IOS Shortcuts User Guide V 2.1

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Shortcuts User Guide

Connect the best features of your apps
Table of Contents 
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Whatʼs a shortcut?
A shortcut is a quick way to get one or more tasks done with your apps. The Shortcuts app lets you c
your own shortcuts with multiple steps. For example, build a “Surf Time” shortcut that grabs the surf
report, gives an ETA to the beach, and launches your surf music playlist.
Learn how shortcuts work 
Whatʼs an action?
An action—the building block of a shortcut—is a single step in a task. Mix and match actions to creat
shortcuts that interact with the apps and content on your iOS device, as well as with content and ser
on the Internet. Each shortcut is made up of one or more actions.
Create your own shortcut 
Where do I find shortcuts?

The Gallery features a curated collection of creative and useful shortcuts. Explore the Gallery to chec
shortcut possibilities and to see how theyʼre built. When you find a Gallery shortcut you like, add it to
Library with a simple tap and customize it to suit your needs.
Explore the Gallery 
To browse the Shortcuts User Guide, click Table of Contents at the top of the page.
Not all apps, services, and content are available in all areas.
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Shortcuts at a glance 
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Shortcuts at a glance
Whatʼs a shortcut?
A shortcut provides a quick way to get things done with your apps, with just a tap or by asking Siri.
Shortcuts can automate a wide variety of things—for example, getting directions to the next event on your
Calendar, moving text from one app to another, generating expense reports, and more.
Based on how you use your iOS device—your app usage and your browser, email, and messaging history—
Siri suggests simple, useful shortcuts that you can quickly tap to run. Once you add the shortcut to Siri,
you can simply summon Siri, then say the shortcut phrase to run it.
The Shortcuts app

In addition to running the simple shortcuts suggested by Siri, you can use the Shortcuts app to add ready-
made or custom shortcuts to your iOS device. The app lets you combine multiple steps across multiple
apps to create powerful task automations. After you add shortcuts from the app Gallery or create your
own, you can launch them in the app, from iOS Today View, from your iOS Home screen, or by asking Siri.
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Whatʼs an action?
An action is the building block of a shortcut. Each shortcut comprises a series of actions, and each action
is a single step that performs a particular function. For example, a shortcut that posts an animated GIF to
Twitter might contain three consecutive actions: Get Latest Photos grabs the latest photos that you took
on your device; Make GIF uses those photos to build an animated GIF; and Tweet automatically posts the
GIF to your Twitter account.
Actions represent the best features of the apps on your device, broken out into smaller parts. With more
than 300 actions, there are a variety of individual steps you can chain together to build shortcuts. Here are
some example chains of actions you might include in a shortcut:
Get Latest Photos + Mask Image + Send Message
Get Upcoming Events + Get Addresses from Input + Search Local Businesses + Show in Maps
When you run a shortcut, each action proceeds in sequence from the first action to the last action. By
arranging actions that perform individual tasks in specific ways, you can define how a shortcut acts as it
progresses through each step. Actions are the core building blocks of shortcuts, so the actions you
choose and their order are key to making shortcuts suited to your needs.
Where are shortcuts stored?

Shortcuts you create or select from the Gallery are stored in the Library section of the app. These
shortcuts are available on your iPhone or iPad, ready to run at a momentʼs notice.
Each shortcut is represented by a rounded rectangle that has a title, an icon, and a color. Tap a shortcut
once to run it, or tap to see the actions contained inside.
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 Welcome Discover shortcuts in the Gallery 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Shortcuts at a glance
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Discover shortcuts in the Gallery

If youʼre looking for new shortcuts to add to your collection, or to see whatʼs possible and how particular
shortcuts are built, check out the Gallery.
Open and browse the Gallery

1. At the bottom of the main Shortcuts screen, tap .
Curated shortcuts appear organized into category rows (Essentials, Morning Routine, Stay Healthy, and
so on).
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2. Tap See All to see all the shortcuts in a category.
3. Swipe a category row sideways to see other shortcuts in a category.
4. Swipe up or down to see more category rows.
Tip: You can also open the Gallery by pressing the Shortcuts app icon on the Home screen of an
iPhone that supports 3D Touch, then sliding your finger to Gallery.
Add a Gallery shortcut to your collection

1. In the Shortcuts app Gallery , tap a shortcut (a colored rectangle).
A description of the shortcut appears.
3D Touch. If your iPhone supports 3D touch, you can press a shortcut to peek at the description,
then press deeper to pop it open.
2. Tap Show Actions.
A preview of the actions in the shortcut is displayed.
3. To add the shortcut to your collection, tap Get Shortcut; if there are additional setup steps for the
shortcut (such as granting access), follow the instructions that appear, then tap Done.
The shortcut is added to your Library.
Search the Gallery

You can search for additional shortcuts not shown in the Gallery.
At the top of the Shortcuts app Gallery, tap , then enter a search term in the search field.
Shortcuts that match your search term appear below the field.
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 Shortcuts at a glance Run a shortcut 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Discover shortcuts in the Gallery
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Run a shortcut
When you open Shortcuts, the Library appears, listing all the shortcuts youʼve created or added from the
Gallery. You can run any of these shortcuts.
In the Shortcuts app, do one of the following:
In the Library , tap a shortcut.
In the Library , tap on the shortcut you want to run, then at the top of shortcut editor that
appears (showing all the actions in the shortcut), tap .
If the last action in the sequence results in a rich preview (such as an image or map location), a small
preview window appears below the shortcut. Tap to view content in full screen, or tap to send it
elsewhere.
Shortcuts performs each action sequentially (from top to bottom as listed in the shortcut editor). To cancel
the shortcut from the Library, tap . To cancel the shortcut from the shortcut editor, tap .
For more information on sharing your shortcut, see Share shortcuts.
Alternatively, you can run a shortcut without opening the Shortcuts app in the following ways:
Run a shortcut with Siri
Run a shortcut in Today View
Run a shortcut from another app
Run a shortcut from iOS Search
Run a shortcut from the iOS Home screen
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 Discover shortcuts in the Gallery How shortcuts work 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Run a shortcut
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How do shortcuts work?

When you run a shortcut, each action in the list of actions runs in order from top to bottom. Each action
plays a role in the task or goal you want to accomplish, much like individual steps in a factory assembly
line. For example, some actions fetch information—either from your device or from the Internet. Some
actions transform information, for example, resizing an image. Other actions share information to services
like Facebook or Twitter.
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 Run a shortcut The flow of content 
Support Shortcuts User Guide How do shortcuts work?
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The flow of content in Shortcuts

When you run a shortcut, information is passed from action to action and transformed along the way. This
information, or content, can be any type of data—text, photos, videos, URLs, Calendar events, songs,
contacts, Health data, Maps locations, and much more.
Any number of items can be passed from one action to the next. Content is mostly invisible in the shortcut
as itʼs handed from action to action. And when a shortcut finishes, the content is discarded and the
shortcut reset for the next time you run it.
For example, the Get Latest Photos action retrieves and outputs the images most recently saved to the
Photos app. In the following shortcut, multiple items are passed between actions: the Get Latest Photos
action passes three images, sorted in order from most recent to oldest, to the Tweet action.
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 How shortcuts work Action connections 
Support Shortcuts User Guide The flow of content in Shortcuts
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Action connections in Shortcuts

When an action uses content provided by the action before it, a line appears down the center of the list of
actions, connecting the actions. This line indicates that the output of the action will be used as input to the
following action.
Many Shortcuts actions can accept input and provide output. Some actions accept only input, create only
output, or pass input through as output without changing it.
Tap an actionʼs icon in the shortcut to see a description of the action, the types of input it accepts, and the
types of output it provides.
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Some actions accept only specific types of content as input. Actions that arenʼt compatible appear in the
list without a connecting line, to show that the actions wonʼt work together. For example, the Get Current
Location action canʼt provide an output for the Create Playlist action because Create Playlist requires a
song item, not a map location.
Some actions donʼt take input and produce only output. These are typically “get” actions, like Get
Upcoming Events, Get Current Song, or Select Photos, all of which simply retrieve data. An action that
doesnʼt take input appears in the list of actions separated from the previous action, without a center
connecting line.
In the following example, the Select Photos action retrieves data from the Photos app and requires no
input from another action. The data retrieved by the Select Photos action is input into the Convert Image
action.
Some actions accept content as input but donʼt change it, passing the same content as output. For
example, the Vibrate Device action shakes your device in between actions while passing input to the next
action.
Similarly, passing a phone number as input to the Call action places a phone call to that number; when the
call finishes, the Call action produces that same phone number as its output.
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 The flow of content Control the flow of actions 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Action connections in Shortcuts
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Control the flow of actions in Shortcuts

Once you start working with more complex shortcuts, youʼll encounter actions that express logic and
change the flow of the shortcut (such as skipping or separating groups of actions). Here are a few
examples of these special types of actions:
Variables
Variables temporarily save some content for use later in a shortcut. Often, actions that contain variables
donʼt connect directly to the next action in the shortcut; instead, they pass their output (including the
variable) to another action later in the shortcut. See Use variables in Shortcuts.
If actions
The If action checks for specific conditions in a shortcut and outputs varying results depending on which
condition is met. Therefore, actions can take different paths depending on conditions that are determined
when the shortcut runs. See Use If actions in Shortcuts.
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Repeat actions
Repeat actions are used to perform the same actions multiple times, creating loops. Actions within a
repeat loop run from top to bottom in the loop, and then jump back to the top, repeating the actions as
many times as necessary. See Use Repeat actions in Shortcuts.
Choose from actions

Choose from actions pause the shortcut and present a menu of options to the user. Based on the option
chosen, different actions populate the rest of the shortcut, leading to different outcomes. See Use the
Choose from Menu action in Shortcuts.
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 Action connections The Content Graph engine 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Control the flow of actions in Shortcuts
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The Content Graph engine in Shortcuts

