Rule import/export in human-readable form

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Moderator: Mr_Noodle

I know this has come up in the forums before, but I thought I'd re-ask anyway. I'd love it if there was a way to import/export rules in human-readable form.

Export: I want to save my rules in human-readable for so that my rule backup can be used to re-create my workflows if Hazel ever dies. Yes, I know I can export rules in binary form, but I want even more future-proofing than that. Long Live Hazel, but also plan for the worst, amirite.

Import: I want to be able to create rules from a text representation. I currently use a long (and growing) list of rules to identify documents, rename them using a complicated naming convention, and move into their forever homes. Maintaining that list of rules via the UI is tedious and error-prone, not least because my naming conventions keep evolving and changing. Now I could build a tool that reads my rule definitions from a text file then drives Hazel via UI Scripting to do all the clicky-clicky needed to construct the rules, but native support would be fab! Of course "scriptability" would be ideal, but it feels like AppleScript is dead/dying.

I love, love, love Hazel. Thanks for an amazing product, Mr. Noodle!
misterbaddog
 
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Joined: Mon Jun 15, 2026 7:24 pm

Thanks for the suggestion but as for your second point, have you looked into custom table attributes?
Mr_Noodle
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