# How to Make a File Executable on Mac

Updated: November 12, 2026

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URL: https://sindresorhus.com/guides/make-file-executable-mac

Open Terminal, type `chmod +x ` with a space at the end, drag the file into the window, and press Return. To do it from the right-click menu of Finder, use “Make Executable” from [Supercharge](https://sindresorhus.com/supercharge).

## With Supercharge

1. Open the settings of [Supercharge](https://sindresorhus.com/supercharge), click “Tweaks”, and click “Configure…” next to “Context menu items”.
1. In the “Main Menu” tab, turn on “Make Executable”.
1. Right-click the file in Finder, and choose “Make Executable”.

The item only shows for files that are not executable yet, and not for images, audio, video, PDF files, archives, or fonts. It is useful for shell scripts, like a `.command` file that you then open with a double-click.

The right-click items cannot show in synced folders, like iCloud Drive and Dropbox. There, right-click the file, and choose “Services › Make File Executable”.

## Without an app

macOS does it with a command in Terminal. Replace the path with your file, or drag the file into the window:

```console
chmod +x ~/Desktop/script.sh
```

Then run the script with its path, like `~/Desktop/script.sh`. The Terminal way is fine when you already work in Terminal. Supercharge is faster when you start in Finder.