Much of the magic of Shortcuts comes from its Content Graph engine, which intelligently converts data
from iOS features and apps into shortcut actions on the fly. When an action expects one type of content
and you pass it another type of content, the Content Graph automatically converts that content to the
appropriate type.
This smart data conversion lets Shortcuts integrate apps and services. The following example contains a
Get Upcoming Events action followed by a Show Directions action. The first action outputs a Calendar
event, which can include scheduling data as well as location data. Because the second action requires
location data as input, the Content Graph extracts only the Maps data from the Calendar event, to produce
driving directions.
The Content Graph also allows advanced, multistep content detection. This lets Shortcuts integrate with
apps and services that seem unrelated, such as Music and Instagram. For example, you can create a
shortcut that contains a Get Current Song action followed by a Post on Instagram action. When run, this
series of actions automatically extracts the album artwork from the song thatʼs currently playing and posts
the artwork to Instagram.
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With the Content Graph, you rarely have to consider whether youʼre passing the right type of content from
one action to another. Shortcuts assumes what you want to accomplish, and determines how to get there.
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 Control the flow of actions Completing a shortcut run 
Support Shortcuts User Guide The Content Graph engine in Shortcuts
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Completing a shortcut run

When a shortcut completes its chain of actions in the shortcut editor, an output is produced and appears
in a window below the actions. Tap to view content in full screen, or tap to send it elsewhere.
Note: If you run a shortcut from the Today Widget or from another app as an Action Extension, no preview
of the output is shown. Instead, the shortcut is dismissed and youʼre returned to where you left off.
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 The Content Graph engine Identify opportunities for automation 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Completing a shortcut run
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Identify opportunities for automation in

Shortcuts
To identify tasks to automate using shortcuts, observe how you use your iPhone, iPad, and Mac
throughout the day. Itʼs obvious that tasks you do multiple times a day are ideal shortcut candidates.
However, there are many more opportunities: What task is taking too long? What canʼt you do in the app
youʼre currently working in? Whatʼs just too much trouble to bother with? Youʼll start to recognize these
moments as opportunities to create shortcuts (especially once youʼve reviewed the actions available in the
Shortcuts app).
Consider the following:
If youʼre a student: Create shortcuts to manage homework and exam reminders, study with flashcards,
generate example problems, or translate text between languages.
If you commute daily: Create shortcuts to see transit times, review your meetings for the day, or hear
top news headlines read aloud.
If youʼre health-conscious: Create shortcuts for logging what you eat and drink, your exercise activity,
your sleep, or your reproductive health; you can also create shortcuts to analyze your Health app data
and draw conclusions.
If youʼre an avid music listener: Create shortcuts to play your favorite playlists, add songs to playlists,
pull up lyrics, share your favorite songs, or look up how to play a song.
If you love eating out, grabbing coffee, or visiting pubs: Create shortcuts to find directions to nearby
venues, invite friends along, make reservations, calculate tips, place orders over the phone, or log your
opinions.
If you often communicate with friends and loved ones: Create shortcuts to send templated text
messages, edit your photos, quickly place phone or FaceTime calls, or create and share GIFs or photo
collages.
If you share expenses with friends or like to spend money: Create shortcuts to send or request
payments using Apple Pay or another cash app.
If you prefer talking over tapping: Add shortcuts to Siri that run when you speak a phrase. Any shortcut
can be added to Siri.
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Tasks that involve too many taps on your iOS device are also ideal candidates for shortcuts. Truly useful
automations significantly reduce the number of taps that are required to reach your goal.
A third-party app that doesnʼt quite meet your needs is another ideal candidate for automation. By
building a shortcut that integrates with the third-party app, youʼre not confined to the choices offered by
the app developers, and you can create a more personalized tool.
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 Completing a shortcut run Create a new shortcut 
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Create a new shortcut

Itʼs easy to create a new, custom shortcut using the Shortcuts app for iPhone or iPad:
Step 1: Create a new shortcut in the Library.
Step 2: Add actions in the shortcut editor.
Step 3: Run your new shortcut to test it.
Build a new shortcut

1. In the Shortcuts app Library , do one of the following:
Tap in the upper-right corner.
Tap Create Shortcut at the end of your list of shortcuts.
An empty, untitled shortcut appears in the shortcut editor.
Tip: To access the Shortcuts User Guide within the app, tap Help.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/create-a-new-shortcut-apd84c576f8c/ios 1/3
2. To see suggested actions you can add to your shortcut, do one of the following:
On iPhone: Swipe up (from the top of the search field) to display a list of suggested actions.
On iPad: Scroll the list in the left sidebar.
On larger iPhone models, such as iPhone XS Max or iPhone 8 Plus, the action list appears in the left
sidebar when you rotate iPhone to landscape orientation.
3. To see all available actions you can add to your shortcut, tap at the top of the list; to search for a
specific action, enter a term in the search field.
For more information about choosing actions, see Navigate the action list in Shortcuts.
4. To add an action to your shortcut, touch and hold an action in the list, then drag it to the position you
want in the shortcut editor.
You can also tap an action to add it to the bottom of the action list in the shortcut editor.
5. Repeat step 4 for each action you want to add to your custom shortcut.
Tip: You can change the order of actions by dragging them to different locations in the shortcut
editor.
6. To give the shortcut a custom name, tap to open Settings, then tap the Name row, tap , type a
new name, then tap Done.
7. Tap Done again to return to the shortcut editor.
8. To test your new shortcut, tap .
To stop the shortcut, tap .
9. To save your new shortcut, tap Done.
The new shortcut appears at the bottom of your list of shortcuts in the Library, ready for use.
Tip: You can also create a new shortcut by pressing the Shortcuts app icon on the Home screen of
an iPhone that supports 3D Touch, then sliding your finger to Create Shortcut.
For information on rearranging your shortcuts in the Library, see Organize shortcuts.
For information on customizing the appearance of your new shortcut (the colored rectangle in the
Library), see Customize a shortcut.
Undo or redo steps while composing your shortcut

In the Shortcuts app, tap or in the shortcut editor to undo or redo your steps.
You can also tap on an action to remove it from the shortcut editor.
Open an existing shortcut

In the Library , tap on the shortcut to open it in the shortcut editor.
On an iPhone that supports 3D Touch, press a shortcut in the Library to peek at it, then press
deeper to pop open the shortcut editor.
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 Identify opportunities for automation Customize a shortcut 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Create a new shortcut
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Customize a shortcut
By default, new shortcuts display a magic wand icon and one of 15 colors. You can customize the
shortcutʼs appearance (the colored rectangle in the Library) by changing its color and giving it an icon
more representative of its task.
You can also change of the name of a saved custom shortcut or a shortcut youʼve added from the Gallery.
Customize a shortcutʼs appearance

1. In the Shortcuts app Library , tap on the shortcut you want to modify.
2. In the shortcut editor, tap to open Settings.
3. Tap the Icon row, then do any of the following:
Change the shortcutʼs color: Tap Color, then tap a color swatch.
Change the shortcutʼs glyph (icon): Tap Glyph, tap a category at the bottom of the screen (Objects,
People, and so on), then tap an icon.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/customize-a-shortcut-apd5ad5a2128/ios 1/3
For information on the Home Screen options, see Add a custom shortcut icon to the Home screen.
4. To save your changes, tap Done.
5. Tap Done again to return to the shortcut editor, then tap Done (one more time!) to see the updated
shortcut in the Library.
Change a shortcutʼs name

2. In the shortcut editor, tap to open Settings.
3. Tap the Name row, tap , type a new name, then tap Done.
The new name appears at the top of the shortcut editor and on the shortcut in the Library.
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 Create a new shortcut Navigate the action list 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Customize a shortcut
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Navigate the action list in Shortcuts

Actions are the building blocks of a shortcut. As you add actions to your custom shortcut, you can view
information about each action, sort the list of available actions by category or by search term, and create
favorite actions for future use.
As you build a shortcut, the Shortcuts app predicts what actions you may want to use next. For example, if
the last action is a Contacts action, the app suggests actions such as Call or FaceTime. In a shortcut that
ends with a Get Current Song action, the list suggests actions such as Add to Playlist or Get Details of
Music.
Note: Suggested actions disappear from the list when you tap .
In iOS 12, apps can expose their own shortcuts. These shortcuts are available as actions in the Siri
Suggestions action category. See View actions suggested by Siri.
View information about an action

1. In the Shortcuts app Library , tap on a shortcut.
2. In the shortcut editor, tap to display a list of action categories.
3. Tap an action category in the list, then tap for a specific action.
A brief description of the action appears, including the type of content that can be used as input (if
any) and the resulting output. To learn more about inputs and outputs, see How do shortcuts work?
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/navigate-the-action-list-apdc33e4f4da/ios 1/5
Tip: Once an action is placed in a shortcut, you can tap the actionʼs name or icon to display the
actionʼs description.
Search the list of actions

1. In the Shortcuts app, do one of the following in the shortcut editor:
On iPhone: Tap at the bottom of the screen.
On iPad: Tap at the top of the left sidebar.
2. Enter a term in the search field.
The list is sorted to show actions that contain that search term. Try searching for get, find, or add to
explore a variety of actions across multiple categories. You can also search for specific topics like
music or events, or for apps and services you use.
View all actions in a specific category

On iPhone: Tap at the bottom of the screen.
Tip: You can also swipe up to display the action list.
On iPad: Tap at the top of the left sidebar.
A list of action categories appears.
2. Tap a category name (Music or Web, for example).
All actions related to the category you chose appear in the list, organized by subcategory.
View actions suggested by Siri

Siri Suggestions appear in the action list and are based on how you use your device.
On an iPhone: Tap at the bottom of the screen.
On an iPad: Tap in the upper-left corner of the sidebar.
2. Tap Siri Suggestions.
Siri-suggested actions appear in the list.
3. Tap to display a description of an action.
For information on adding shortcuts to Siri, see Use suggested shortcuts and Use Siri to run shortcuts
with your voice.
Mark an action as a favorite

