Bundle your project files without moving anything
Requires macOS Monterey 12.4 or later
Real projects aren’t tidy. The design file lives in Dropbox, the code is in ~/Developer, the notes are in Obsidian, and the assets are scattered across three folders.
Stapler lets you bundle related files into logical projects without moving anything. Opening a single Stapler document opens your Figma file, your Xcode project, your TaskPaper list, and your reference docs—all at once. Stop hunting through Finder and start working.
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Auto-LaunchOpen a .stapled file to launch all items instantly
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Drag & DropAdd files, folders, and apps by dragging them in
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Quick LookPreview items with spacebar, just like Finder
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Security-ScopedFiles are referenced securely, never copied
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Batch OperationsLaunch all items or just the selected ones
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Edit ModeHold Command while opening to edit instead of launch
How It Works
Create a .stapled document and add files, folders, or apps via the file picker or drag-and-drop. Items are stored as aliases—the original files stay exactly where they are.
Open a .stapled file to auto-launch everything inside. The app quietly opens all your items and closes itself. Need to edit instead? Hold Command while opening.
Keyboard Shortcuts
- Cmd+Return—Add items
- Return—Launch items
- Space—Quick Look preview
- Cmd+R—Reveal in Finder
- Backspace—Remove selected items
Use Cases
- Work Projects—Bundle editors, IDEs, project tools, and documentation
- Creative Workflows—Combine relevant apps for specific tasks
- Task-Based Computing—One document per project or context
Optimised
- Only 381 KB app download size
- Less than 40 MB base memory footprint
How It Compares
Here’s how this app compares to other similar apps.
| Stapler | PSW Stapler | LaunchList | |
|---|---|---|---|
| App Store | ✓ | – | – |
| Drag and drop | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Quick Look | ✓ | – | – |
| Auto-launch on open | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Edit mode | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Security-scoped | ✓ | – | – |
| App size | 381 KB | 223 KB | 881 KB |
It hit the front page of Hacker News back in August 2024 based on my blog post. Compared to that older open source release, this one has several bug fixes, some quality of life improvements, and is distributed for free on the Mac App Store.
Haven't I see this before?
This app is inspired by PSW Stapler (1992) & LaunchList (2009)