Despite my issues with Dragon Dictate, the voice-to-text application  remains the only Mac  program for triggering powerful and time-saving voice commands on the Mac.

As I explained before, Dragon Dictate outshines Apple’s voice commands features. And even when the upcoming Siri command features are released in the Sierra of OS X, it looks if as Dragon Dictate will still be able to handle tons more commands than Siri.

To explain how powerful DD voice commands are, I’ve created a list of my 101 favorite Mac commands. DD comes with built-in voice commands, but nearly all the commands listed below are my custom commands. Honestly, I use the voice commands more than I use text diction, though the latter does come in handy for various  purposes, such journal writing and editing documents.

I also use the USB 3-in-1 TableMike (Amazon affiliate link), and I typically keep DD activated throughout the day as I work alone in my office. The noise cancelling TableMike allows for playing music in the background while using DD for dictating text and issuing Mac commands.

The words in italics indicate the command I use to trigger assigned actions. Items with * indicate commands mapped to a Keyboard Maestro macro, and items with ** indicate commands mapped to a BetterTouchTool action.

To map a Keyboard Maestro macro, you simply copy the AppleScript script created for the KM macro, and then paste it in an DD action. For mapping BTT actions,  you assign a keyboard shortcut to a BTT action, and then use that shortcut for setting up a DD action.

mac_automation_SdVMlf

All the other commands are based on triggering keyboard shortcuts or application menus to voice command actions.

mac_automation_9HbRQc

You can also base custom commands on bookmarks, files and folders, shell scripts, automator workflows, AppleScript scripts, and application launches. Likewise, you can issue the command, “Activate [name of application]” and DD will launch that application.

Dragon Dictate

Global Commands

  1. Add link (used in Safari, Mail, and other web browsers*)
  2. Admin password (inserts my administration password*)
  3. Apple password*
  4. Add to bin (pastes selected text to iClip bin*)
  5. Beginning of line (sends the cursor to the begging of a line of text)
  6. Bold selection (formats text in bold)
  7. Cashe document (helps with Dragon Dictate text dictation)
  8. Click Ok
  9. Clipboard (opens Alfred’s clipboard)
  10. Close snaps (Closes all my open Snappy screenshots)
  11. Copy everything (selects and copies all the text in a document or text box*)mac_automation_1H6rqW
  12. Cut (deletes the word behind the cursor)
  13. Delete (deletes the character behind the cursor)
  14. Delete everything (selects and deletes all text in a document or text box)
  15. Desktop two (changes my desktop wallpaper to another assigned image)
  16. Downloads folder (opens Download’s folder)
  17. Down/up arrow (presses the down/up arrow key)
  18. Edit snippet (opens the edit window for the last TextExpander snippet I typed)
  19. Escape (presses the Escape key)
  20. Force quit (brings up the Force Quite menu)
  21. Hide dock
  22. Hide applications*
  23. Hide snaps (hides my opened Snappy screenshots)mac_automation_UrwIl7
  24. iClip (reveals the iClip application on the left side of the screen)
  25. Image search (activates Alfred and inserts search image command)
  26. Italicize selection (italicizes selected text)
  27. Jump to Amazon (opens Amazon.com)
  28. Jump to Canva (opens Canva.com)
  29. Lower volume (lowers the system audio)
  30. Lowercase letter (reformats the letter behind the cursor*)
  31. Lucky search (triggers Alfred and imitates a Lucky Google search)
  32. Mail (activates the Mail application)
  33. New snippet (opens the TextExpander dialogue box for creating a new snippet)
  34. Next song (plays the next song in iTunes playlist*)
  35. Opens address (opens the selected URL saved in an iClip bin)
  36. Paste  (paste content on the system clipboard)
  37. Paste URL (pastes URL of the front most Safari window*)
  38. Pause (pauses iTunes)
  39. Play iTunes**
    mac_automation_lembfO
  40. Press Cancel (button)
  41. Press Save
  42. Previous paste (pastes the previous item on the Keyboard Maestro clipboard*)
  43. Put computer to sleep
  44. Quit app (quits the current activated app)
  45. Quick note (opens QuickNote from Soho Notes)
  46. Recorder (switches to the Recorder bin in iClip)
  47. Restart application*
  48. Return (clicks the Return key)
  49. Save this document
  50. Screenshot (triggers the BetterTouchTool screenshot feature*)
  51. Search Google (initiates search in Alfred)
  52. Search Keyboard Maestro (opens the Keyboard Maestro search window)
  53. Search TextExpander
    mac_automation_WebXTS
  54. Search this page
  55. Select all (text in a document or text box)
  56. Select line (selects the current line of text*)
  57. Show Bartender (opens Bartender in the menu bar)
  58. Show calendar (shows the Fantastical calendar in the menu bar)
  59. Show dock
  60. Show windows (shows all open windows)
  61. Skip back 2 spaces (moves the cursor back based the number spoken, up to 5 spaces*)
  62. Super tab (reveals the SuperTab app)
  63. Switch to previous application
  64. Show DragonPad (opens Dragon Dictate’s text editor)
  65. Turn dock hiding on/off
  66. Undo (triggers the Command+Z shortcut)
  67. Uppercase letter (reformats the letter behind the cursor*)
  68. White desktop (changes the desktop wallpaper to white image*)

    Safari

  69. Add bookmark (in Safari)
  70. Add link (in WordPress)
  71. Add media (in WordPress)
  72. Click save
  73. Close this tab
  74. Export to PDF
    mac_automation_AXCqca
  75. Jump back/forward
  76. Merge windows (merges all Safari windows)
  77. New tab
  78. Private browsing
  79. Refresh page
    mac_automation_MrsErl
  80. Repeat click (repeatedly clicks a list of buttons*)
  81. Scroll up/down
  82. Sidebar (shows Safari sidebar)
  83. Zoom In/Out

    Mail

  84. Email  [recipients name*]
  85. Paste link
  86. Send mail
  87. Today’s mail (selects the Today’s mailbox)

    Finder

  88. Column view
  89. Get info (Information about selected file)
  90. Icon view
    mac_automation_kpEWw9
  91. List view
  92. Name view
  93. New folder

    Auto-Text

  94. My name
  95. My email
  96. My city
  97. My full address
  98. My phone number
  99. My phone number with area code
  100. My signature
  101. Plural s  (inserts “(s)”
    mac_automation_Yhf2vn

Try It Out

I hope the above list provides some good ideas for what can be done with using custom commands in Dragon Dictate.

Dragon Dictate is a not the most stable program for the Mac, and it may require a considerable learning curve. But if you like the idea of sending  voice commands to trigger items, you should give it a try.

This article shows how to set up voice commands in Dragon Dictate.

Note: Mac OS El Capitan also features voice commands, but they are somewhat more difficult to set up, and the feature mutes any other sounds coming from your computer when you activate the voice command feature. For more information, see the article I wrote on MakeUseOf.com.

Let me know if you’re interested in knowing more about Dragon Dictate, and what questions you have about the program.

 

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