1. In the Shortcuts app, do one of the following:
In the shortcut editor: Tap the name of the action you want to mark as favorite.
In the action list: Tap the info button on the action you want to mark as favorite.
2. Tap .
The action is marked as “Favorited” and added to your Favorites list.
View favorite actions

On an iPhone: Tap at the bottom of the screen.
On an iPad: Tap in the upper-left corner of the sidebar.
2. Tap Favorites.
Actions that you previously marked as favorites appear in the list.
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 Customize a shortcut Order of actions 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Navigate the action list in Shortcuts
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Order of actions in Shortcuts

The key to building a shortcut is arranging actions in the right order so that they properly accomplish the
task at hand. As you use Shortcuts, youʼll notice that many shortcuts follow a similar pattern of actions:
Get actions: The first actions bring content into the shortcut. See About get actions in Shortcuts.
Transform actions: The middle group of actions in a shortcut transform the content into a different
format. See About transform actions in Shortcuts.
Share actions: The final actions in a shortcut often share data with a service or launch data in another
app. See About share actions in Shortcuts.
These arenʼt hard-and-fast rules, of course; many shortcuts omit one or more of these action types. But
keeping the get-transform-share order of actions in mind can help you build more efficient shortcuts.
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 Navigate the action list Get actions 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Order of actions in Shortcuts
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11/25/2018 About get actions in Shortcuts - Apple Support
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About get actions in Shortcuts

Get actions collect content and add it to a shortcut. As you build your shortcut, you can search for get
actions in the action list by entering keywords like get, search, find, and select. Actions like Get Latest
Photos, Search Local Businesses, and Find Music look into their respective apps, get content, and then
send it to the next action.
Additionally, there are actions that let you enter data directly into the shortcut, either manually or using
variables. These actions include Date, Street Address, Phone Number, Text, Contact, Email Address,
Dictionary, List, URL, and so on. Using these actions lets you pass a specific type of content into another
action in your shortcut.
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When gathering actions at the beginning of your shortcut, ask yourself, “What information does my
shortcut need to retrieve each time itʼs run?” The answer to this question will help you determine which
get actions you might need. Perhaps your shortcut needs to grab photos, music, videos, or health data
stored on your device, fetch content from the Internet, or ask you to enter text (using the Ask for Input
action).
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 Order of actions Transform actions 
Support Shortcuts User Guide About get actions in Shortcuts
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11/25/2018 About transform actions in Shortcuts - Apple Support
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About transform actions in Shortcuts

Transform actions edit content (such as cropping an image) or convert content to a different format (such
as changing a PNG to a JPEG). Using the Content Graph engine, Shortcuts often automatically converts
content thatʼs passed between actions; however, you can use transform actions for more control over the
conversions.
As you build your shortcut, you can search for transform actions using keywords like make, filter, convert,
edit, get, and adjust. For example, you might want to use Filter Images to separate out portrait photos, or
use Make Rich Text from HTML on a link from Safari.
In the following image, a search using the keyword Convert displays actions that perform conversion
tasks.
Other helpful transform actions include Combine Text, Combine Images, Translate Text, Detect Language,
Filter Event Attendees, and Filter Files.
Helpful? Yes No
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/transform-actions-apd1d9413cfb/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 About transform actions in Shortcuts - Apple Support
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 Get actions Share actions 
Support Shortcuts User Guide About transform actions in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/transform-actions-apd1d9413cfb/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 About share actions in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
About share actions in Shortcuts

After get actions bring content into the shortcut and transform actions modify that content, share actions
send your content to a new place. Share actions comprise the largest group of actions in Shortcuts and
include a variety of integrations with other apps and services that widen the capabilities of your shortcuts.
These actions are commonly used near the end of a shortcut to pass the content into another app as the
final step in accomplishing your goal.
The most straightforward sharing actions are Share and Share with Extensions.
As you build your shortcut, you can search for share actions using keywords like add, create, post, share,
send, and log for making new items; save and append for working with files; and open for launching other
apps.
Share actions for adding new items

Share actions let you add or create items in other apps. For example, Add New Event adds an event to the
Calendar app, Create Playlist creates a playlist in the Music app, and Save to Photo Album adds photos to
a specified album in the Photos app.
Share actions in the Text category include Add Trello Card, Add OmniFocus Item, and Add Todoist Item,
which add items to the Trello, OmniFocus, and Todoist apps, respectively.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/share-actions-apdaf74d75a5/ios 1/3
Some share actions are used for posting content, including Tweet, Post to Facebook, Post on Instagram,
and Post to WordPress.
And other share actions are used for logging data, including Log Health Sample and Log Workout.
Share actions for file management

File-related share actions include Save File, Save to Photo Album, and Add to Reading List. In some cases,
share actions can append data to existing files, namely the Append to Note, Add to Bear Note, and Add to
Ulysses Sheet actions. You can search for file-related share actions using the keyword save.
Share actions for launching content in another app

Share actions that launch content in another app include Open URLs, Open App, Open In, Open Ulysses,
Open Bear Note, and Open Draft. You can search for these share actions using the keyword Open.
For example, Open URLs takes any links passed as input and opens them in Safari. Open URLs also
supports URL schemes provided by other apps youʼve installed. Learn more in Use another appʼs URL
scheme in Shortcuts.
The Open In action sends a copy of your work to another app that supports documents. Perhaps you want
your shortcut to fetch a webpage, convert it from HTML to Rich Text, and then send it to Pages or
Microsoft Word. Open in Books is similarly useful for saving PDFs or eBooks in Apple Books.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Transform actions Test your actions 
Support Shortcuts User Guide About share actions in Shortcuts
11/25/2018 Testing your actions in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Testing your actions in Shortcuts

Organizing actions in a thoughtful sequence is key to building a successful shortcut. However, as you add
a sequence of actions and test the shortcut, you may find that the result is not what you expect, or you
may encounter an error.
Figuring out the right sequence for your goal may require experimentation and frequent testing.
Tip: As you build a shortcut, it may be helpful to add a Quick Look action between your actions; when
you run the shortcut, the Quick Look action helps you identify what content (such as text or images) flows
between actions. This allows you to catch and prevent issues or error messages that may occur in
subsequent steps in the shortcut.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/test-your-actions-apda75604f37/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Testing your actions in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Helpful? Yes No
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 Share actions About Siri and shortcuts 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Testing your actions in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/test-your-actions-apda75604f37/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 About Siri and shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
About Siri and shortcuts

You can use Siri with shortcuts in two ways:
Add to Siri: You can add shortcuts to Siri and then ask Siri to run them. See Use Siri to run shortcuts
with your voice.
Siri Suggestions: Siri identifies shortcuts that may be useful to you based on how you use your iOS
device—your app usage; your browser, email, and messaging history; and so on. These suggested
shortcuts appear on your iOS Lock screen, in search results on your iOS Home screen, and in Settings.
See Use suggested shortcuts.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Test your actions Run shortcuts with Siri 
Support Shortcuts User Guide About Siri and shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/about-siri-and-shortcuts-apdd253ab600/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 Use Siri to run shortcuts with your voice - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Use Siri to run shortcuts with your voice

Add a shortcut to Siri to run with your voice, using your own personalized phrase.
Add a shortcut to Siri

The shortcut opens in the shortcut editor.
2. In the shortcut editor, Tap to open Settings.
3. Tap Add to Siri.
4. In the Add to Siri screen, tap , then say the phrase you want to use to run the shortcut.
The recording stops when you stop speaking. Tap Re-Record Phrase to record the phrase again, or tap
Done to return to Settings.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/run-shortcuts-with-siri-apd07c25bb38/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Use Siri to run shortcuts with your voice - Apple Support
Run a shortcut with Siri

On your iOS device, summon Siri, then say the shortcut phrase.
If Siri misunderstands you, tap , then repeat the shortcut phrase.
For more information on talking to Siri, see Ask Siri on iPhone in the iPhone User Guide.
After you add a shortcut to Siri on your iOS device, you can run the shortcut by asking Siri on Apple Watch
or HomePod (as long as your shortcut doesnʼt include an action that opens an app in the foreground).
Note: When your device is locked, you canʼt use Siri to run shortcuts that open apps. Unlock your device
to continue with the Siri request.
Previous Next
 About Siri and shortcuts Use suggested shortcuts 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use Siri to run shortcuts with your voice
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/run-shortcuts-with-siri-apd07c25bb38/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Use suggested shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Use suggested shortcuts

Siri makes suggestions for shortcuts based on your iOS app usage, information from third-party apps,
browser history, email, messages, and contact information. Siri also suggests shortcuts created in the
Shortcuts app.
Using signals like location, time of day and type of motion (such as walking, running, or driving), Siri learns
when to suggest relevant shortcuts.
The Shortcuts app doesnʼt need to be installed for you to use suggested shortcuts on the Home screen or
Lock screen, or in Settings. The Shortcuts app is only required to create custom shortcuts with multiple
steps from multiple apps.
Tip: You can add shortcuts suggested by other apps as actions in your custom shortcuts. For more
information, see Navigate the action list in Shortcuts.
Run a suggested shortcut

1. On your iOS device, do one of the following:
From the iOS Home screen: Swipe down from the center to show Search, then tap a shortcut.
From the iOS Lock screen: Tap a shortcut.
2. Do one of the following:
Tap “Do,” then follow any additional onscreen instructions.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-suggested-shortcuts-apde986cdd3c/ios 1/4
Tap the shortcut to open the Shortcuts app, then tap to run the shortcut.
Tap to dismiss the shortcut.
Run a suggested shortcut in another app

