Which permission does your Mac automation need?
Start with what the app is trying to do. Reading controls, capturing a screen, and sending commands to another app use different kinds of access.
Permission guide · 5 min · Reviewed 2026-10-02Three permissions, three different jobs
Accessibility lets an authorized app interact through accessibility features. Screen & System Audio Recording controls capture access. Automation controls permission for one app to automate another. A workflow can require more than one permission; approving one does not approve the others.
What are you trying to do?
Educational guidance, not a scan of your settings. Other permissions can apply to a particular workflow. Names can vary by macOS version.
Check the app that actually performs the action
Open System Settings, then Privacy & Security. Find the relevant category and review the listed app. An automation launched from a terminal or helper can involve a different application identity than you expect. Follow that tool’s instructions and the name in the macOS prompt.
Permission is only one part of the diagnosis
If access is already enabled, inspect the exact error and the target app. A missing AX label, an unavailable window, or an action the target does not expose can still prevent success. A permission toggle is not evidence that every control can now be automated.
Use the smallest permission set the task needs
Give access to tools you trust and understand. This guide explains the categories; it cannot check or change your Mac settings. Lattices documents how its window features use Accessibility and Screen Recording so you can connect each request to a feature you intend to use.
Watch the animated explanation
Go to the source
Documentation reviewed 2026-10-02. Examples are illustrative; this is not a hands-on product benchmark.