Add conditional actions

Last updated on Oct 4, 2026

Learn how to insert logic steps that trigger different actions based on document conditions, such as color mode or aspect ratio, in Adobe Photoshop on desktop.

Use conditional actions to build automated workflows that respond to different document properties. Instead of creating separate actions for every scenario, you can insert decision points that check conditions, such as RGB color mode or a square aspect ratio, and then run different actions based on what Photoshop determines. This prevents errors when batch-processing files with varying properties and saves time by handling multiple scenarios in a single workflow.

Insert a conditional step

Open the Actions panel and select the action where you want to insert the conditional logic.

Position the playhead at the point where the conditional should run or select a command to insert the conditional after that step.

Select Insert Conditional from the Actions panel menu.

In the Conditional Action dialog box, choose a condition from the If Current menu, such as Document Is Square or Document Is RGB Mode.

From the Then Play Action menu, choose the action to run when the condition is true.

From the Else Play Action menu, choose the action to run when the condition is false, or select None to skip execution.

Select OK.

Photoshop inserts the conditional step into your action. At least one path (Then or Else) must run an action since you can't set both to None.

Test for the opposite condition

You can reverse conditional logic by swapping the Then and Else actions. For example, to run Action 1 only when a document is not square, select Document Is Square as the condition, set Then Play Action to None, and set Else Play Action to Action 1. This technique works for any condition in the If Current menu. This approach works when Photoshop doesn't offer a negative version of the condition you need.

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