Macs are great at saving power, which is exactly the problem when you need one to stay awake through a long export, upload, or install. The built-in options help, but each has a catch on macOS.
The built-in options
The caffeinate Terminal command keeps a Mac awake, but it's clunky to remember and doesn't help with input-based status apps. Amphetamine and similar tools prevent sleep too, but again only address power state, not activity.
What a native Mac jiggler adds
Virtual Mouse Jiggler for Mac lives in your menu bar and makes small, human-like cursor movements on a set cadence. That keeps the machine genuinely active, not just awake, so long tasks finish and your presence stays accurate. It's signed and notarized by Apple, so it installs cleanly with no security warnings.
Set it and forget it
Flip it on from the menu bar, pick your interval, and step away. When you're done, toggle it off. One subscription also covers Windows and Chrome, so your license follows you across every machine you use.