How to Install and Use Scripts
in Adobe Creative Cloud Applications

Adding Scripts to InDesign

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The Scripts Panel

A great feature of InDesign is its Scripts panel. This feature makes it easy to manage and run scripts. To open the panel, go to the Window menu --> Utilities --> Scripts. The scripts that appear in the panel are separated into three categories: Application, Community, and User. You can put scripts in any of the categories, but I suggest you put scripts in the User category. However, the User scripts folder is difficult to locate because it is under user preferences, which are hidden from view and require special steps to make visible. Fortunately, InDesign has an easy way to open any of the script folders directly from the application. In the Scripts panel, select the User category in the list, and then follow the directions for your operating system:

Mac OS: control-click (or right-click for a two-button mouse) and the choice Reveal in Finder appears. Click and the User scripts folder opens.

Windows: right-click and the choice Reveal in Explorer appears. Click and the User scripts folder opens.

Inside this folder is another named Scripts Panel. That is where to put scripts. Start by opening the folder. Copy script files to this folder, and the scripts appear in the Scripts panel. Then to run a script, double-click its name in the list. It's that easy.

Assign a Keyboard Shortcut

You may also assign a keyboard shortcut to scripts. Go to the Edit menu --> Keyboard Shortcuts. In the Product Area drop down list, select Scripts. Scroll through the list, and find the desired script. Once selected in the list, click the New Shortcut input field. Press the desired keyboard combination, which is then displayed. If not currently assigned, you may proceed. Click Assign. Now the keyboard combination launches the script.

Shared Scripts

Another useful feature of the InDesign Scripts panel is that you can copy an alias (macOS) or shortcut (Windows) to the InDesign scripts folder. This enables sharing scripts among multiple users, by storing scripts on a network volume that all users can access. The benefit is that a single collection of scripts can be maintained from a central location rather than having to push revised scripts out to all users when any are updated.

Specific Folder Locations

For the sake of completeness, the details for locating the Application and User folders follows.

InDesign: Application scripts

Scripts are stored in the Scripts Panel folder, under the application Scripts folder.

Mac OS example

Macintosh HD:Applications:Adobe InDesign 2023:Scripts:Scripts Panel

Windows example

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign 2023\Scripts\Scripts Panel

Portions of the path may vary: Adobe InDesign 2023 may vary depending on the particular version of InDesign installed. Also the beginning of the path may vary if the application has been installed on a drive other than the default and/or a folder other than the Mac OS default Applications or the Windows default Program Files.

InDesign: User scripts

Mac OS example

Macintosh HD:Users:UserName:Library:Preferences:Adobe InDesign:Version 19.0:en_US:Scripts:Scripts Panel

Windows example

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\InDesign\Version 19.0\en_US\Scripts\Scripts Panel

Portions of the path may vary: UserName is the user name of the account currently logged on. Version 19.0 may vary depending on the particular version of InDesign installed. en_US may vary depending on your location.

Once the desired folder is open, copy script files to it and they will appear in the the chosen category of the Scripts panel. It is not necessary to restart InDesign. To launch a script, double-click its name in the list.

Solving error The file is not executable by any supported script language.

If a script file is opened in a text editor, whether edited or just to view the contents, then saved, it is possible the extension .txt is added to the file name. Or an added file extension could appear inadvertently for other reasons. The problem is, if the system option to show file extensions is disabled, the added extension is not visible. Visible or not, InDesign sees a text or other file, not a script file, and reports the error. The first step of solving this problem is to ensure file extensions are visible.

Mac OS: in the Finder menu, choose Finder, Settings, then click Advanced. Enable “Show all filename extensions”.

Windows 10: open File Explorer. In the Ribbon, click the View tab. Enable “File name extensions”.

Windows 11: open File Explorer. In the menu bar click View, Show, and enable “File name extensions”.

With file name extensions enabled, enure no additional extensions have been added to the script file. Valid extensions are .jsx and .jsxbin. Copy files with the correct extension to the InDesign user Scripts Panel folder.

