Lightroom Automation

Automatically open Lightroom exports in Statuz. Export photos → files land in folder → Statuz opens with all photos in one post.

Time to set up: 5 minutes

Time saved per export: 2-3 minutes

Quick Setup

1. Download the Script

Option A: Download directly

Download Lightroom-to-Statuz.scpt (https://github.com/statuz-app/examples/raw/main/lightroom/Lightroom-to-Statuz.scpt)

Then install it:

# Create the folder (doesn't exist by default on clean macOS)
mkdir -p ~/Library/Scripts/"Folder Action Scripts"

# Move the downloaded script
mv ~/Downloads/Lightroom-to-Statuz.scpt ~/Library/Scripts/"Folder Action Scripts"/

Option B: Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/statuz-app/examples.git
cd examples/lightroom
mkdir -p ~/Library/Scripts/"Folder Action Scripts"
cp Lightroom-to-Statuz.scpt ~/Library/Scripts/"Folder Action Scripts"/

Check out the repository (https://github.com/statuz-app/examples/tree/main/lightroom)

2. Create Export Folder

mkdir -p ~/Desktop/SocialExport
Note: You can customise the folder name and location.

3. Attach Folder Action

• Right-click ~/Desktop/SocialExport

• Select Folder Actions Setup

• Check ✅ "Enable Folder Actions"

• Click + under "Script"

• Select "Lightroom-to-Statuz.scpt"

macOS may prompt you the first time:

• "Folder Actions Setup wants to access files" - Allow this to enable folder monitoring

4. Test

To test out the automation you can copy any image to the export folder and Statuz should open automatically with the image.

cp ~/Pictures/test.jpg ~/Desktop/SocialExport/
Statuz should open automatically with the image.

⚠️ Critical Pattern: Batch Import

Before writing your script, understand this common mistake:

❌ WRONG - Opens multiple composers (creates separate posts):

repeat with file in files
 tell application "Statuz" to open file
end repeat

✅ RIGHT - One composer with all files (creates single post):

-- Build comma-separated list: "file://path1,file://path2"
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ","
set mediaParam to filePaths as text
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ""

-- Open URL scheme ONCE with all files
tell application "System Events"
 open location "statuz://compose?media=" & mediaParam
end tell

Why this matters:

• Calling open file in a loop triggers separate composer windows for each file

• Using the URL scheme with comma-separated paths batches all files into ONE post

• Social platforms expect multi-image galleries, not separate posts

The scripts below use the correct pattern. If you modify them, keep this principle in mind.

Lightroom Usage

• Select multiple files with shift pressed → Right-click → Export X Files > Export

• Tweak your preset, include watermark, etc.

• Click Export

• Select the export folder you created earlier

Now export → Statuz opens automatically!

Managing Export Files

Once Statuz opens with your photos, it copies them to its own storage. You can safely delete files from the export folder after:

• Saving as draft (Cmd+S schedules for 1 hour ahead)

• Scheduling for later

• Posting immediately

Statuz keeps its own copies and automatically cleans them up after posting.

The Script

Option A: Automator Workflow (Easier)

If you already use Automator workflows (like the Apple Photos import example):

• Open Automator → New Folder Action

• Choose your export folder

• Add "Run AppleScript" action

• Paste this code:

on run {input, parameters}
 -- Build list of file:// URLs from input
 set filePaths to {}
 repeat with fileAlias in input
 set posixPath to POSIX path of fileAlias
 -- Only include supported formats
 if posixPath ends with ".jpg" or posixPath ends with ".jpeg" or ¬
 posixPath ends with ".png" or posixPath ends with ".gif" or ¬
 posixPath ends with ".heic" or posixPath ends with ".webp" or ¬
 posixPath ends with ".mp4" or posixPath ends with ".mov" or ¬
 posixPath ends with ".m4v" then
 set end of filePaths to "file://" & posixPath
 end if
 end repeat

 if (count of filePaths) is 0 then return input
 if (count of filePaths) > 4 then
 set filePaths to items 1 thru 4 of filePaths
 end if

 -- Join with commas
 set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ","
 set mediaParam to filePaths as text
 set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ""

 -- Open Statuz with ALL files in one post
 tell application "System Events"
 open location "statuz://compose?media=" & mediaParam
 end tell

 return input
end run

• File → Save and it's done!