Siri can also suggest shortcuts that open and run other apps. The Shortcuts app is not required to run
these suggestions.
On your iOS device, do one of the following:
From the iOS Home screen: Swipe down from the center to show Search, then tap a shortcut.
From the iOS Lock screen: Tap a shortcut.
When the shortcut runs, the app that suggested the shortcut opens.
Note: If youʼve recently started using your iPhone or iPad, or havenʼt performed tasks recently or often,
you may not see any suggestions.
Add a shortcut to Siri in Settings

Suggested shortcuts are also listed in iOS Settings. From there you can add a shortcut to Siri and then run
it with your voice.
1. On your iOS device, go to Settings > Siri & Search.
A list of shortcut candidates appears.
Tap My Shortcuts to see shortcuts youʼve already added to Siri.
Tap a suggested shortcut.
Tap All Shortcuts to see additional shortcut suggestions (listed by category), then tap a shortcut.
3. In the Add to Siri screen, tap , then say the phrase you want to use to run the shortcut.
The recording stops when you stop speaking.
4. Tap Re-Record Phrase to record the phrase again, or tap Done to return to Settings.
You can now run the shortcut by summoning Siri, then saying the shortcut phrase. For more
information on talking to Siri, see Ask Siri on iPhone in the iPhone User Guide.
Siri also suggests actions in the Shortcuts app. These suggestions appear in the action list when
youʼre building a shortcut. For more information, see View actions suggested by Siri.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Run shortcuts with Siri Manage shortcuts added to Siri 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use suggested shortcuts
11/25/2018 Manage shortcuts added to Siri - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Manage shortcuts added to Siri

Once youʼve added a shortcut to Siri you can edit the shortcut phrase or delete the shortcut altogether.
Re-record a Siri shortcut phrase

1. On your iOS device, go to Settings > Siri & Search > My Shortcuts.
2. Tap the shortcut, then tap Re-Record Phrase to record the phrase again.
The recording stops when you stop speaking.
3. Tap Done.
Remove a shortcut from Siri

1. On your iOS device, go to Settings > Siri & Search > My Shortcuts.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/manage-shortcuts-added-to-siri-apd422c974b0/ios 1/2
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Tap the shortcut you want to delete, then tap Delete Shortcut.
Swipe left on the shortcut, then tap Delete.
To delete the shortcut in a single gesture, swipe it all the way to the left.
Tap Edit, tap to the left of the shortcut, tap Delete, then tap Done.
Helpful? Yes No
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 Use suggested shortcuts Set up and run shortcuts in Today View 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Manage shortcuts added to Siri
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/manage-shortcuts-added-to-siri-apd422c974b0/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Set up and run shortcuts in - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Set up and run shortcuts in Today View

You can also run shortcuts from Today View on an iOS device. In Today View, shortcuts are grouped in the
Shortcuts widget.
Add the Shortcuts widget to Today View on an iOS

device
1. On your iOS device, swipe right from the left edge of the Home screen or the Lock screen to open
Today View.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the list of widgets, then tap Edit.
3. In the Add Widgets screen, tap to the left of Shortcuts.
4. Tap Done to return to Today View.
Tip: You can also add the Shortcuts widget to Today View by pressing the Shortcuts app icon on
the Home screen of an iPhone that supports 3D Touch, then tapping Add Widget.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/set-up-and-run-shortcuts-in-today-view-apda11a05448/ios 1/3
Access the Shortcuts widget in Today View

After you add the Shortcuts widget to Today View, there are several ways to open the widget.
On your iOS device, do one of the following:
Swipe right from the left edge of the Home screen or the Lock screen to open Today View.
When any app is open, swipe down from the top edge of the screen to show notifications, then swipe
right from the left edge of the screen to open Today View.
Note: If you donʼt immediately see the Shortcuts widget, scroll through the widgets to find it.
Add a shortcut to Today View

To appear in iOS Today View, a shortcut must have Show in Widget turned on. Although this setting is
turned on by default, you can turn it off to remove a shortcut from Today View.
1. In the Shortcuts app Library , tap on a shortcut to open it in the shortcut editor.
2. Tap to open Settings.
3. Turn on (or off) Show in Widget.
With Show in Widget turned on, the shortcut appears in the Shortcuts widget.
The number of shortcuts that can appear in Today View is limited as follows:
When you open Today View by pressing the Shortcuts app icon on the Home screen of an iPhone that
supports 3D Touch, the Shortcuts widget displays only the top four shortcuts from the Shortcuts app.
When you open Today View from the Home screen, the top four shortcuts from the Shortcuts app are
displayed. Tap Show More in the upper-right corner of the widget to display as many shortcuts as will
fit in the widget.
Run a shortcut from Today View

1. On your iOS device, swipe right from the left edge of the Home screen or the Lock screen to open
Today View.
2. In the Shortcuts widget, tap a shortcut button.
The shortcut begins, and the widget button displays a progress bar as the actions advance. To cancel
the shortcut, tap . When the shortcut is complete, a checkmark appears briefly in the widget button.
If a shortcut has an action that canʼt be completed in the widget, the Shortcuts app automatically
opens. If an action requires additional data, the shortcut pauses, allowing you to enter the necessary
data. For more information on which shortcuts work well in the widget (without opening the Shortcuts
app), see Shortcut actions that work well in Today View.
Organize or remove the Shortcuts Today View widget

1. On your iOS device, tap Edit at the bottom of the Today View screen.
2. Do any of the following:
Reorder the Shortcuts widget: Touch , then drag the widget to a new position.
Remove the Shortcuts widget: Tap , then tap Remove.
For more information, see View and organize Today View on iPhone in the iPhone User Guide.
Not all apps, content, and services are available in all areas.
Helpful? Yes No
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 Manage shortcuts added to Siri Actions that work well in Today View 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Set up and run shortcuts in
11/25/2018 Shortcut actions that work well in - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Shortcut actions that work well in Today View

Shortcuts with simple actions work best in Today View. The following actions are good candidates for
shortcuts that can be launched and completed entirely within Today View.
Ask for Input

Use the Ask for Input action to enter numbers in shortcuts in Today View. In the example below, the
calculator appears after you tap the Calculate Tip shortcut in Today View.
For example, you could use Ask for Input with the Log Health Sample action to create a widget shortcut for
logging your weight. When run, the shortcut opens a number pad in the widget for typing in your weight.
When you add an Ask for Input action to a shortcut that you plan to run from Today View, be sure to set
Input Type to Number.
Get Clipboard
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/actions-that-work-well-in-today-view-apd081d9d61f/ios 1/3
Use the Get Clipboard action to bring content into a shortcut in Today View. When apps donʼt provide the
ability to share, you can copy what you want to the clipboard, and then run a shortcut in Today View to
process the content or send it somewhere else.
For example, the Save to Dropbox shortcut uses the Copy to Clipboard action to add copied content to
Dropbox. Using this shortcut from Today View, you can send multiple passages from one or more
documents to Dropbox, appending each piece of copied information to the same Dropbox file.
Choose from List, Choose from Menu

Use the Choose from List and Choose from Menu actions to make selections from a list of options in
Today View. Right from the widget, you can make choices that change how the shortcut operates.
For example, using the Choose from List action, you can set up a shortcut that displays a list of songs to
play. A more complicated shortcut might use the Choose from Menu action to branch the shortcut and run
a series of actions based on the option chosen.
For details, see Choose from List action and Use the Choose from Menu action in Shortcuts.
Show Alert
Use the Show Alert action to display alerts or to ask for a confirmation in Today View. When a shortcut
reaches an alert, a message with an OK button (and sometimes a Cancel button) is displayed.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Set up and run shortcuts in Today View Actions that open the Shortcuts app 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Shortcut actions that work well in
11/25/2018 Actions that open the Shortcuts app from - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Actions that open the Shortcuts app from

Today View
When an action canʼt be completed in Today View, the Shortcuts app opens to finish the job. For example,
actions that display a user interface or require you to enter data cause the Shortcuts app to open. Actions
that cause the Shortcuts app to open include those that:
Preview content, such as the Quick Look action
Ask you to enter text
Ask you to pick dates
Use the camera or microphone
Ask you to select photos, music, or contacts
Use the Ask When Run variable
Have actions with a Show Compose Sheet or Show File Picker option turned on
Change the screen brightness
Additionally, some tasks are too memory-intensive for Today View. Shortcuts dealing with high volumes of
content or large file sizes may need to open in Shortcuts to finish.
Note: If “Unable to Load” is displayed in Today View, the Shortcuts widget has run out of memory. As a
workaround, add a Continue Shortcut in App action near the beginning of your shortcut. When the
shortcut reaches the Continue Shortcut in App action, the Shortcuts app opens to finish the shortcut
(which is no longer subject to the memory limitations of the widget environment).
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Actions that work well in Today View Run shortcuts from iOS Search 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Actions that open the Shortcuts app from
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/actions-that-open-the-shortcuts-app-apd845256ba9/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Actions that open the Shortcuts app from - Apple Support
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/actions-that-open-the-shortcuts-app-apd845256ba9/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Run shortcuts from iOS Search - Apple Support
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2.1 
Run shortcuts from iOS Search

Using iOS Search, you can quickly locate and open a shortcut without having to open the Shortcuts app.
1. On your iOS deviceʼs Home screen, swipe down from the center.
Before you enter a search term, suggested shortcuts may appear on the screen.
2. Type the name of the shortcut in the search field.
A list of results forms as you type. You may need to scroll to locate your shortcuts. Each shortcut result
displays the icon and name of the shortcut (prepended with the word “Run”).
3. Tap the shortcut, then do one of the following:
Tap “Do,” then follow any additional onscreen instructions.
Tap the shortcut to open the Shortcuts app, then tap to run the shortcut.
Tap to dismiss the shortcut.

https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/run-shortcuts-from-ios-search-apd8a8ffb4ac/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Run shortcuts from iOS Search - Apple Support
Helpful? Yes No
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 Actions that open the Shortcuts app Set up and run shortcuts from another app 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Run shortcuts from iOS Search
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/run-shortcuts-from-ios-search-apd8a8ffb4ac/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Set up and run shortcuts from another app - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Set up and run shortcuts from another app