Adding Scripts to Photoshop

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Scripts are stored in the Scripts folder, under the application Preset folder. Photoshop does not provide a user scripts folder.

Mac OS example

Macintosh HD:Applications:Adobe Photoshop 2023:Presets:Scripts

Windows example

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2023\Presets\Scripts

Portions of the path may vary: Adobe Photoshop 2023 may vary depending on the particular version of Photoshop installed. Also the beginning of the path may vary if the application has been installed on a drive other than the default and/or a folder other than the Mac OS default Applications or the Windows default Program Files.

Once the Scripts folder is located and open, copy script files to it, close the folder, and restart Photoshop. The scripts now appear when selecting File menu --> Scripts.

Photoshop does not require that script files are stored in the application scripts folder. It is possible to select File menu --> Scripts --> Browse to launch a script from any location in the computer’s file system, even from a network volume.

Also Photoshop allows running scripts from Actions. This is the best way to run scripts in Photoshop. In the Actions panel, create a new Action, name it as desired (likely the script name) and click Record. Now all mouse clicks are recorded. Proceed as you would to run the script manually: go to File menu --> Scripts --> Browse, navigate to the folder where the desired script is located, and open it. Once the script runs, be sure to click the Actions panel Stop button or further mouse clicks continue recording. Now running the Action runs the script.

You may also assign a function key to the Action that runs the script. In the Actions panel, double-click the blank area to the right to the Action name, and Action Options is displayed. Set the Function Key option as desired.

Adding Scripts to Illustrator

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Scripts are stored in the Scripts folder, under the application Preset folder. Illustrator does not provide a user scripts folder.

Mac OS example

Macintosh HD:Applications:Adobe Illustrator 2023:Presets:en_US:Scripts

Windows example

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator 2023\Presets\en_US\Scripts

Portions of the path may vary: Adobe Illustrator 2023 may vary depending on the particular version of Illustrator installed. en_US may vary depending on your location. Also the beginning of the path may vary if the application has been installed on a drive other than the default and/or a folder other than the Mac OS default Applications or the Windows default Program Files.

Once the Scripts folder is located and open, copy script files to it, close the folder, and restart Illustrator. The scripts will now appear when selecting File menu --> Scripts.

Another way to launch scripts is from File menu --> Scripts --> Other Script. Navigate to the desired script file, which may reside at any location in the computer’s file system, even on a network volume. This choice is also available with the shortcut key CMD-F12 (macOS) or Ctrl-F12 (Windows).

Adding Scripts to Bridge

Unlike other Creative Cloud applications, Bridge lacks a panel or menu command that directly launches scripts. Instead, scripts designed for Bridge add a command to the existing menus, which when selected, launches the script. Where in the menu structure the new command appears is decided by the author of the script; consult the script’s documentation.

Bridge does not have an application scripts folder, only a user scripts folder, Startup Scripts. The folder can be difficult to locate because it is under user preferences, which are typically hidden from view and require special steps to make visible. Fortunately, Bridge offers a convenient means to open the folder directly from the application. To access the Startup Scripts folder on any platform, open Preferences in Bridge and in the list on the left, select Startup Scripts. Click the button Reveal My Startup Scripts and the folder will open.

Once the Startup Scripts folder is open, copy script files to it, close the folder, and restart Bridge. An alert will appear on screen to indicate an extension has been added to Bridge and to ask whether it should be enabled. Respond Yes and the script will be activated.

Specific Folder Location

For the sake of completeness, the details for locating the Startup Scripts folder follows.

Bridge: Startup Scripts

Mac OS example

Macintosh HD:Users:UserName:Library:Application Support:Adobe:Bridge 2023:Startup Scripts

Windows example

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Bridge 2023\Startup Scripts

Portions of the path may vary: UserName is the user name of the account currently logged on. Bridge 2023 may vary depending on the particular version of Bridge installed.