How to add actions to the Mac right-click menu
By default the macOS context menu offers Open, Move to Trash and Get Info. If you want to copy a path, compress an image or rename a batch of files from there, you have two options: built-in Quick Actions, or a Finder extension.
Option one: built-in Quick Actions
In the Shortcuts app, create a shortcut, set its type to Quick Action and tick "Show in Finder". It then appears under the Quick Actions submenu when you right-click.
That is also where the limits show. Everything lands inside one second-level submenu, with no control over icons or order; each action has to be assembled by hand; and parameters such as output format or target size cannot be chosen from the menu itself. Fine for one or two small tasks, awkward as a daily file toolkit.
Option two: a Finder extension, for top-level actions
Finder extensions are Apple's official mechanism for this. After installing one, enable it under System Settings › Login Items & Extensions › Finder extensions, and its group appears in the context menu.
Rightora takes this route. Its actions sit directly in the menu rather than nested in a submenu, and the menu follows what you right-click: image actions on an image, extraction on an archive, new file and Terminal launchers on empty space.
Which actions are worth adding
- Copy path / copy file name: the everyday one when writing docs or running commands.
- Copy to / Move to: pick a favorite folder instead of dragging between two windows.
- Open in Terminal or your editor: the ones you actually have installed, detected automatically.
- New file: Finder only creates folders, so making a .md or .txt normally means a detour.
- Extract text: pull text out of an image straight to the clipboard.
Won't the menu get long?
It will, if nothing manages it. Rightora keeps the menu fully editable: configure each context separately, remove or reorder any entry, and optionally let anything unused for 30 days move into a More submenu. Trimming it once after install beats enabling everything.
FAQ
Do added right-click actions slow Finder down?
No. A Finder extension runs as its own process and the menu is only built when you right-click. What takes time is the action itself, such as compressing a large video.
Why doesn't the extension show up after installing?
You have to enable it under System Settings › Login Items & Extensions › Finder extensions. That is a macOS security design; an installer cannot switch it on for you.
Are right-click actions always paid?
Depends on the tool. Rightora's core enhancements are free forever — copy path, copy/move to, new file, Terminal and editor launchers, archiving and extraction, hashes, file info, OCR and QR codes. Image, video and PDF processing plus batches and automation are Pro.
Core enhancements free forever · Pro $3.99/yr or $8.99 lifetime · macOS 14+