Universal Actions can't be triggered from the file open\save\export dialogs.

[skynetua]

Is there some Macos limitations or just a bug?

 

I wan't to call a universal action on a file before opening it in app(e.g. TextEdit) but nothing happens when I press a hotkey. Seems like selection in modal dialogs is not accessible for workflows.

[vitor]

Looks to be a macOS limitation. There’s no standard method to get the selected contents in every app/context so Alfred simulates a ⌘C which is the one reliable way to do it. That is why using a Universal Action also gets the file selection in your clipboard history. However, in those dialogs ⌘C doesn’t work, thus Alfred doesn’t have a way to grab the selection. Maybe there’s a reason why Apple doesn’t allow ⌘C (or ⌘V) in those panes, or it could be an oversight.