I Found the Ultimate Productivity Tool for Mac

Raycast is a powerful tool that can help boost productivity and streamline your workflow on macOS.

Table of Contents

What is Raycast?

I would like to introduce you to my new best friend, Raycast. Raycast is a productivity tool for macOS that provides quick access to a wide range of actions and commands from a single keyboard shortcut. It’s designed to replace the built-in Spotlight search feature with a more powerful and customizable alternative that can streamline common tasks and workflows.

Raycast is highly customizable and extensible, so its functionality can be tailored to suit your specific needs and preferences. It’s a powerful tool that can help boost productivity and streamline your workflow on macOS.

Common use cases for Raycast

• Searching for files and applications on your computer.
• Accessing and controlling various system settings and preferences.
• Interacting with third-party tools and services like Slack, Asana, or GitHub.
• Running custom scripts or commands to automate tasks or workflows.
• Creating and managing tasks, reminders, and notes.
• Integrating with other productivity tools, such as Harvest or Notion.

How to install Raycast on your Mac

Here’s a detailed guide on how to download and install Raycast as a replacement for Spotlight on macOS:

1. Go to the Raycast website at https://raycast.com/ and click on the “Download” button in the top right corner of the page.
2. On the “Download Raycast” page, click on the “Download” button next to the version of Raycast that is appropriate for your operating system. Raycast currently supports macOS 10.14 or later.
3. Once the download is complete, open the downloaded file (it should be called something like “Raycast-X.X.X.dmg”) by double-clicking on it.
4. A window should pop up with the Raycast icon and the Applications folder icon. Simply drag the Raycast icon onto the Applications folder icon to install Raycast.
5. Once Raycast is installed, open it by double-clicking on the Raycast icon in your Applications folder.
6. By default, Raycast should now be set up to replace Spotlight as your primary search tool. To use Raycast, simply press the keyboard shortcut that you set up during the installation process (by default, this is the Option + Spacebar key combination). The Raycast search bar should appear at the center of your screen.
7. To start using Raycast, simply type in the name of the file, application, or command that you want to run. Raycast should automatically suggest options based on what you’ve typed so far.
8. If you want to customize Raycast further, click on the Raycast icon in your menu bar and select “Preferences”. From here, you can customize your keyboard shortcuts, add new commands and workflows, and more.

That’s it! With Raycast installed and configured, you should now have a powerful replacement for Spotlight that can help you boost your productivity on macOS.

My Favorite Uses for Raycast

This tool is close to my heart because of how well it integrates into my daily life and workflows. Check back here for updated tutorials for each of these use cases.

Productivity Tools

1. Asana: Asana is a project management tool that allows you to keep track of tasks and projects. The Asana Raycast extension allows you to quickly add new tasks, view your upcoming tasks, and complete tasks without leaving your current workflow.
2. Harvest: Harvest is a time-tracking tool that helps you keep track of how much time you’re spending on various tasks. The Harvest Raycast extension allows you to start and stop timers, view your time entries, and create new time entries with just a few keystrokes.
3. Clipboard Manager: Raycast’s built-in Clipboard Manager allows you to easily access your clipboard history and quickly paste previous clipboard items.
4. Window Management: The Window Management extension allows you to quickly resize and position windows on your screen. You can snap windows to the sides of your screen, maximize them, and move them around with just a few keystrokes.
5. File Search: Raycast’s built-in file search allows you to quickly search for and open files on your computer. You can search by name, file type, and more.
6. Slack Status: The Slack Status extension allows you to quickly set your Slack status and message without leaving your current workflow.

Calendar & Meeting Tools

1. Calendar -> Google Meet: This extension allows you to quickly see your calendar events & access/create Google Meet links for your upcoming meetings directly from your calendar.

Browser & Web Tools

1. Browser Profile: The Browser Profile extension allows you to quickly switch between different profiles in your web browser. This is useful if you use multiple profiles for different purposes (e.g. work vs personal).
2. **Speedtest: **The Speedtest extension allows you to quickly test your internet connection speed without leaving your current workflow.
3. IP Address: The IP Address extension displays your current IP address, which can be useful for troubleshooting network issues and accessing certain online services.
4. Twitter: The Twitter extension allows you to quickly search for and view tweets without leaving your current workflow.
5. Ray.so - Code->Image: This extension allows you to quickly convert code snippets to images that can be shared and embedded in documents and presentations.

Personal Productivity

1. Year in Progress: The Year in Progress extension provides a visual representation of how much of the year has passed and how much is left, along with other useful information such as holidays and lunar cycles.
2. Timers: The Timers extension allows you to create and manage timers for various purposes, such as timing your work sessions or reminding you to take breaks.
3. Store: The Store extension allows you to quickly search for and purchase items on various online stores, such as Amazon.
4. Run Apple Shortcuts: This extension allows you to run custom Apple Shortcuts from within Raycast, allowing you to automate various tasks and workflows.
5. Search Screenshots for text: This extension allows you to quickly search for text within screenshots, which can be useful for finding information that you’ve captured in an image.
6. Ray.so - Code->Image: This extension allows you to quickly convert code snippets to images that can be shared and embedded in documents and presentations.

Note-Taking and Organization:

1. Notion: The Notion extension allows you to quickly search for and access your Notion notes and databases without leaving your current workflow.
2. Shortcuts + Aliases: This extension allows you to create custom keyboard shortcuts and aliases for frequently used websites and web services.
3. Spotify: The Spotify extension allows you to control your Spotify music playback without leaving your current workflow.
4. Floating Notes: The Floating Notes extension allows you to create quick notes and reminders that appear as floating windows on your screen. You can customize the appearance and behavior of these notes to suit your preferences.

Conclusion

Raycast is a powerful productivity tool for macOS that can replace Spotlight and streamline your workflow. With a wide range of built-in features and extensions, Raycast can help you accomplish tasks more quickly and efficiently, whether you’re managing projects, organizing notes, or searching for files. Some of the most popular use cases for Raycast include Asana for project management, Harvest for time tracking, Clipboard Manager for managing your clipboard history, and Window Management for resizing and positioning windows. Other useful extensions include Browser Profile for switching between browser profiles, Speedtest for testing your internet speed, and Notion for accessing your notes and databases. Whether you’re a developer, designer, writer, or anyone looking to boost their productivity, Raycast is definitely worth checking out.