What Is an Alfred Workflow and How Do You Find and Install One?

Updated

An Alfred workflow is a user-contributed add-on that extends the Alfred launcher on macOS with new commands and automations — for example, searching LastPass, sending a quick note to Notion, or killing a process on a specific port. You find and install one by downloading it from a workflow repository and opening the downloaded file so Alfred imports it. The main caveat today: Packal, the long-standing repository of Alfred 2 workflows and themes, has been archived and is no longer maintained, and its own notice directs users to the Alfred Gallery for workflows and themes.

Workflows vs. themes: what each one changes

Both are distributed as add-ons for Alfred, but they do different jobs.

Alfred workflow Alfred theme
What it adds New commands, keyword triggers, and automations A visual appearance for the Alfred window
Example from Packal "Copy File Contents" — copies a file's contents without opening it "Lookfar Solarized Dark" — a minimal dark color scheme
How you use it Type its keyword or hotkey in Alfred Select it in Alfred's appearance settings
What it does not do Change how Alfred looks Add commands or functionality

If you want Alfred to do something new, you want a workflow. If you only want it to look different, you want a theme.

Where to browse for workflows

Packal's archive page lists what the repository held — 1,637 workflows and 211 themes — along with samples such as a Jira task manager, a LastPass search, a Notion quick-note sender, a dice roller, and a background remover that calls the removebg API. It also shows contributor rankings (vitor with 52 contributions, raguay with 51, deanishe with 33) and offers RSS for new workflows.

Because Packal is archived, treat it as a historical catalog rather than a live source: listings may be outdated and links may not be maintained. For current workflows and themes, use the Alfred Gallery, which Packal's own notice names as the replacement.

How to install a workflow

  1. Download the workflow file from the gallery or repository listing. Alfred workflows are typically distributed as .alfredworkflow files.
  2. Open the downloaded file. Alfred handles the import; you should see an import confirmation showing the workflow's name.
  3. Confirm the import so the workflow is added to Alfred's workflow list.
  4. Trigger it using the keyword or hotkey described on the workflow's page — for example, typing the workflow's keyword in Alfred and pressing Return.
  5. Check permissions if prompted. Workflows that talk to external services (such as a password manager or an image API) may need you to supply credentials or grant access before they run.

Themes follow the same download-and-open pattern, but after import you select the theme in Alfred's appearance settings rather than triggering it with a keyword.

When a new workflow doesn't appear or run

Work through these checks in order:

  • Did the import actually complete? Re-open the .alfredworkflow file and confirm the import dialog appears; a cancelled import leaves nothing installed.
  • Is the workflow enabled? Open Alfred's workflow list and confirm the workflow is present and not disabled.
  • Are you using the right trigger? Check the workflow's page for its exact keyword or hotkey — a keyword you haven't typed correctly won't match.
  • Does it depend on something external? Workflows that call an API or another app (a password manager, Notion, an image service) need that service configured or reachable; a missing credential is a common reason a workflow imports but fails at run time.
  • Is the workflow itself current? A workflow sourced from an archived catalog may target older Alfred versions or discontinued services. If it fails after the checks above, look for the same function in the Alfred Gallery instead.

Choosing where to get workflows

Use the Alfred Gallery as your default source, since it is the maintained destination Packal points to. Consult Packal's archive when you want to see what a specific workflow or theme historically was, or to identify a contributor whose work you want to look up — but verify availability elsewhere before relying on it.