FileRouter

FileRouter is a Mac utility that routes supported file types to the editor or utility you choose instead of opening files directly itself. It helps users set per-type rules for editors, shortcuts, services, scripts, and related actions.

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Default file handler routing for macOS

FileRouter is a macOS utility that makes itself the default handler for selected file types and then routes those files to the editor or action you choose. It is designed for users who want a central place to define what happens when they double-click a file, without having FileRouter open the document itself.

The app supports built-in routes such as Markdown and Plain Text, and it can also add custom types from a file’s extension and UTI. Rules, default editors, and picker utilities let you control how each type opens and what secondary actions are available for that route.

Core features

Per-file-type default handling

Claim FileRouter as the default handler only for the file types you assign to it, so double-clicked files of those types are routed through its rules first.

Ordered routing rules

Rules are evaluated per route, with the first enabled match winning. Conditions can use file name, extension, parent folder, creator app metadata, and whether enabled editors are currently running.

Route-specific editor selection

Each route has a menu of enabled editors, and the permanent Default Rule provides a fallback editor for that route. Changing the menu pick or the rule default keeps the other in sync.

Picker utilities

Interactive pickers can include utility actions such as Copy POSIX Path, Reveal in Finder, and Open Parent in Terminal alongside editor choices.

Shortcuts, Services, and AppleScripts

Routes can expose selectable Shortcuts, system Services, and scripts from the Scripts folder, with current files passed into the chosen action using the appropriate input style.

Custom types and URL invocation

FileRouter can learn new file types from an unrouted file, and it registers the x-filerouter URL scheme for sending files into the app from other tools or for forcing a named rule.

Practical ways to use FileRouter

Route Markdown to a preferred editor
Set FileRouter as the handler for Markdown, then choose which Markdown editor opens by default or define rules that send specific folders or file names to different apps.
Handle plain text with different outcomes
Use route defaults and ordered rules to open general text files in one editor while sending files from certain locations or with certain metadata to another.
Attach utilities to a file picker
When you want an action instead of an editor, enable utilities like copying the POSIX path, revealing the file in Finder, or opening the parent folder in a terminal app.
Trigger automation from files
Expose Shortcuts, Services, or AppleScripts for a route so the current files can be handed off to a scripted workflow instead of being opened in an app.
Teach FileRouter a new file type
Drop an unrouted file onto the app or add a custom type in Settings so the file extension and UTI become a routable type with its own editor and rules.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Supports both built-in and custom file types.
Lets you define ordered per-route rules rather than a single global default.
Includes utility actions as first-class picker choices, not just app launches.
Can pass current files into Shortcuts, Services, and AppleScripts.
Supports custom URL-based invocation for scripted workflows.

Cons

Pricing details are limited on the site; the pricing page returns a 404 and the home page only confirms a one-time $19.99 purchase with a 7-day trial.
The help docs focus on Mac workflows, so broader platform support is not documented in the provided sources.
Advanced routing depends on setting up rules, editor lists, and optional permissions, so it is not a zero-configuration tool.

FAQ

How does FileRouter work as a default handler?

You assign FileRouter to specific file types, and macOS sends those files to FileRouter first when they are opened. FileRouter then applies the route’s rules and opens the editor or utility you selected.

Can FileRouter use custom editors or utilities?

Yes. The Editors tab lets you curate discovered apps and add apps manually, and the Utilities section can expose Copy POSIX Path, Reveal in Finder, Open Parent in Terminal, Shortcuts, Services, and AppleScripts for a route.

Does FileRouter support custom file types?

Yes. The help docs say you can add a type from an unrouted file or through Add Type…, using the file’s extension and UTI to create a new route.

What is the x-filerouter URL scheme for?

It lets other apps, scripts, Terminal commands, and Shortcuts send files into FileRouter explicitly, including cases where you want to force a named rule rather than rely on the default file handler.

What does FileRouter cost?

The home page says the app includes a 7-day free trial and then a one-time purchase of $19.99. The separate pricing URL returned a 404 in the provided sources.