{"id":1971,"date":"2011-01-08T17:48:13","date_gmt":"2011-01-09T01:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/?page_id=1971"},"modified":"2017-07-31T14:53:19","modified_gmt":"2017-07-31T21:53:19","slug":"how-to-create-an-automator-script-to-back-up-to-dropbox","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/tutorials-5\/how-to-create-an-automator-script-to-back-up-to-dropbox\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create an Automator Script to Back Up to Dropbox"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- Start ScreenSteps Content --><\/p>\n<div class=\"LessonContent\">\n<div class=\"LessonSummary\">\n<p>Ron Burch figured out how to create an Automator Backup script for me so that I could just click a sidebar button and back up my Feeder files to Dropbox. Here is how he created that Backup Script.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Open Automator<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294529667014.png\" alt=\"media_1294529667014.png\" width=\"95\" height=\"102\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>Launch the <strong>Automator<\/strong> from your Applications Folder<br \/>\n<!--more--><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Choose the Workflow Template<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294529690738.png\" alt=\"media_1294529690738.png\" width=\"538\" height=\"498\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>Click Workflow, then Choose.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">The Action Pane<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294529708988.png\" alt=\"media_1294529708988.png\" width=\"361\" height=\"427\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>Select Files and Folders<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Get Specified Finder Items<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294529747596.png\" alt=\"media_1294529747596.png\" width=\"499\" height=\"218\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>First we have to tell Automator what files we want to back up, so click on <strong>Get Specified Finder<\/strong> Items and then drag it to the pane on the right. It should look like this image when you&#8217;re done.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Add Finder Items<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294529848246.png\" alt=\"media_1294529848246.png\" width=\"329\" height=\"228\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>We need to tell Automator where the files normally live that we want to back up to Dropbox so click on the <strong>Add&#8230; <\/strong>button<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Navigate to the File Location<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294530109123.png\" alt=\"media_1294530109123.png\" width=\"540\" height=\"314\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>Select your file that you want to have backed up. Note that you can add several files or folders to be copied. Click Add. Repeat this process if your files are in different locations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Copy Finder Items<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294529764117.png\" alt=\"media_1294529764117.png\" width=\"540\" height=\"187\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>Next we need to tell Automator what to do with those items. In our example we want the specified files copied to another location. Note that we are <strong>copying<\/strong> not moving these files. Again using Files &amp; Folders, select <strong>Copy Finder Items<\/strong> and drag to the right pane as the next step.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Select Destination<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294529796753.png\" alt=\"media_1294529796753.png\" width=\"367\" height=\"253\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>We have to tell Automator where to put the files when the files are copied, so click on the pulldown next to <strong>To:<\/strong> and choose <strong>Other<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Navigate to the Destination Folder<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294529823657.png\" alt=\"media_1294529823657.png\" width=\"540\" height=\"307\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>In my example I want to copy files to my Feeder folder inside my backup folder inside Dropbox.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Replace Existing Files<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294529839888.png\" alt=\"media_1294529839888.png\" width=\"540\" height=\"94\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>Under Copy Finder Items, make sure you select <strong>Replacing existing files<\/strong> so that you won&#8217;t have to click Replace every time you run your script.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Test Run<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294530176932.png\" alt=\"media_1294530176932.png\" width=\"540\" height=\"369\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>You should now see your Finder items, the place they&#8217;re going to be copied to and replace existing files selected. Click <strong>Run<\/strong> to test out your Automator Script.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Successful Test Run<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294529979815.png\" alt=\"media_1294529979815.png\" width=\"540\" height=\"314\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>If your test run is successful you should see green check marks next to each step. If you don&#8217;t get happy check marks, go back through the steps to see where you might have made a mistake.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Save Workflow<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294536405271.png\" alt=\"media_1294536405271.png\" width=\"535\" height=\"380\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>First we&#8217;re going to save your Workflow so if you ever want to edit it you can just reopen it in Automator. Make SURE that Workflow is chosen as the File Format.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Next Save As<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294536435936.png\" alt=\"media_1294536435936.png\" width=\"184\" height=\"152\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>We&#8217;re going to save again, but this time choose <strong>Save As&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Save Application<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294536894574.png\" alt=\"media_1294536894574.png\" width=\"536\" height=\"379\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>This time chose <strong>Application<\/strong> from the pulldown and save to your Applications folder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"LessonStep top\">\n<h3 class=\"StepTitle\">Add Script to Finder Sidebar<\/h3>\n<div class=\"StepImage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/media_1294537173988.png\" alt=\"media_1294537173988.png\" width=\"399\" height=\"160\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"StepInstructions\">\n<p>The last step is optional, but I really like to have my script right in my Finder Sidebar so that I can click on it any old time to run it. Now whenever you&#8217;ve been working on your file a bit and you want a quick backup to Dropbox, just click your script once in the sidebar and <i>badabing badaboom<\/i> you&#8217;re done!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- End ScreenSteps Content --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ron Burch figured out how to create an Automator Backup script for me so that I could just click a sidebar button and back up my Feeder files to Dropbox. Here is how he created that Backup Script. Open Automator Launch the Automator from your Applications Folder<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":4374,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[150,9],"class_list":["post-1971","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-mac-tutorials","tag-tutorials","post"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1971"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1971\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12371,"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1971\/revisions\/12371"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}