Setup, fixes, and answers.
The handful of things people ask most. If your question isn't here, email support@willettbot.com — a real human reads every message.
Quick start
From install to first script in 5 minutes.
The fastest path: install, grant permissions once, run a preset to confirm everything works, then record your own.
Install
Download from your dashboard, open the installer, and follow the prompts. The Mac build is Apple-notarized; the Windows build is signed.
Grant permissions
On first launch WillettBot will ask. Mac users: tick Accessibility, Screen Recording, and Input Monitoring once. Windows: approve the UAC prompt.
Run the Greeting preset
Hit Run on the Greeting walkthrough. It opens a text editor, asks your name, types a hello. Confirms permissions are working.
Record your own
Click Record, do a small task once, click Stop. Hit Run to replay. That's it — you have your first WillettBot script.
Permissions
What WillettBot needs and why.
WillettBot is a desktop automation tool, so the OS asks you to confirm it's allowed to watch your screen and act on your behalf. You only do this once per machine.
macOS 12+
Open System Settings → Privacy & Security and grant WillettBot under each of these:
- Accessibility — lets WillettBot click and type
- Screen Recording — lets it see windows so it can find them on replay
- Input Monitoring — lets it record your keyboard while you record
- If a permission is denied, WillettBot tells you exactly which one and links straight to the right Settings page
Windows 10/11
Windows handles this with a single UAC prompt on first launch.
- Click Yes when Windows asks if you want WillettBot to make changes
- No per-permission toggles to flip — once approved, you're done
- If you accidentally click No, right-click WillettBot.exe → Run as administrator one time
- Defender SmartScreen may show a warning the first time — click More info → Run anyway. It's signed with our publisher cert.
Stop hotkey
Esc stops anything, anywhere.
The single most important shortcut to remember. If a script is doing something you didn't expect, hit Esc and it stops instantly — even if WillettBot isn't the active window.
What Esc stops
- Any running script or workflow
- The auto-clicker — instantly
- Recording (cleanly saves what you've captured so far)
- Manual-input prompts (cancels the run)
If Esc doesn't work
- Make sure WillettBot is actually running — quit and relaunch if it crashed
- On Mac, check Accessibility permission is still granted (a system update can sometimes reset it)
- Last resort: force-quit WillettBot from the Dock or Task Manager — your script stops with the app
- You can change the hotkey under Settings → Stop key if Esc conflicts with another tool you use
Replay paused
My script stopped mid-run — what does it mean?
WillettBot pauses instead of crashing when something doesn't match what was recorded. The pause screen tells you the step number and what went wrong. Here are the three most common reasons.
Window not found
The window WillettBot was looking for isn't open.
- Open the app or window manually, then click Resume
- If the window title changed (browser tab name, doc name), edit the step and update the title
- Smart window matching handles minor changes — but a totally different title needs an edit
Click target moved
The button or link isn't where it was when you recorded.
- Often happens after an app update moves things around
- Open the step in the builder, click Re-capture, click the new location
- Save and resume the script — usually a 10-second fix
Timing issue
WillettBot moved on before the page was ready.
- Add a Wait step before the failing action — try 1 or 2 seconds
- Switch to Advanced mode to add a Wait-for-window step that waits until the window is actually present
- Long-loading pages can need 5+ seconds — better to wait too long than too short
Manual input
How prompts work.
Manual-input steps let you record once and have WillettBot pause to ask for the bits that change each run — a recipient, a date, an amount.
Adding a prompt
- Open any script in the builder
- Click Add step → Manual input
- Drag it to where the variable should be typed
- Set the question (e.g. 'Recipient email?')
- Save — next run, WillettBot pauses there and asks
Tips
- Use clear, short questions — 'Recipient?' beats 'Who is this email going to today?'
- You can add as many prompts as you want in one script
- If you skip a prompt (hit Cancel), the whole script stops cleanly
- Prompts work in the auto-clicker too — useful for setting click counts on the fly
Auto-clicker
Quirks and tips.
The auto-clicker is dead simple but a few things trip people up the first time.
Capturing your target
- Hover the cursor over the target for a full 3 seconds — don't move
- A small countdown shows so you know when it's locked
- If you miss, hit the capture button again — old target is replaced
- Test with 1 click before running the full count
Common gotchas
- Click rate over ~50/sec can saturate apps — try slower if clicks aren't registering
- Some games block synthetic clicks at the OS level — there's nothing we can do about that
- If your target moves (a moving button in a game), the auto-clicker keeps clicking the original screen position, not the target
- Esc stops it instantly — even if you've set 10,000 clicks
Workflows
Chaining scripts together.
A workflow runs several scripts back-to-back from one click. Useful for morning routines or any multi-step process where you'd otherwise hit Run three times in a row.
Building a workflow
- Click New → Workflow
- Drag scripts into the order you want them to run
- Optionally add a pause between any two steps for review
- Save and Run — WillettBot does each script in sequence
If a script in the middle fails
- The whole workflow pauses where the failure happened
- Fix the broken step (or skip it) and click Resume
- The workflow picks up at the next script — no need to re-run the earlier ones
- Esc stops the entire workflow at any point
Updates
How new versions arrive.
WillettBot checks for updates on launch and quietly downloads them. You'll be prompted to relaunch when one is ready — never mid-script.
When updates happen
- On launch, in the background — never during a running script
- You'll see a small banner when one's ready, with a Restart button
- Click it when convenient — nothing breaks if you wait a day or two
- If you've turned auto-update off in Settings, you can update manually any time
If something breaks after an update
- Email support@willettbot.com with your version number (Settings → About) and what went wrong
- We can send you the previous installer if you need to downgrade while we fix it
- Your scripts are stored locally and aren't affected by app updates — they survive any reinstall
- We test every release on a real Mac and a real Windows box before shipping
Account & billing
Subscription, cancellation, switching plans.
How do I cancel?
Sign in, go to your dashboard, and click Manage subscription — Stripe handles the rest. You keep access until the end of your current billing period.
Can I switch from monthly to yearly (or back)?
Yes, in your dashboard. Stripe prorates the difference automatically — you won't be double-charged.
Do you offer refunds?
We offer a 7-day refund window from your initial charge. Email support@willettbot.com from the address on the account and we'll process it.
I'm signed in on the website but the desktop app says I'm not licensed.
The desktop app needs a one-time sign-in too. Open WillettBot, click Sign in, and complete the browser flow. After that it stays signed in.
Can I use one account on both my Mac and my Windows machine?
Yes. One subscription covers all your personal devices — sign in on each.
I forgot my password.
On the sign-in screen click Forgot password and follow the email link. We use Clerk for auth, so it's the standard reset flow.
Where can I see my invoices?
Dashboard → Manage subscription opens your Stripe customer portal. All invoices live there as PDFs.
Still stuck
Email a real person.
If your question isn't covered above, write to support@willettbot.com. Include your version number (Settings → About) and what you were trying to do — it helps us help you faster.
We reply within one business day, usually faster.
Got everything you need?
Head back to your dashboard or browse the rest of the site.