Choose when presets and workflows run
Choose manual execution or a short delay, and understand exactly what starts a run.
Last updated: 2026-09-11
Quick answer
Select a preset or workflow, then open the timing menu beside Apply. Choose Manually, Immediately, After 3s, or After 10s. The choice is saved with that item. Automatic modes can run after files are added or a favorite command is invoked. Choose Manually to stop a pending countdown and review first.
Set and stop a delayed run
Video walkthrough coming soon. Follow the steps below.
Choose the timing
- Wait for any active tagging operation to finish. If a countdown is showing, stop it before changing the setup.
- Click the preset or workflow in the main sidebar.
- Open the execution timing menu beside the Apply play button. You can also choose Actions > Execution Options to open it.
- Choose the timing you need.
| Timing | When you click Apply | After files are successfully added, or you invoke a favorite command |
|---|---|---|
| Manually | Runs without an intentional delay. | Does not automatically run. Review the setup, then click Apply. |
| Immediately | Runs without an intentional delay. | Runs once the files and selected setup are ready. |
| After 3s | Starts a three-second countdown. | Starts a three-second countdown when the setup can run. |
| After 10s | Starts a ten-second countdown. | Starts a ten-second countdown when the setup can run. |
Automatic execution still needs eligible files and a usable setup. A workflow needs at least two presets. An add, remove-selected, or replace action needs selected tag names.
Changing the timing setting by itself does not start a run. It updates the choice used by subsequent triggers and cancels any pending countdown.
Know which actions trigger execution
Adding files to the workspace
Adding files through Add Files, a Finder drop, or the Quick Add shortcut can trigger the selected setup after the import finishes successfully. The current timing decides whether it waits for you, runs immediately, or starts a countdown.
When you need to inspect new files first, choose Manually before adding them. Adding more files during a countdown cancels the old countdown. If the new import succeeds and the setup can run, automatic timing starts again; this is not a way to freeze the setup.
Using a favorite command
Choosing an item from the app's Favorites menu or pressing its displayed number shortcut selects it and applies its saved timing. With Manually, it only prepares the setup. With an automatic timing choice, it can run or start a countdown once ready.
Use the caption shown next to the favorite. Those number shortcuts belong to Little Tagger while the app is active; they are different from the global Quick Add shortcut.
Selecting an item to inspect it
Clicking a preset or workflow name in the main sidebar selects it but does not itself start a new automatic run. Choosing a favorite through the Little Tagger status icon in the macOS menu bar also sets or clears selection rather than invoking the app's Favorites command.
These selection controls are not a substitute for cancelling a countdown that is already active. Stop the countdown before changing which item, files, or settings you are inspecting.
Stop a countdown before it runs
While the status area shows Applying in ...s, open the timing menu and choose Manually. Check that the countdown disappears before continuing.
This also saves Manually to the currently selected preset or workflow. It is not a temporary pause that automatically restores the previous timing.
Two other actions can cancel a pending countdown:
| Action | Other effect |
|---|---|
| Actions > Clear Selected Preset | Clears the selected preset or workflow and resets its prepared settings without deleting the saved item. |
| Clear Files in the toolbar | Empties the workspace but keeps the selected saved item and its settings. |
Choosing another timing value cancels the current countdown but does not immediately start a replacement. Clicking Apply again under a delayed mode starts a new countdown from that mode's full delay.
Do not use changes to file selection, tags, filters, or an open management window as a pause mechanism. Cancel the countdown first, make the changes, and review the target files again before running.
Saved timing and workflow timing
With a preset selected, the timing choice is saved to that preset. With a workflow selected, it is saved to the workflow. With neither selected, it belongs to the current one-off setup rather than a saved preset.
A workflow waits once before its sequence starts. It does not use each component preset's timing to insert additional delays between steps. Select the workflow, not a step, when changing the timing for the entire run.
The delayed modes are short waits before a triggered run. They are not recurring schedules or permanent folder watchers. A file appearing later in a folder does not, by that fact alone, trigger one of these runs.
When the timing seems wrong
I clicked Apply but it is still waiting
Check the selected mode. After 3s and After 10s delay the Apply button too. To run without that countdown, first choose Manually and then click Apply.
Files changed as soon as I added them
The selected preset or workflow may use Immediately or a delayed automatic mode. Check its timing before adding more files. Clearing the resulting workspace entries will not remove tags already applied.
Manually was selected, but dropping a tag changed files
Dragging a tag onto the workspace is a separate immediate add-tag action. It does not wait for the preset's timing or Apply button. To prepare an action without applying it, choose tags in the Selected Tags field instead. See Add, remove, and replace tags.
A favorite ran differently from a sidebar click
That distinction is intentional in the current controls. The Favorites command uses saved timing; an ordinary sidebar click selects the item. Check which entry point you used and whether a countdown was already active.
Nothing runs automatically
Check the selected item and its timing, the current filename search, file eligibility, and any access warning. For a preset, check the required selected tags. For a workflow, confirm it still has at least two presets. Inspect the result and troubleshooting steps in Review results and clear the workspace.