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Web Search for Sonoma Desktop Web Apps


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Hello

 

With MacOS Sonoma, I've transformed my most-used websites into desktop apps, and I absolutely love this feature. However, my Alfred web searches still open a new browser tab as if I've not created a desktop app for the website. It would be great if the web search keyword (and query) could open the web app I've made and execute the query there. 

For example, "yt cool YouTube video" currently opens a YouTube tab searching for "cool YouTube video." I would like it to open the YouTube app I've created with MacOS Sonoma and search for "cool YouTube video" there. 

 

I'm not sure whether this is possible using Alfred's existing "Web Search" feature or whether it requires a new feature. 

Alternatively, using a Workflow could be possible, but I think it deserves its dedicated feature. I also don't know how to achieve this result using a WorkFlow. I can use it as a temporary solution if anyone can enlighten me. 

 

Thank you for any help or insights you can offer!

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That is not doable in the current state of Safari web apps. Those aren’t regular apps (do a “Show Package Contents”, they’re quite simple) and don’t seem to be ready to open with any arbitrary URL (required to open the specific page or search) which makes sense from a security standpoint. Plus, they have auto-generated bundle identifiers with random UIDs in them which wouldn’t make them conductive to automation even if possible.

 

That’s something which can only be changed from Apple’s side, but at the moment it seems unlikely that will change since their choices seem to be deliberate.

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10 minutes ago, vitor said:

That is not doable in the current state of Safari web apps. Those aren’t regular apps (do a “Show Package Contents”, they’re quite simple) and don’t seem to be ready to open with any arbitrary URL (required to open the specific page or search) which makes sense from a security standpoint. Plus, they have auto-generated bundle identifiers with random UIDs in them which wouldn’t make them conductive to automation even if possible.

 

That’s something which can only be changed from Apple’s side, but at the moment it seems unlikely that will change since their choices seem to be deliberate.

That's good to know. Thank you for your time and explanation!

 

Let's hope Apple makes the necessary changes to make this possible. 

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  • 10 months later...

@ThomasVanhelden This is possible with a third part tool like Velja or Finicky.

 

When you make a web app, you then set it as the default browser to open for certain URL's.  

 

I have done this for Claude as outlined below

 

First make your web app, in my case it is /Users/nathan/Applications/Claude.app

In Velja, create a new rule that looks like this:

image.thumb.png.5778c7db66b48672753d47d075a0edcf.png


Now you can open links directly into that web app.

 

For example In Alfred create a new Web Search like so:

 

image.thumb.png.30db2ecae6872afa8e03519e1ae9be45.png

 

I also set this as a fallback search so I can quickly start a chat with Claude in its own Web App

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