KeyboardCowboy

What is KeyboardCowboy?

KeyboardCowboy is an open-source automation tool for macOS. It lets you bind arbitrary workflows to keyboard shortcuts: running scripts, controlling apps, triggering batch operations. The project is hosted on GitHub and free to use. The focus is on developers and power users who want to speed up repetitive tasks on the Mac without relying on external services or paid software.

Core features

• Custom hotkeys for any system action and app control
• Script execution via keyboard shortcut, including shell scripts and automation routines
• Batch operations that combine multiple steps into a single action
• Native macOS integration without an abstraction layer, which shows directly in response times
• Highly configurable rule structure for complex, context-dependent workflows

Who is KeyboardCowboy for?

Developers who go through the same setup process every day, open the same folders, or trigger the same scripts will save measurable time with KeyboardCowboy. Designers who switch between tools and follow fixed routines will also benefit. That said, anyone without experience with configuration files or scripts will need more time to set up complex workflows. The basic features are accessible fairly quickly, but getting the most out of the tool requires a foundational technical understanding. Windows and Linux users are out of scope.

Context & alternatives

KeyboardCowboy sits in the space of macOS automation tools that use keyboard shortcuts as the central control mechanism. Comparable approaches are taken by tools such as Keyboard Maestro (paid, considerably more extensive GUI) and BetterTouchTool (broader input focus beyond the keyboard). Automator and Shortcuts are the built-in system alternatives, but both have limited hotkey integration. KeyboardCowboy is the only open-source tool in this category, which makes it relevant for anyone who wants to inspect how it works or extend it.