
Made by Alfred developer Andrew Pepperrell himself, this extension creates tasks and sends them over to Things, another great to-do app for the Mac. If you actively use Things for to-do management, this extension should make task creation fast and easy.
Requires: N/A
Developer: Andrew Pepperrell
Generate passwords with Alfred
Password Generator
Here’s another useful extension, one that comes in handy if you’re too lazy to open up your password manager. This extension simply generates a random 8-16 digit character password and places it in your clipboard. It also places the password in a sticky Growl notification.
Requires: Growl
Developer: Don Southard
Alfred now knows what IP address you're using.
Get External IP Address
Whenever I use wifi connections outside of my home (e.g. cafés), this extension lets me know what IP address I’m using. Simply put, it retrieves your external IP address, places it in your clipboard, and displays it on Growl.
Requires: Growl
Developer: David Ferguson
Open URLs with Firefox
Open URLs in Firefox
Want to open a URL using a different browser? Say, Firefox for instance? This extension does the trick.
Unfortunately, the developer didn’t create this as an .alfredextension file, so you have to create a new shell script extension, copy and paste the code into it, tick the Silent checkbox, and save the script. I believe you can create separate scripts for other browsers like Safari as well.
Requires: N/A
Developer: Brooks Seymore
Insert Lorem Lipsum text using Alfred.
Create Lipsum Text
Building a website and need to quickly fill it with temporary content? This extension generates Lorem Lipsum text by retrieving it from Lipsum.com and pasting it onto your clipboard.
Requires: N/A
Developer: David Ferguson
Create DMG images using Alfred.
Create a DMG Image
This extension creates a DMG image from a selected folder. This should prove useful to app developers and other users who create DMGs regularly.
Requires: N/A
Developer: David Ferguson
Convert currencies with Alfred
Currency Converter
Sometimes when I’m shopping online or managing finances, I’d convert currencies to see how much I’ll receive or spend. This extension’s a godsend for it converts simply by typing the amount, the currency to be converted, and the resulting amount. (e.g. On Alfred, type “100 USD to AUD” or “100 USD PHP”)
Requires: Growl
Developer: Peter Vidani
World time, now at the tip of your fingertips.
Time Somewhere
Time Somewhere is another cool Alfred extension you should definitely install, especially if you’re bringing your laptop with you during international travel.
Time Somewhere works by telling you what time and date it is in different countries around the world. If you’ve got an online conference with a client, a webinar to attend, or any other virtual meeting, this extension comes in handy.
Requires: Growl
Developer: Adam Dangoor
Thesaurus for Alfred
Thesaurus for Alfred
A must-have for writers, this extension uses your Mac’s thesaurus app to retrieve synonyms and antonyms of words typed into Alfred. The results are then displayed on a sticky Growl notification. So far, I’ve been using it for both web content and literary writing and it works like a charm. It’s one of my favorite Alfred script extensions to date.
Requires: Growl
Developer: David Ferguson
Resize active windows with Alfred
Window Resizer
For busy desktops and clutter-filled workspaces, this extension comes to the rescue by resizing active windows using Alfred. It helps when you need to resize and move windows to the left, right, top or bottom of the screen to access files or apps in the background. Of course, if you need to bring it back to full screen, you can easily do so with Window Resizer.
Requires: N/A
Developer: Amrita Mazumdar
QuickCal and Alfred: The perfect pair.
QuickCal with Alfred
We’re down to our last extension, which is a QuickCal to Alfred script that enables users to send QuickCal events and todos using Alfred. It functions the same way as the Fantastical extension, only this time it’s using the QuickCal app by Smelly Puppy and it can send to-do items to your calendar.
Requires: N/A
Developer: QuickCal by Smelly Puppy
Conclusion
These Alfred extensions have become essential to my productivity. What used to take me a couple of minutes to do can now be done in just 30 seconds or less. Extensions are just the cream of the crop, of course. There are many other features that can enhance your productivity and Mac user experience, such as file system navigation, global hotkeys, and Alfred themes. If you haven’t upgraded your copy of Alfred yet, give it a shot. You might just be surprised at how fast you can work now that you’ve got a super butler to help you out.
I know I’ve missed a few other cool Alfred extensions, so why not share some of your own favorites that weren’t featured on the list? And looking at Alfred as a whole, what is your favorite feature so far?