You can run a shortcut from within another app to process content without leaving that app, using the
Action Extension. Shortcuts that are set to the Action Extension type are accessible from other apps via
the Share button . When run from the share sheet, the shortcut receives input—such as a URL or an
image—from the app itʼs running within. The input from the host app is passed into the first action of your
shortcut.
For example, using an Action Extension shortcut, you can grab all the images from a page in Safari,
convert a text file youʼre viewing to a PDF, or make edits and act on images in your Photos library.
Enable the Shortcuts button in other apps

To allow shortcuts to run from within other apps, you must enable the Shortcuts button in the share sheet
of another app.
1. In any app other than Shortcuts (such as Safari), tap .
2. In the bottom row, tap More.
If you donʼt immediately see More, swipe left.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/set-up-and-run-shortcuts-from-another-app-apd163eb9f95/ios 1/5
3. In the list that appears, turn on Shortcuts.
4. Tap Done.
A Shortcuts button is now available in the bottom row of the share sheet (in apps that have a Share button
). See the next task for information about enabling a specific shortcut to run in another app.
Enable a shortcut to run in other apps

After you enable the Shortcut button in other apps (as described in the previous task), you need to set
each shortcut that you want to run in other apps as the Action Extension type.
The shortcut opens in the shortcut editor.
2. Tap to open Settings, then turn on Show in Share Sheet.
A new row labeled “Accepted Types” appears, followed by “Anything” or a list of input types,
depending on the shortcut. “Anything” tells you that the shortcut will accept all types of content input
when you run the shortcut in another app.
3. Optional: To limit the type of input, tap in the Accepted Types row, tap one or more rows to remove
accepted content types (Contacts or Files, for example), then tap Settings.
Tip: Tap Deselect All to quickly deselect all content types, then tap one or more rows to include
that content type.
Limiting the type of content that a shortcut will accept streamlines sharing options in an app, by hiding
shortcuts that arenʼt relevant to the app. For example, a shortcut that accepts only contacts wonʼt
appear as a sharing extension in the Maps app. For more information, see About input types in an
Action Extension shortcut.
4. Tap Done again to return to the Library.
The shortcut will now be available in other apps. See the next task for details on running a shortcut from
another app.
Run a shortcut in another app

After youʼve completed the previous two tasks, you can run a shortcut from within any app that has a
Share button .
1. Select content in an app other than Shortcuts (such as Safari).
For example, depending on the shortcut you plan to run, you might select a block of text or an image.
2. Tap .
3. In the bottom row (the monochrome buttons), tap Shortcuts.
If the Shortcuts button is not immediately visible, swipe left.
4. In the Run Shortcut screen, tap a shortcut button.
The shortcut editor appears, showing the progress of each action in the shortcut as it runs.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Run shortcuts from iOS Search About input types 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Set up and run shortcuts from another app
11/25/2018 About input types in an Action Extension shortcut - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
About input types in an Action Extension

shortcut
In an Action Extension shortcut, the default setting for input types is Anything, which allows the shortcut
to accept any type of input. Shortcuts that accept all input types are available for use in all apps—even
apps that canʼt produce the input type the shortcut requires. This can lead not only to a cluttered list of
available shortcuts, but it can introduce errors if the shortcut fails to find the input it needs. Therefore, itʼs
a good idea to limit the types of input a shortcut accepts.
For details about how to limit the input types accepted by an Action Extension shortcut, see step 3 of
Enable a shortcut to run in other apps.
It takes some testing to determine the types of input an app provides. Some apps provide multiple types of
input. Photos, for example, provides both still images and video. For other apps, however, the shared
content is less obvious.
See the full list of input types and their definitions in Understanding Action Extension input types in
Shortcuts.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/about-input-types-apd367de00f4/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 About input types in an Action Extension shortcut - Apple Support
Note: Action Extension shortcuts have a limited amount of available memory (RAM). This means that
shortcuts that process large volumes of data may quit unexpectedly when run from another app. If this
happens, try this workaround: Place a Continue Shortcut in App action in your shortcut, which opens the
Shortcuts app, where more memory is available.
Preview the Action Extension in a shortcut

2. Tap , then enter “View Content Graph” in the search field.
The View Content Graph action appears in the action list.
3. Touch and hold the View Content Graph action, then drag it to the first position in the shortcut editor.
The preview of accepted content is displayed at the top of the shortcut. Tap the highlighted content
types to display all content options.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Set up and run shortcuts from another app Run shortcuts from the iOS Home screen 
Support Shortcuts User Guide About input types in an Action Extension shortcut
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/about-input-types-apd367de00f4/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Run shortcuts from the iOS Home screen - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Run shortcuts from the iOS Home screen

You can add shortcuts to the iOS Home screen.
And as with other iOS apps, you can group shortcuts into folders.
Add a shortcut to the Home screen

1. In the Shortcuts app Library , tap on a shortcut to open it, then tap to open Settings.
2. Tap Add to Home Screen.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/run-shortcuts-from-the-ios-home-screen-apd735880972/ios 1/5
3. Tap Done.
A Safari page opens.
4. Follow the onscreen instructions in Safari:
a. Tap on the bottom of the screen.
b. Tap Add to Home Screen (in the lower row of icons).
You may need to swipe left to locate the Add to Home Screen button.
c. Optional: Tap , then type a new name for the shortcut.
Tip: Try to keep the name short, as iOS truncates longer names.
d. Tap Add.
The shortcut is placed in the Home screen.
5. Optional: In the Home screen, tap the shortcut.
The Shortcuts app opens and runs the shortcut.
Add a custom shortcut icon to the Home screen

You can use an image from Photos, or a new photo, as a shortcut icon in your Home screen.
Custom icons are fun for shortcuts that relate to the Contacts app. For example, you could create a “Call
Ari” shortcut that uses your buddyʼs picture as its icon.
2. Tap Icon, then tap Home Screen.
Take a new photo: Tap Take Photo, take a picture, adjust the photo within the preview area, then
tap Use Photo.
Use an existing photo: Tap Select Photo, select an image from Photos, adjust the photo within the
preview area, then tap Choose.
The image appears in the Icon screen.
4. Tap Done to return to Settings, then tap Done again.
In the Home screen, the default shortcut icon is replaced with your custom icon. Custom icons are not
used in the Library screen.
Remove a custom shortcut icon

2. Tap Icon, tap Home Screen, then tap Remove Photo.
3. Tap Done to return to Settings.
Note: Although adding a shortcut to the Home screen is convenient, adding a shortcut to iOS Today View
provides faster access to the shortcut.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 About input types Overview 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Run shortcuts from the iOS Home screen
11/25/2018 Manage shortcuts overview - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Manage shortcuts overview

As you build your shortcut collection, there are a number of ways you can organize and manage shortcuts.
You can:
Reorder shortcuts so that those most-used appear first in the Shortcuts app or in iOS Today View
Quickly duplicate a shortcut for use as the starting point of a new shortcut
Delete a shortcut you no longer need
Share shortcuts, as well as customize a shared shortcutʼs information so that no personal data is shared
Sync shortcuts between iOS devices
Add a shortcut to Reminders using Siri
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Run shortcuts from the iOS Home screen Organize shortcuts 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Manage shortcuts overview
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/overview-apd5b1537ca0/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 Organize shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Organize shortcuts
In addition to adding and organizing shortcuts in the Shortcuts app, you can determine which shortcuts
appear in the Shortcuts widget in Today View on iPhone or iPad. Shortcuts appear in the same order on
your device as they do in the Shortcuts app (in your Library).
Organize shortcuts in the Library

Organizing your shortcutsʼ order of appearance is very similar to rearranging apps on your iOS deviceʼs
Home screen.
1. In the Shortcuts app, tap Library at the bottom of the screen, then touch and hold any shortcut
button (a colored rectangle) until all the buttons jiggle.
2. Drag one or more buttons to the locations you want (wait until the buttons rearrange before you lift
your finger).
3. To finish, tap Done.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/organize-shortcuts-apd052072d68/ios 1/3
Note: If youʼre signed in to iCloud, any changes you make in the app are updated on your other iOS
devices.
Organize shortcuts in iOS Today View

From the Shortcuts widget in Today View on iPhone or iPad, you can choose which shortcuts appear in
Today View, as well as determine their order of appearance.
Note: For a shortcut to appear in Today View, you must add the shortcut to the Shortcuts widget.
1. On your iOS device, swipe right from the left edge of the Home screen or the Lock screen to show
Today View.
2. Tap Show More in the upper-right corner of the Shortcuts widget, then tap Customize in Shortcuts at
the bottom of the widget.
The Customize Shortcuts screen appears.
3. To choose which shortcuts appear in Today View, tap the name of the shortcut.
A checkmark appears next to a selected shortcut. Only selected shortcuts appear in Today View.
4. To arrange the order of the shortcuts in Today View, touch beside a shortcut, then drag it to a new
position.
5. When youʼre finished, tap Done.
For more information, see Set up and run shortcuts in Today View.
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 Overview Rename shortcuts 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Organize shortcuts
11/25/2018 Rename shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Rename shortcuts
There are a few ways to give your shortcut a new name.
In the Library , tap on the shortcut to open the shortcut editor, tap to open Settings, tap the
Name row, tap , type a new name, then tap Done.
On an iPhone that supports 3D Touch, press a shortcut in the Library , swipe up, tap Rename, tap
, type a new name, then tap OK.
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 Organize shortcuts Duplicate shortcuts 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Rename shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/rename-shortcuts-apdd57094696/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 Duplicate shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Duplicate shortcuts
You can quickly make a copy of a shortcut, making it easy to use an existing shortcut as the springboard
for creating a new shortcut.
Duplicate a shortcut in the Library