Option B: Folder Action Script

Or create a standalone script in Script Editor:

-- Lightroom to Statuz: Batch Import

-- Setup:
-- 1. Save to ~/Library/Scripts/Folder Action Scripts/
-- 2. Right-click your export folder -> Folder Actions Setup
-- 3. Attach this script to the folder

-- Folder action handler - called automatically when files are added
-- this_folder: the watched folder (alias)
-- added_items: list of files that were just added (list of aliases)
on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving added_items
 try
 -- Build list of image/video files
 set mediaPaths to {}
 repeat with fileAlias in added_items
 set posixPath to POSIX path of fileAlias
 -- Only include supported formats
 if posixPath ends with ".jpg" or posixPath ends with ".jpeg" or ¬
 posixPath ends with ".png" or posixPath ends with ".gif" or ¬
 posixPath ends with ".heic" or posixPath ends with ".webp" or ¬
 posixPath ends with ".mp4" or posixPath ends with ".mov" or ¬
 posixPath ends with ".m4v" then
 set end of mediaPaths to "file://" & posixPath
 end if
 end repeat

 -- Skip if no supported files
 if (count of mediaPaths) is 0 then return

 -- Limit to 4 images per post (Statuz maximum)
 if (count of mediaPaths) > 4 then
 set mediaPaths to items 1 thru 4 of mediaPaths
 end if

 -- Build comma-separated list
 set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ","
 set mediaParam to mediaPaths as text
 set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ""

 -- Open Statuz with all images in one post
 tell application "System Events"
 open location "statuz://compose?media=" & mediaParam
 end tell
 end try
end adding folder items to

File → Save As:

• Save As: Lightroom to Statuz

• Where: ~/Library/Scripts/Folder Action Scripts/ (create this folder first if it doesn't exist)

• Format: Script (.scpt)

# Create the folder first if needed
mkdir -p ~/Library/Scripts/"Folder Action Scripts"

Then attach via Folder Actions Setup (see step 3 above).

How to Compile

If you modify the source code:

# Compile the script
osacompile -o Lightroom-to-Statuz.scpt lightroom-to-statuz.applescript

# Create folder if needed and install
mkdir -p ~/Library/Scripts/"Folder Action Scripts"
cp Lightroom-to-Statuz.scpt ~/Library/Scripts/"Folder Action Scripts"/

Or in Script Editor:

• Open .applescript file

• File → Export

• File Format: Script (.scpt)

• Save to: ~/Library/Scripts/Folder Action Scripts/ (create folder first if needed)

How It Works

-- macOS calls this when files are added to the watched folder
on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving added_items
 -- Build comma-separated list of file paths
 -- Open Statuz with: statuz://compose?media=file1,file2,file3
end adding folder items to

Key points:

• Builds comma-separated list of file paths

• Opens URL once (not in a loop)

• Result: ONE composer with all images (up to 4)

Troubleshooting

Can't find "Folder Actions Setup" in context menu

If right-clicking doesn't show Folder Actions Setup, open it directly:

open "/System/Library/CoreServices/Applications/Folder Actions Setup.app"
Or via Spotlight: Cmd+Space → type "Folder Actions Setup" → Enter

Then manually add your folder with the + button.

Nothing happens

Check folder actions are enabled:

osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to get folder actions enabled'
Enable if needed:

osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to set folder actions enabled to true'

Script not listed in Folder Actions Setup

Make sure it's saved to the correct location:

ls ~/Library/Scripts/"Folder Action Scripts"/

Did all that and still nothing?

The folder might be cached in a wrong state. Try detaching the script and folder action in Folder Actions Setup and then deleting the folder. Then try the setup again. Or simply try with a new folder to validate this is not a cache issue. If the issue persists, please open an issue on the GitHub repository (https://github.com/statuz-app/examples/issues).

Variations

Auto-add hashtags

Edit line 38 in the script:

open location "statuz://compose?text=%23Photography&media=" & mediaParam

Save as draft

open location "statuz://compose?draft=true&media=" & mediaParam

Works With Other Apps

This automation isn't Lightroom-specific. The folder action triggers whenever files land in your watched folder, making it perfect for:

Capture One

Export sessions directly to your social folder. Your powerful color grading work, immediately shareable.

Final Cut Pro / DaVinci Resolve

Video exports work too. MP4 and MOV files are automatically detected and loaded into Statuz.

Screenshot Tools

Configure your screenshot app (CleanShot X, Shottr, etc.) to save to the export folder. Perfect for developers or designers.

Any Export Workflow

Really, anything that saves media to a folder works: Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP, Figma exports. The folder action doesn't care where files come from.

Note on Apple Photos: You don't need folder actions for Apple Photos! Statuz has a native Share Extension. Just select photos in Photos app → Edit With → "Statuz". Works instantly with no folder setup required.

But if you need a cross device workflow, using the folder action is still the best way to go.

Related

• Source code on GitHub (https://github.com/statuz-app/examples/tree/main/lightroom) - Source code for the script

• Download Lightroom-to-Statuz.scpt (https://github.com/statuz-app/examples/raw/main/lightroom/Lightroom-to-Statuz.scpt) - Ready to use script

• URL Scheme Compose (/docs/url-scheme-compose) - Full compose API reference

• Automation Guide (/docs/automation-guide) - Other workflows

Try Statuz today,
it's free.
Download for macOS (/download)