Mac Productivity Apps Have a Secret: Deep Links That Skip the Clicking

You probably use several mac productivity apps every day. Notion for docs, Things 3 for tasks, Obsidian for notes, maybe Fantastical for your calendar. You launch each one, click through menus, navigate to the right page, and finally get to work. It's familiar, but it's also slow.

Here's what most people don't realize: nearly every popular Mac app has a hidden shortcut system called deep links. These links let you jump straight to a specific page, view, or action inside an app — no clicking, no navigating, no searching. And with ExtraBar, you can collect all of these deep links into your menu bar for one-click access.

This guide covers deep links for 17 mac productivity apps. For each app, you'll see the URL scheme, practical examples, and how ExtraBar turns them into persistent menu bar actions.

What Are Deep Links? A Simple Explanation for Mac Productivity Apps

Think of a regular URL like a street address. Typing https://notion.so is like walking to the front door of Notion's building. You arrive at the lobby, then you have to find the elevator, pick a floor, walk down the hallway, and finally reach the room you need.

A deep link, by contrast, is like a teleporter. Instead of going to the front door, it drops you directly into the exact room you want. For example, notion://www.notion.so/{pageId} opens a specific Notion page instantly — no lobby, no elevator, no hallway.

On macOS, deep links use custom URL schemes. Just like https:// tells your Mac to open a browser, notion:// tells it to open Notion. Similarly, things:/// opens Things 3, obsidian:// opens Obsidian, and so on. Each app registers its own scheme, and each scheme supports specific commands.

The problem? Deep links are invisible. They're buried in documentation, and there's no built-in way to save or organize them on your Mac. That's exactly the gap ExtraBar fills. It turns deep links into clickable menu bar actions — always visible, always one click away.

Mac Productivity Apps and Their Deep Links

Below are 17 mac productivity apps that support deep links. For each one, ExtraBar's Deep Link action type lets you add these URLs as persistent menu bar shortcuts.

Keyboard Maestro — The Front Door to All Your Macros

Keyboard Maestro is one of the most powerful mac productivity apps for automation. It uses the kmtrigger:// URL scheme to let you fire any macro from outside the app.

• Launch Morning Setup — kmtrigger://macro=Launch%20Morning%20Setup
• Rename Last Screenshot — kmtrigger://macro=Rename%20Last%20Screenshot
• Restart Chosen App — kmtrigger://macro=Restart%20Chosen%20App&value={appName}

Simply replace the macro name with your own. You can also use the &value= parameter to pass data into the macro. In ExtraBar, each macro becomes a clickable action in your menu bar — no hotkey memorization required.

BetterTouchTool — Your Triggers, Visible and Clickable

BetterTouchTool lets you create gestures, shortcuts, and automations for nearly every input device. Its btt:// URL scheme triggers any named trigger directly.

• Snap Window Left — btt://trigger_named/?trigger_name=Snap%20Window%20Left
• Swipe Mute Mic — btt://trigger_named/?trigger_name=Swipe%20Mute%20Mic
• Tap Toggle AirPods — btt://trigger_named/?trigger_name=Tap%20Toggle%20AirPods

Create named triggers in BetterTouchTool first, then reference them by name in ExtraBar. Alternatively, right-click any trigger to copy its UUID and use btt://execute_assigned_actions_for_trigger/?uuid={uuid} instead.

Raycast — A Favorite Among Mac Productivity Apps

Raycast is a popular launcher with a thriving extension ecosystem. Its raycast:// URL scheme lets you launch any extension directly.

• Google Quick Translate — raycast://extensions/gebeto/translate/quick-translate
• Kill Process — raycast://extensions/rolandleth/kill-process/index
• Spotify Volume Control — raycast://extensions/raycast/system/turn-volume-up

Extension URLs follow the format raycast://extensions/{author}/{extension}/{command}. Find the exact URL in Raycast's extension store or by right-clicking an extension. With ExtraBar, your most-used Raycast extensions live permanently in the menu bar — no typing needed.

Apple Shortcuts — Your Automations, One Click Away

Apple Shortcuts is built into macOS, and its shortcuts:// URL scheme runs any shortcut by name.

• Start Meeting Focus — shortcuts://run-shortcut?name=Start%20Meeting%20Focus
• Resize for Instagram — shortcuts://run-shortcut?name=Resize%20for%20Instagram
• Split PDF Pages — shortcuts://run-shortcut?name=Split%20PDF%20Pages

You can also pass input with &input=text&text={value} or &input=clipboard to use clipboard contents. ExtraBar additionally offers a dedicated Run Shortcut action type that lets you pick a shortcut by name — no URL required.

Obsidian — Top Tier Among Mac Productivity Apps for Notes

Obsidian is a powerhouse for knowledge management. Its obsidian:// URL scheme opens any vault, note, or search.