1. In the Shortcuts app Library , touch and hold any shortcut button (a colored rectangle) until all the
buttons jiggle.
The Duplicate and Remove buttons appear.
2. Tap one or more buttons (a checkmark appears in the upper-left corner to indicate selection), then tap
.
A copy of the selected shortcut is created.
3. Tap Done.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/duplicate-shortcuts-apd6b467942c/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Duplicate shortcuts - Apple Support
Note: If youʼre signed in to iCloud, new shortcuts are also added to your other iOS devices.
Duplicate a shortcut in Settings

2. Tap Share Shortcut, then tap Duplicate Shortcut.
A copy of the shortcut is added to the Library.
Duplicate a shortcut using 3D Touch

On an iPhone that supports 3D Touch, press a shortcut in the Shortcuts app Library , swipe up, then
tap Duplicate.
A copy of the shortcut is added to the Library.
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 Rename shortcuts Delete shortcuts 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Duplicate shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/duplicate-shortcuts-apd6b467942c/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Delete shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Delete shortcuts
When itʼs time to part ways with a shortcut, you can easily delete it.
Delete a shortcut
1. In the Shortcuts app Library , touch and hold any shortcut button (a colored rectangle) until all the
buttons jiggle.
2. Tap one or more buttons (a checkmark appears in the upper-left corner to indicate selection), then tap
.
3. Tap Delete Shortcut.
Note: If youʼre signed in to iCloud, deleted shortcuts are also removed from your other iOS devices.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/delete-shortcuts-apd096cd65c6/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Delete shortcuts - Apple Support
Delete a shortcut using 3D Touch

On an iPhone that supports 3D Touch, press a shortcut in the Shortcuts app Library , swipe up, then
tap Delete.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Duplicate shortcuts Sync shortcuts 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Delete shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/delete-shortcuts-apd096cd65c6/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Sync shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Sync shortcuts
If youʼre signed into iCloud and iCloud Drive is enabled, you can keep your library of shortcuts up to date
on all of your iOS devices. When you add, change, or remove a shortcut from one of your devices, iCloud
ensures that the changes are reflected on your other devices automatically.
The order of your shortcuts is also kept updated between all of your iOS devices.
Turn on iCloud Drive

1. On your iOS device, go to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud.
2. Turn on iCloud Drive, then turn on Shortcuts (in the app list below iCloud Drive).
For more information, see Manage Apple ID and iCloud settings on iPhone and Use iCloud Drive on
iPhone in the iPhone User Guide.
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 Delete shortcuts Share shortcuts 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Sync shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/sync-shortcuts-apdb3a4240b0/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 Share shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Share shortcuts
You can share your shortcuts in multiple ways.
Share a shortcut from the shortcut editor

1. In the Shortcuts app Library , tap on a shortcut to open it, then tap .
Share a shortcut as a .shortcut file: Tap an option, such as Mail, Add to Notes, or Share as File, then
follow any additional onscreen instructions.
The .shortcut file contains information about your shortcut, such as its actions and their order. This
can be useful for sharing via iCloud, email, or for backing up a shortcut externally in a third-party
app.
Share a .shortcut file to iCloud Drive: Tap Share as File, tap Save to Files, then follow any additional
onscreen instructions.
Share a shortcut as a link: Tap Copy iCloud Link, then tap Copy Link.
The link to the shortcut (https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/shortcut ID) is copied to your clipboard,

ready to be pasted into a sharing app, such as Messages or an email app. When the recipient taps
the link, a description of the shortcut is displayed. When the recipient taps Get Shortcut, the
shortcut is added to their Library.
Note: Shortcuts must be turned on in iCloud Settings to share a shortcut as a link.
Share a shortcut to your Home screen: Tap Add to Home Screen.
For more information, see Run shortcuts from the iOS Home screen.
Share a shortcut using AirDrop: Tap the name of a nearby AirDrop user, then tap Share.
When the recipient taps Accept, a description of the shortcut is displayed. When the recipient taps
Get Shortcut, the shortcut is added to their Library. For more information, see Share files using
AirDrop on iPhone in the iPhone User Guide.
Copy a shortcut: Tap Share as File, tap Copy, then paste the shortcut into a sharing app, such as
Mail.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/share-shortcuts-apdf01f8c054/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Share shortcuts - Apple Support
Share a shortcut from the Library

On an iPhone that supports 3D Touch, press a shortcut in the Shortcuts app Library , swipe up, tap
Share, then tap an option, such as Mail, Add to Notes, or Save to Files.
Share a shortcut from Settings

2. Tap Share Shortcut, then tap an option, such as Mail, Add to Notes, or Save to Files.
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 Sync shortcuts Add import questions before sharing 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Share shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/share-shortcuts-apdf01f8c054/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Add import questions to your shortcut before sharing - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Add import questions to your shortcut before

sharing
If your shortcut includes steps that contain personal information, such as addresses, contacts, phone
numbers, or the name of a playlist, you can add import questions to those specific fields of the shortcut. If
an import question is present for a field, your personal information is not shared—that field is cleared
when the shortcut is shared. When the recipient runs the shortcut, he or she is presented with the import
questions. When the questions are answered, the shortcut is populated with the userʼs own information.
For example, the Home ETA shortcut (available in the Gallery) includes an import question that asks,
“What is your home street address?”
Set up import questions

1. In the Shortcuts app Library , tap on a shortcut to open the shortcut editor, then tap .
2. At the bottom of the Settings screen, tap Import Questions.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/add-import-questions-before-sharing-apdf330fd3a0/ios 1/3
3. Tap Add New Question.
4. Choose an available parameter.
5. Enter your question in the Question Text field.
You can add as many import questions as needed, and each question is asked in order when the
shortcut is run.
6. Optional: Enter an answer in the Default Answer field.
7. Tap Done, tap Questions, tap Settings, then tap Done again.
Tip: Once youʼve added import questions, you can test them: Repeat step 1 above, tap Customize
Shortcut, then run through each import question, ensuring that each makes sense and works as
intended. Keep in mind that answers you provide overwrite the previous configuration.
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 Share shortcuts Add a shortcut to Reminders using Siri 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Add import questions to your shortcut before sharing
11/25/2018 Add a shortcut to Reminders using Siri - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Add a shortcut to Reminders using Siri

You can use Siri to add shortcuts to the Reminders app, specifying shortcuts to be shown at a particular
time or location. For example, you can schedule a reminder to run the Log Weight shortcut each morning,
or to display the Home ETA shortcut when you depart from work.
In the Shortcuts app Library , tap on a shortcut to open it, summon Siri, then say, “Remind me
about this.”
Note: You can also use alternate Siri phrases, such as “Add this to my Work list” or “Remind me about
this Saturday at 2 p.m.”
Siri understands that youʼre looking at a shortcut and creates the reminder.
For more information on talking to Siri, see Ask Siri on iPhone in the iPhone User Guide.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/add-a-shortcut-to-reminders-using-siri-apdacfdf1802/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Add a shortcut to Reminders using Siri - Apple Support
The shortcut is added to your default Reminders list. The name of the shortcut is the title of the
reminder.
To run the shortcut from Reminders, tap the Shortcuts icon in the list.
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 Add import questions before sharing Variables overview 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Add a shortcut to Reminders using Siri
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/add-a-shortcut-to-reminders-using-siri-apdacfdf1802/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 What are variables in Shortcuts? - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
What are variables in Shortcuts?

A variable is a container used to label and store content such as text, images, a web page, or a dictionary
of data.
When you create a shortcut using variables, actions in the shortcut arenʼt required to follow a direct linear
path of inputs and outputs—content can weave in and out of the shortcut at different points. For instance,
the shortcut can store content at a certain point, perform an entirely independent set of actions, and then
grab the original content in subsequent steps.
Using variables is the most powerful way to expand the capability of your shortcuts, allowing you to set up
dynamic templates for content that autofill each time you use the shortcut. When a shortcut runs through
its sequence of actions, it looks for any variables, retrieves the appropriate content for each variable, and
then places the content inline, producing consistent results.
In Shortcuts, variables are represented by small tokens labeled with the name of the variable, such as
, , or . You place variables throughout the shortcut to mark where you
want to set and retrieve content each time the shortcut is run.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/variables-overview-apdb5506f698/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 What are variables in Shortcuts? - Apple Support
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 Add a shortcut to Reminders using Siri Variable types 
Support Shortcuts User Guide What are variables in Shortcuts?
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/variables-overview-apdb5506f698/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Variable types used in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Variable types used in Shortcuts

Shortcuts lets you create variables automatically or manually.
Magic Variables
In every shortcut, each actionʼs output is automatically available as a Magic Variable. Unlike manual
variables, Magic Variables donʼt require you to save the output of an action for later use—simply tap the
Magic Variable button , and select the output of any action to use it as a variable.
Using Magic Variables, you can switch to a special view of the shortcut editor that shows all the outputs of
actions in your shortcut as selectable variables; a later action can take input from the output of a previous
action. Magic Variables are visually useful as well, displaying the icon of the action from which theyʼre
generated.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/variable-types-apdd2b316022/ios 1/4
Making the variables truly magic, however, is your ability to change the variable type—simply tap a Magic
Variable to change its format, and to specify which of its details to use. For more information, see Adjust
variables in Shortcuts.
In most cases, using Magic Variables simplifies building shortcuts and is preferable to manually creating
variables.
Manual variables
You can add manual variables to a shortcut using the Set Variable action or the Add to Variable action.
Either of these actions must be placed in the shortcut immediately after an action that provides the output
you want to store.
Set Variable allows you to set a new variable for the first time or overwrite a previously stored variable.
Add to Variable allows you to add multiple pieces of content to the same variable by appending to the
variable each time, storing the data as an ordered list.
Setting variables manually tends to lengthen shortcuts and make them harder to read. In most cases,
manual variables are unnecessary—Magic Variables do much of the same work more concisely. For
example, you can replicate most of the Add to Variable functionality by placing variables into a List action
and retrieving the variables later.
For step-by-step information about adding variables to your shortcuts, see Use variables in Shortcuts.
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 Variables overview Use variables 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Variable types used in Shortcuts
11/25/2018 Use variables in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Use variables in Shortcuts

