# Run a Node.js script from your macOS menu bar

> Learn how to run a Node.js script from the macOS menu bar using AppleScript and the Script Editor, with a do shell script command.

Author: [Flavio Copes](https://flaviocopes.com/about/) | Published: 2023-01-22 | Topics: [Mac](https://flaviocopes.com/tags/mac/) | Canonical: https://flaviocopes.com/run-a-nodejs-script-from-your-macos-menu-bar/

I wanted to quickly add a fast way to run a [Node.js](https://flaviocopes.com/nodejs/) script from the menu bar.

Many options exist, including making your own macOS menu bar app, or using 3rd party apps.

But macOS gives us an easy way as well, using good old [AppleScript](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/AppleScript/Conceptual/AppleScriptLangGuide/introduction/ASLR_intro.html).

Open the **Script Editor** app on macOS

Open its settings and enable **Show Script menu in menu bar:**

![Script Editor preferences window with Show Script menu in menu bar checkbox selected](https://flaviocopes.com/images/run-a-nodejs-script-from-your-macos-menu-bar/1.webp)

Now click the File → New menu to open the script editor:

![Script Editor application window with blank script editor interface](https://flaviocopes.com/images/run-a-nodejs-script-from-your-macos-menu-bar/2.webp)

To run my Node.js script I added this line

```bash
do shell script "cd /Users/myself/dev; /opt/homebrew/bin/node script.js"
```

As a JS dev I must note that you can also use [JavaScript for Automation](https://github.com/JXA-Cookbook/JXA-Cookbook/wiki) (JXA) to do the same thing:

```javascript
const app = Application.currentApplication()
app.includeStandardAdditions = true
app.doShellScript('cd /Users/myself/dev; /opt/homebrew/bin/node script.js')
```

but I prefer AppleScript in this case, feels more “native”.

I used `cd` so the `.env` file I put in that folder was picked up by Node.

Then I clicked the script name, added a good name, and saved into my user’s scripts folder, which can be found in `~/Library/Scripts`

![Save dialog showing Scripts folder in user Library directory as save location](https://flaviocopes.com/images/run-a-nodejs-script-from-your-macos-menu-bar/3.webp)

After all these steps, I was able to find my script in the menu bar, like this:

![macOS menu bar showing Script menu dropdown with custom Node.js script listed](https://flaviocopes.com/images/run-a-nodejs-script-from-your-macos-menu-bar/4.webp)

That’s it!

Now I can run it, and a spinning gear shows up, notifying me when it’s finished:

![macOS notification showing script execution completed with green checkmark](https://flaviocopes.com/images/run-a-nodejs-script-from-your-macos-menu-bar/5.webp)

Pretty cool!