• Open Daily Note — obsidian://open?vault={vaultName}&file=Daily%20Note
• Log Quick Idea — obsidian://open?vault={vaultName}&file=Quick%20Ideas
• Search Meeting Notes — obsidian://search?vault={vaultName}&query=meeting

Replace {vaultName} and file names with your own. File paths are relative to the vault root. Consequently, you can build an entire Obsidian navigation panel in ExtraBar's menu bar without ever touching the sidebar.

Notion — Every Page at Your Fingertips

Notion uses the notion:// URL scheme to open any page, database, or view in the desktop app.

• Open Sprint Board — notion://www.notion.so/{pageId}
• Open Team Roadmap — notion://www.notion.so/{pageId}?v={viewId}
• Open Company Wiki — notion://www.notion.so/{pageId}

Get the page ID from any Notion URL — it's the long string at the end. ExtraBar also extracts page IDs automatically when you paste a full Notion URL. Therefore, setting up Notion deep links in ExtraBar takes just seconds.

Things 3 — Best-in-Class Mac Productivity Apps for Tasks

Things 3 is beautifully designed for task management. Its things:/// URL scheme gives you direct access to views, projects, and task creation.

• Open Today View — things:///show?id=today
• Add New To-Do — things:///add?title={title}&notes={notes}
• Open Someday/Maybe — things:///show?id=someday

Things supports inbox, today, upcoming, anytime, someday, and logbook as built-in view IDs. In ExtraBar, you can organize these views into a subfolder for instant access to every corner of your task system.

Drafts — Your Quickest Capture, Even Quicker

Drafts is built for speed. Its drafts:// URL scheme lets you capture text, trigger actions, and append to existing drafts.

• Capture Quick Note — drafts://x-callback-url/create?text={text}
• New Blog Draft — drafts://x-callback-url/create?text={text}&tag=blog
• Send to Obsidian — drafts://x-callback-url/runAction?text={text}&action=Send%20to%20Obsidian

The runAction command triggers any Drafts action by name. Set up your workflows in Drafts first, then trigger them from ExtraBar. This combination essentially turns your menu bar into a text processing pipeline.

Fantastical — Among the Best Mac Productivity Apps for Calendars

Fantastical is known for its natural language event creation. Its x-fantastical3:// URL scheme handles both viewing and creating events.

• Show Today's Events — x-fantastical3://show?date=today
• Quick Add Event — x-fantastical3://parse?sentence={event}
• Open Team Calendar — x-fantastical3://show/set?name={calendarSetName}

The parse command understands natural language. Pass something like "Meeting with Alex tomorrow at 2pm" and Fantastical creates the event. ExtraBar makes this especially powerful — one click to open today's agenda, another to jump to your team calendar.

DEVONthink — Your Knowledge Base on Speed Dial

DEVONthink is a heavyweight among mac productivity apps for document management. Its x-devonthink:// URL scheme opens databases, groups, and searches.

• Open Research DB — x-devonthink-item://{databaseUUID}
• Search All Databases — x-devonthink://search?query={searchTerm}
• Open Client Contracts — x-devonthink-item://{groupUUID}

Get item UUIDs by selecting a database or group in DEVONthink and choosing Edit > Copy Item Link. ExtraBar can additionally trigger DEVONthink AppleScripts using the Run Script action — for instance, running OCR on your inbox.

OmniFocus — Your Task System's Command Center

OmniFocus provides one of the deepest URL schemes among mac productivity apps. Its omnifocus:/// scheme navigates perspectives, views, and task creation.

• Show Flagged Tasks — omnifocus:///flagged
• Open Weekly Review — omnifocus:///review
• Show Due Today — omnifocus:///forecast
• Quick Capture Task — omnifocus:///add?name={taskName}&note={note}&flag=true

Custom perspectives work too: omnifocus:///perspective/{perspectiveName}. With ExtraBar, you can build a complete OmniFocus dashboard in your menu bar — flagged items, reviews, forecasts, and custom perspectives all one click away.

Bear — Quick Access to Your Entire Library

Bear is a clean, elegant notes app with a surprisingly powerful bear:// URL scheme.

• Search #work Tag — bear://x-callback-url/search?term=%23work
• Create New Note — bear://x-callback-url/create?title={title}&text={text}
• Open Dev Snippets — bear://x-callback-url/search?term=%23snippets

Use %23 for the # character when searching by tag. In ExtraBar, your most-used Bear tags and notes become persistent menu bar actions — essentially bookmarks for your entire note library.

Craft — Jump to Any Project Doc Instantly

Craft offers a polished writing experience with deep link support through the craftdocs:// URL scheme.