In Shortcuts, you can:
Place a variable in a text field: For example, you can place a variable in the text field of an email
shortcut, letting you choose a specific salutation (such as “Dear Sir” or “Dear Madam”) when you run
the shortcut.
Pass the contents of a variable as an input to an action: You can manually save the output of any action
into a variable and reuse the contents of that variable later in the shortcut. For example, in a shortcut
that grabs a book title, you can use a Get Variable action to save the name of the book into a variable.
You can then pass the contents of that variable (the book title), into a later action in the shortcut.
Use a variable to replace an actionʼs parameter (a setting within an action): You can embed a variable in
an action. For example, you can place an Ask When Run variable in the Repeat parameter of a Play
Music action, letting you choose whether or not to repeat a song when you run the shortcut.
Variables are represented by small, pill-shaped tokens, such as, or .
Add a variable to a text field

1. In the Shortcuts app Library , tap on the shortcut you want to modify, then tap any text field in an
action.
Note: Not all actions contain text fields.
The Variables bar and keyboard are displayed.
2. Tap Variables.
The Variables bar expands, displaying the Select Magic Variable button and all of the manual or
Magic Variables made available by previous actions.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-variables-apdd02c2780c/ios 1/8
3. Tap Select Magic Variable.
The shortcut editor displays an alternate view showing each actionʼs output as an available variable,
ready for selection.
4. Tap the variable that you want to add to the text field you selected in step 1.
The variable is placed inline in the text field (at the original insertion point); this is where the stored
data will be placed when the shortcut is run.
You can continue to use the Variables bar to access Magic Variables that you may want to add.
5. Optional: To add one of the four types of special variables, tap Done, tap a text field, tap Variables,
then tap one of the following special variables that appear as green tokens:
Ask When Run: Prompts you to enter text in its place when the shortcut is run.
Clipboard: Inserts what youʼve most recently copied at the time the shortcut runs.
Current Date: Inserts todayʼs date and time, formatted to your preference.
Shortcut Input: Grabs the input that was passed into the beginning of the shortcut (applicable for
shortcuts that are set to the Action Extension type).
Note: On iPhone, you may need to swipe left to see all four special variables.
The special variable is placed inline in the text field (at the original insertion point).
Remove a variable
In a text field: Position the cursor in front of the variable in the text field, then tap in the
onscreen keyboard.
In an actionʼs parameter: Tap the variable token to select it, then tap Clear (to the left of the
Rename button).
Pass the contents of a variable as input into another

action
2. Place a Get Variable action above the action that will receive the input, then tap Choose Variable.
In this example, a Magic Variable is available.
3. Tap Select Magic Variable, then tap a variable in the shortcut editor.
When the shortcut is run, the content of the variable chosen in step 3 is retrieved and passed as input
into the action following the Get Variable action.
Replace a parameter with a variable

You can replace an actionʼs parameter (a setting within an action) with a variable, allowing you to
dynamically switch between the settings of an action while a shortcut is running.
2. In the shortcut editor, tap any parameter name, then choose a replacement variable from the list that
appears.
Important: Your variable must contain the correct content. For example, to place a variable as the
parameter in the Get Trello Items action, your variable must have a value of either Boards, Lists, or
Cards. For parameters with on/off switches, use a 1 or 0 to set the button as active or inactive,
respectively.
In this example, the Chosen Item variable replaces the Boards parameter in the Get Trello action.
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Variable types Adjust variables

 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use variables in Shortcuts
11/25/2018 Adjust variables in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Adjust variables in Shortcuts

The variable editor appears at the bottom of the shortcut editor, allowing you to access controls to set the
content type, choose which details of the content to extract, rename the variable, or reveal the action that
generated the variable.
Change a variableʼs content type

Shortcuts automatically detects the type of content stored in a variable and uses that content as the
variableʼs default content type. You can force the variable to change content types.
2. In the shortcut editor, tap a variable token.
The variable editor appears at the bottom of the screen. Below the name of the variable, a highlighted
button named “as [variable type] >” indicates the content type used by the variable. For example, the
Article from Web Page variable displays “as Article >” as its variable type.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/adjust-variables-apda36b9018b/ios 1/5
3. Tap “as [variable type] >” and then tap a new content type for the variable in the list that appears.
Note: If you choose a custom content type, Shortcuts uses its Content Graph technology to convert
the content of the variable to the selected variable type. For example, if you have a variable that stores
a URL, you can change its content type from URL to Article. Shortcuts will automatically fetch details
about the article at that URL.
Choose a variableʼs content details

The variable editor appears. The properties offered by the specific content type are listed below the
variableʼs title and content type. This list represents all of the available metadata associated with your
content, allowing you to choose which property to use as the output of the variable.
For example, an Image variable offers properties such as Width, Height, Date Taken, Location, and
Camera Make. Each content type offers its own set of properties.
Each content type has a default property thatʼs automatically extracted if nothing else is chosen.
3. Tap a property in the list.
The variable token is updated to indicate your preference.
Tip: Itʼs possible to manually grab properties from any actionʼs output by using the Get Details actions,
such as Get Details of Safari Web Page or Get Details of Images. Browsing these actions is also a helpful
way to explore which details you can extract for each content type.
Rename a variable
The variable editor appears.
3. Tap Rename, tap , then enter the new name for the variable.
4. Tap OK.
All instances of the variable are renamed.
Reveal the action that generated a variable

In longer shortcuts that contain multiple variables, you can use the Reveal Action button to show the
original action that produced a variable.
The variable editor appears.
3. Tap Reveal Action.
The shortcut editor scrolls up and highlights the source action of the variable.
Once youʼve grasped how to add, place, and adjust variables, youʼll begin to see how variables make your
shortcuts much more dynamic. You can reuse content multiple times, easily extract particular details from
the content, and place that content anywhere in your shortcut.
Variables let you make shortcuts that are capable of adapting to a variety of situations, adjusting content
on the fly while still yielding the results you want.
Tip: If youʼre just getting started with variables, it may be helpful to experiment with an existing
shortcut that includes variables. Add a shortcut from the Gallery , then reorder the actions or add new
variables to see how the shortcut is affected.
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 Use variables Use list actions 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Adjust variables in Shortcuts
11/25/2018 Use list actions in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Use list actions in Shortcuts

When working with multiple items in a shortcut, use list actions to create ordered lists of data that are
passed onto the next action in a shortcut. You can also use list actions to narrow lists—manually or
automatically, limiting whatʼs passed on to the next action. There are three list actions: List action, Choose
from List action, and Get Item from List action.
List action
Use the List action to create an ordered list of content, by entering text or by inserting variables. When the
shortcut is run, the contents of List are passed into the next action. If you pass a List into a Quick Look
action, you can preview each item in the list one at a time.
For example, List might work for a simple menu of choices for filling out a text field (such as “Dear
Sir/Madam,”) or as a series of album titles to choose from.
The List action can also hold variables. For example, you can use the List action to group multiple types of
content together, such as a file, a photo, and a location. Then you can pass that List into another action or
use those items later.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-list-actions-apd4dcacc115/ios 1/4
If a variable is added within a text string in the List action, the variable is forced into text and is inserted
into the List item.
Arranging variables in a List action is similar to manually adding variables one at a time using the Add to
Variable action.
Choose from List action

Use the Choose from List action to present a menu of options when the shortcut is run. For example, you
could use the Get Upcoming Events action to grab 15 of your upcoming Calendar events, then follow that
action with the Choose from List action. When the shortcut is run, a menu of 15 Calendar events appears,
prompting you to choose one.
The Choose from List action can display rich previews (such as images or map locations) in the menu of
options when the shortcut is run. For example, you can use the Get Latest Photos action to grab the five
latest images from a photo album, then follow that action with the Choose from List action. When you run
the shortcut, a menu of five images appears, prompting you to choose one.
Tip: To set a custom name for an item that an action outputs, such as an image in the Get Latest
Photos action, place a Set Name action in between the Get Latest Photos action and the Choose from List
action. When the shortcut is run, the custom name (rather than the default name, such as “IMG_0365”) is
applied to the image output from the Get Latest Photos action.
If you use the Choose from List action with the Dictionary action, all of the keys in the dictionary are
displayed when you tap “Add new item.” For each key you select, such as Number, Boolean, or Array, the
corresponding values are passed as output.
When you run the shortcut, the Choose from List action displays the keys you defined in the Dictionary
action.
By default at runtime, Choose from List prompts you to choose a single item, but you can turn on Select
Multiple to allow multiple items to be selected when the action runs. When Select Multiple is turned on, the
Select All Initially option becomes available. Turn on Select All Initially to have all of the items in the list
selected by default; then when you run the shortcut, manually deselect the items you donʼt want to add.
Note: The output of the Choose from List action is available as a Magic Variable, so that the content you
choose can be used later, and multiple times, throughout your shortcut.
Get Item from List action

Use the Get Item from List action to automatically narrow down a list of items when the shortcut is run. In
the shortcut editor, place the Get Item from List action after an action that contains a list of options, then
set the Get Item from List action to retrieve a single item from the list (the first item, last item, a random
item, and so on.) You can also set the Get Item from List action to choose a list by its index—that is, its
order in the list.
You can also retrieve multiple items from the list by providing a range of indexes. For example, if you pass
a list of six items into the Get Item from List action and set the index to 3, the third item in the list is
retrieved at runtime. If you pass a list of six items into the Get Item from List action and set the index to a
range of 3 to 6, the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth items in the list are retrieved at runtime.
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 Adjust variables Use the Choose from Menu action 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use list actions in Shortcuts
11/25/2018 Use the Choose from Menu action in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Use the Choose from Menu action in Shortcuts

