How it works
- Pick the window and the point with the crosshair; the point is stored as a position within the window, so it still lands correctly after the window moves.
- Choose the left, right or middle button, and single or double click.
- The click is delivered straight to the control under that point, so your own mouse stays exactly where it was.
- The window may be behind other windows, but not minimized, and the point can't be on its title bar or frame.
- You can also pass in a window from an earlier step, such as one that Open app just started.
Routines that use it
Confirm a desktop app dialog
After Open app starts an old utility, Click in app presses its Start button while you carry on in your browser.
Tick a setting each morning
At a time at 08:30 clicks a check box in a classic settings window that stays behind your other apps.
Refresh a tool panel
A Hotkey clicks a Refresh button in a background monitoring app, then Get window info reads its updated title.
Settings
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| At | The window and the point to click. The window can stay behind other windows, but not minimized. |
| Button | Which button. |
| Double | Double-click instead of a single click. |
| Refadvanced | A window from an earlier step, for example {{ steps.open_app.window }}, instead of the window above. |
Good to know
- Works with classic Windows controls; apps that draw their own controls, such as browsers and games, don't respond to it.
- Never sends anything to a game protected by anti-cheat; most games ignore background clicks anyway.
Questions
- Can I click in a window without bringing it to the front?
- Yes, for classic desktop apps. Click in app sends the click straight to the button under the point, so the window stays behind and your pointer doesn't move.
- Does background clicking work in games?
- No. Games draw their own controls and generally ignore background clicks, and KeyRoutines refuses to send input to games protected by anti-cheat. Use it for desktop apps.