# Osascript UI

> Automate native macOS app UIs via System Events Accessibility API. Use when traversing UI element trees, clicking buttons by label, reading text field values, or listing menu bar items. Does NOT work on Electron apps (Slack, VSCode, Chrome).

- Skill: `damionrashford/osascript-ui` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 4 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add damionrashford/osascript-ui`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/damionrashford/osascript-ui/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Web & Frontend
- Author: damionrashford (https://skillmd.com/u/damionrashford)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/damionrashford/osascript-ui

---


# osascript-ui

System Events Accessibility API — UI automation for native AppKit apps.
All scripts are Python with JXA embedded.

## Critical Limitation

**Only native AppKit apps** expose full UI trees. Electron apps (Slack, VSCode, Chrome, Notion) only expose window chrome — not page content.

**Menu bars work on ALL apps including Electron** — menus are always accessible.

**Requires:** `kTCCServiceAccessibility` — System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility

## What's Accessible

| Element | AX Role | Read via |
|---------|---------|---------|
| Button | AXButton | `.title()` / `.description()` |
| Text field | AXTextField | `.value()` |
| Static text | AXStaticText | `.value()` |
| Checkbox | AXCheckBox | `.value()` (0/1) |
| Window | AXWindow | `.name()` |
| Menu bar | AXMenuBar | `.menuBarItems()` |

## Scripts

Dump the accessibility element tree for a named app (depth-limited):
```bash
uv run scripts/ui-tree.py "TextEdit"
uv run scripts/ui-tree.py "Finder" --depth 3
```

List all menu bar items and submenu items for any running app:
```bash
uv run scripts/menu-items.py "Safari"
uv run scripts/menu-items.py "Finder" --menu "File"
```

Click a UI element by role and label in a named app:
```bash
uv run scripts/ui-click.py "TextEdit" AXButton "Save"
uv run scripts/ui-click.py "System Preferences" AXCheckBox "Dark Mode"
```

## Reference

- [reference/05-system-events.md](reference/05-system-events.md) — Full UI element API, process list, window inspection, focus
- [reference/15-limitations-and-gotchas.md](reference/15-limitations-and-gotchas.md) — Electron blind spots, Accessibility limitations