• Open Team Space — craftdocs://openspace?spaceId={spaceId}
• New Meeting Notes — craftdocs://createdocument?spaceId={spaceId}&title=Meeting%20Notes&folderId={folderId}
• Search All Docs — craftdocs://opensearch?spaceId={spaceId}&query={query}

Get space and document IDs by using File > Copy Deeplink in Craft. ExtraBar then stores these links as permanent menu bar shortcuts to your most important documents.

Todoist — One of the Most Popular Mac Productivity Apps

Todoist is widely used for cross-platform task management. Its todoist:// URL scheme covers views, projects, and quick task creation.

• Add Quick Task — todoist://addtask?content={taskContent}
• Open Today View — todoist://today
• Show Priority 1 — todoist://filter?id={filterId}
• Open Work Project — todoist://project?id={projectId}

Find project and filter IDs in Todoist's settings. With ExtraBar, your most critical Todoist views sit permanently in the menu bar — no need to open the app and navigate manually.

1Password — Your Vault, Faster Than the Shortcut

1Password uses the onepassword:// URL scheme for quick vault searches and password generation.

• Search Vault — onepassword://search/{query}
• Copy WiFi Password — onepassword://search/WiFi
• Generate New Password — onepassword://extension/generate-password

In ExtraBar, you can set up one-click searches for credentials you access frequently. This is particularly useful for shared WiFi passwords, server logins, and API keys you look up regularly.

GoodTask — Lists, Boards, and Kanban on Demand

GoodTask extends Apple Reminders with powerful views. Its goodtask3:// URL scheme opens any view or adds tasks.

• Show Today's Tasks — goodtask3://view?title=Today&view=2
• Open Weekly Kanban — goodtask3://view?title=Week&view=11
• Open Board View — goodtask3://view?title=Board&view=12

View numbers correspond to layouts: 1 is List, 2 is Day, 11 is Board by Date, 12 is Board by Priority, and so on. ExtraBar lets you switch between these views instantly from the menu bar.

Spark Mail — Email Without the Context Switch

Spark Mail uses the readdle-spark:// URL scheme for composing emails and launching the app.

• Compose New Email — readdle-spark://compose?subject={subject}&recipient={email}
• Email Work Contact — readdle-spark://compose?recipient={workEmail}

Spark's URL scheme focuses on composition. In ExtraBar, you can pre-fill recurring emails — for example, a daily standup update to your team or a weekly report to your manager. One click composes the email with the recipient and subject already set.

Ulysses — Every Sheet and Group, Instantly Reachable

Ulysses is a focused writing app with a comprehensive ulysses:// URL scheme.

• Open Current Manuscript — ulysses://x-callback-url/open?id={sheetId}
• Create New Sheet — ulysses://x-callback-url/new-sheet?text={text}&group=/My%20Group
• Open Blog Drafts — ulysses://x-callback-url/open?id=/Blog%20Drafts

Get sheet IDs by right-clicking a sheet in Ulysses and copying its callback URL. Group paths use / as the separator. Writers who juggle multiple projects in Ulysses can therefore build a dedicated writing panel in ExtraBar's menu bar.

ExtraBar — The Command Center for All Your Mac Productivity Apps

Every app above supports deep links. However, none of them gives you a unified place to store and organize those links. That's the core problem ExtraBar solves.

ExtraBar is a macOS app that creates custom actions in your menu bar. You add the apps you use, then attach actions to each one — deep links, keyboard shortcuts, shell scripts, or macOS Shortcuts. Everything stays visible and clickable at all times.

Here's what makes ExtraBar the ideal home for your deep links:

• One-click access — Every deep link becomes a menu bar action. No typing, no memorizing URLs.
• Organized by app — Group deep links under their parent app. Your Notion links live under Notion, your Things links under Things.
• Subfolders for structure — Nest actions into categories like "Daily," "Projects," or "Team" for clean organization.
• Three display modes — Inline Mode places icons in the native menu bar. Floating Bar Mode creates an auto-hiding bar with a global hotkey. Menu Mode collapses everything under a single icon.
• Works offline — ExtraBar stores everything locally. No account, no cloud sync, no permissions required.
• One-time purchase — ExtraBar costs €24.99 for a lifetime license. No subscription. It includes a 14-day money-back guarantee.

You can explore all the deep link examples above and more in the ExtraBar documentation. Every URL scheme listed in this article works as a Deep Link action in ExtraBar — just paste it in, set a label, and it appears in your menu bar.

Stop Clicking — Start Using Your Mac Productivity Apps Smarter

The mac productivity apps you already use are more powerful than you think. Deep links unlock instant access to specific pages, views, actions, and searches — all without navigating through menus or sidebars.

ExtraBar brings all of these deep links together into one visible, organized command center. Instead of remembering 17 different URL schemes, you simply click the action you need. Your most important shortcuts stay in the menu bar, ready whenever you are.

Try ExtraBar and turn your mac productivity apps into a one-click workflow.