What Did I Do Wrong? [Multiple Macros Accessing a Single Password]

Hi, gang--

I had created several macros that fill in my username (stays the same) and password (changes every 60 days). Every 60 days I would go into each macro and manually change the password. After a few months that just seemed dumb: I should be able to change the password once somewhere and access/insert that 'somewhere' value into each macro.

Today I did some research and it seems the way to do this is by creating a dictionary and have the password be a value that I can then insert as a token into the place in each macro where the password should be (rather than manually typing it).

Below is how I would code the action (I would create a Dictionary called MYpassword, set the Key as 'latest' and the value as 'blahblah007); but where do you place the dictionary...in each macro? That seems to defeat the purpose (unless I then have to make a macro to use every 60 days that lets me change the password in all macros accessing that dictionary?

What are your thoughts? Thanks.

dictionary

Look at this information from Peter.

This is how incorporate 3 or so passwords that I need outside of my password manager.

Using this process is easy by changing the password within Keychain after 2 or so months. I use this for my work VPN that uses a password and RSA token combo. All I have to do is type in my token as Keyboard Maestro retrieves the password from my keychain.

KC

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Thanks, kcwhat. Maybe I should have clarified that this is for internal company sites. I have been a 1Password user since day 1, so am super familiar with it and use it wherever possible. Brilliant app. But the issue for me is twofold: 1) when I enter my user/pw combo to access a company site, it invokes a dropdown certificate warning that I just need to click 'OK' (or in KC parlance 'Return') Between the entry of my user/pw and having to accept the prompt, I wanted it to all be handled by a macro. 2) One of my macros is for a non-browser situation: accessing our network remotely. It uses a program to access it and requires I fill in my user/pw combo, then authenticate with Authy. Again, a single macro that calls up the program, and fills in the user/pw combo is a tedium-saver.

I am not concerned about security as the drive is encrypted and I only use it at home (though it could always get stolen, but then again, the drive is encrypted.)

So I am back to wanting to understand if Dictionary is the way to go...and if my step above needs to be added to each macro?

Thanks again!

If security isn't a concern, it sounds like you could just keep the password in a global variable that all of your macros use. You could use a dictionary like you're currently attempting, but that seems like it might be overcomplicating it when a variable would suffice. You can make a new variable in KM's Variables preference pane (though you won't be able to start or end it with "Password" or "PW" due to how KM treats password variables):

and when you edit its contents in that same pane, every macro that uses the variable (and yes, you'll need an action like this in every macro that pastes your login, though you'll only need to add it to each once):

will paste whatever password you currently have stored in it.

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That was absolutely the trick, Gabe. Variables. Woot!

Thanks so much for the simple and complete directions.

Stay safe, be happy, one and all.

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Hey Folks,

In my opinion it's generally a bad idea to put passwords in the clear anywhere someone could stumble upon them – particularly when there's a perfectly good way to access secure passwords from Keyboard Maestro.

Set Variable to Keychain Password action.

This is a trifle tricky, so read carefully:

Set and Get a Keychain Password

-Chris