The Choose from Menu action gives you the ability to decide what a shortcut should do when itʼs run. You
choose from a predefined list of options to have each option run a different series of actions. This allows
shortcuts to maintain their rigid structure but remain flexible (depending on the realtime context).
Whereas the Choose from List action presents a list of items to pick from when you run a shortcut (such
as an image or a song name), the Choose from Menu action presents a list of options, making it possible
for the shortcut to do different things depending on what you choose when you run the shortcut. Think of
the Choose from Menu action as creating a fork in the road of your shortcut—the shortcut is sent in a
different direction depending on the chosen option, resulting in a unique behavior.
Each menu option in the Choose from Menu action has a corresponding marker—a tag below the Choose
from Menu action in the shortcut editor; each marker represents a different pathway the shortcut may take
at that point. Place the actions that you want the shortcut to perform under the marker for a specific menu
choice. For example, if you add a Choose from Menu action with two options—”Nice to meet you” and
“Great catching up”—you could add a Text action under the “Nice to meet you” marker and enter the text
string, “It was great meeting you today!” When you run the shortcut, choosing “Nice to meet you” passes
the text string “It was great meeting you today!” out of the Choose from Menu action into the next action
in your shortcut.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-the-choose-from-menu-action-apdd7bf369da/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Use the Choose from Menu action in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Note: Although you may notice a line in the center of the screen that connects each action, the shortcut
actually skips the actions for the options you didnʼt select. Choose from Menu lets you pick only one
option, and that selection determines which actions are used.
Tip: You can also use variables in the names of each menu option to make them dynamic. For example,
you can add the Current Date variable to the “Great catching up” option, above. When you run the
shortcut and choose “Great catching up,” the current date is automatically added.
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 Use list actions Use If actions 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use the Choose from Menu action in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-the-choose-from-menu-action-apdd7bf369da/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Use If actions in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Use If actions in Shortcuts

Use the If action (also known as a conditional) to set up a shortcut that checks for certain conditions and
operates differently depending on which condition is met. If actions give you the flexibility to set up
different paths that your actions can take depending on conditions that are known only when the shortcut
runs.
Simply put, the If action lets you express the following in a shortcut: If a condition is true, do this;
otherwise, do that. A different series of actions is run for each result.
You can use the If action to test whether content thatʼs passed into the action as input meets a certain
condition. For example, you could use the If action to verify that a webpage fetched from a previous action
contains the word “meatloaf.”
Note: If youʼre unfamiliar with the concept of inputs and outputs, see How do shortcuts work?
Once placed in your shortcut, the If action includes three markers (tags in the shortcut editor): If (not
visible as a separate tag), Otherwise, and End If.
Within the If marker, you can configure the Input and Value parameters. Tap the Input parameter to choose
one of the four available conditions:
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-if-actions-apd83dcd1b51/ios 1/3
Equals: Tests if the input is an exact match to the value youʼve specified, whether text or a number.
Contains: Tests if the input (which may be a body of text or a list) contains text youʼve specified at least
once.
Is Greater Than: Tests if the input is greater than a certain number.
Is Less Than: Tests if the input is less than a certain number.
Is Greater Than and Is Less Than apply only when a number is passed as input.
Because the If action has two possible outcomes—the condition is true or the condition is false—you can
place actions in two paths. When the shortcut runs, a true condition causes the input to be passed to the
first action just after If, while a false condition causes the input to be passed into the first action after the
Otherwise marker.
The last action to produce output in the If case or Otherwise case passes its content through the End If
marker as output (available to retrieve as an “If Results” Magic Variable). This means that the last action in
each path of the If action affects the output of the action as a whole.
Tip: You can place If actions within each other to create a more advanced tree of decisions in your
shortcut: In the shortcut editor, drag a second If action so that it overlaps the lower portion of the first If
action. The second If action is nested (indented) under the first If action.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Use the Choose from Menu action Use Repeat actions 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use If actions in Shortcuts
11/25/2018 Use Repeat actions in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Use Repeat actions in Shortcuts

The Repeat action and the Repeat with Each action allow you to run a group of actions in a shortcut
multiple times in a row.
Using the Repeat action

When you add a Repeat action to your shortcut, the action includes two markers: Repeat (not visible as a
separate tag) and End Repeat. Place the actions that you want to repeat between the Repeat and End
Repeat markers, then specify the number of times you want the action to repeat. When the shortcut runs,
the actions placed between the markers loop the number of times that you specify.
For example, a repeat loop that contains a Vibrate Device action set to Repeat 3 Times vibrates your iOS
device three times when the shortcut is run.
You can place unlimited actions within a repeat loop. The actions run in order (from top to bottom), and
when the last action is reached, the shortcut loops back to the first action, then runs again (the specified
number of times).
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-repeat-actions-apdc11deb2c1/ios 1/5
Tip: You can place Repeat actions within each other in your shortcut: In the shortcut editor, drag a
second Repeat action so that it overlaps the lower portion of the first Repeat action. The second Repeat
action is nested (indented) under the first Repeat action.
About input flow in a Repeat action

When you pass input into the Repeat action, that same input is passed into the beginning of the loop with
each iteration. For example, if a shortcut contains a Text action followed by a repeat loop with a Speak Text
action, the shortcut speaks same text multiple times.
For each iteration of a repeat loop, the last actionʼs output is gathered into a list, and that list becomes the
output of the Repeat action as a whole.
For example, a Repeat action that runs four times and contains a Get Latest Photos action outputs the
most recent photo saved to Photos in each iteration of the loop. After all four iterations run, the outputs
are gathered together, and a list of four identical photos is created. The four photos become the output of
the Repeat action as a whole, and are then passed to the next action after the repeat loop.
To learn more about the flow of inputs and outputs, see How do shortcuts work?
Tip: Tap the empty space to the left of the plus (+) and minus (–) buttons to set the number of
repetitions to a variable. For example, if you add the Ask When Run variable to the Repeat parameter in the
Repeat action, youʼll be asked to choose how many times the loop should repeat when the shortcut is run.
Using the Repeat with Each action

The Repeat with Each action takes a list of items as its input and then runs the same group of actions one
time for each item in the list. This is useful if youʼre working with multiple files or with multiple pieces of
content. This type of loop repeats until every item that was passed into the Repeat with Each action
iterates.
For example, if you have a Get Upcoming Events action set to retrieve the next four upcoming Calendar
events and you place a Repeat with Each action after the action, the repeat loop runs four times and each
iteration receives one of the Calendar events as input.
When you add a Repeat with Each action to your shortcut, the action includes two markers: Repeat with
Each (not visible as a separate tag) and End Repeat.
At the end of the repeat loop, the output passed to the End Repeat marker during each iteration is
gathered together and passed as the output of the Repeat with Each action as a whole.
The Repeat Item variable

The Repeat with Each action offers a special variable for tracking the current item: Repeat Item. The
Repeat Item variable updates with each iteration of the loop, containing the item passed as input for that
iteration.
For example, if you pass 10 Calendar items into a Repeat with Each action, the Repeat Item variable
represents one of the Calendar events in each iteration as the shortcut loops through each Calendar item.
Note: If youʼve placed a Repeat with Each action inside another Repeat with Each action, the variable name
changes to Repeat Item 1 to represent the inner repeat item, to Repeat Item 2 for the deeper loop, and so
on.
The Repeat Index variable

All repeat loops offer a special variable called Repeat Index, which is used to keep track of the current
iteration of the loop. The Repeat Index variable contains the number of times a loop has been repeated so
far, starting at 1 for the first iteration of the loop and incrementing by one each time. The second time a
loop runs, the Repeat Index is 2; the third time a loop runs, the Repeat Index is 3; and so on.
Note: If youʼve placed a Repeat action inside another Repeat action (created nested repeat loops), the
inner Repeat actionʼs variable name changes to Repeat Index 2. An additional nested Repeat action would
offer a Repeat Index 3 variable, and so on.
For more information, see Use variables in Shortcuts.
Create infinite loops

Although Shortcuts doesnʼt offer an action to repeatedly run a group of actions forever, you can emulate
this behavior by using the Run Shortcut action. The Run Shortcut action allows you to run one shortcut
inside of another. Configure the Run Shortcut action to run the same shortcut that itʼs contained within,
and the shortcut runs from start to finish repeatedly until you stop the shortcut.
Test the output

When youʼre learning to work with Repeat and Repeat with Each, itʼs helpful to test the results that are
produced after the End Repeat marker to ensure that the content is what you intended. Place a Quick Look
action after the End Repeat marker to preview the items that are output by the repeat loop.
You can also place a Show Alert action after the End Repeat marker and insert a Repeat Results Magic
Variable in the message box to display text that has been output by the loop. If youʼre testing a loop thatʼs
in the middle of a long shortcut, itʼs helpful to use a Show Alert action to preview results, because you can
include a Cancel button in the alert to end the shortcut at that point in the loop.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Use If actions About Find and Filter actions 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use Repeat actions in Shortcuts
11/25/2018 About Find and Filter actions in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
About Find and Filter actions in Shortcuts

Find actions locate and sort existing content on a device. Filter actions sort content gathered by a
previous action in your shortcut.
Find actions include Find Photos, Find Reminders, Find Calendar Events, Find Music, Find Health Samples,
and Find Contacts. These actions filter photos, reminders, events, and other content passed as input. If no
input is passed into Find actions, however, they retrieve content on their own from their respective apps
(similar to Get actions).
Filter actions include Filter Event Attendees, Filter Files, Filter Locations, Filter Articles, and Filter Images.
These actions take content as input, narrow the content using filters that you specify, and then pass the
matched results as output.
For information about how to add filtering parameters to sort data in these actions, see Add filter
parameters to Find and Filter actions in Shortcuts.
Helpful? Yes No
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/about-find-and-filter-actions-apd3c845e881/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 About Find and Filter actions in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Previous Next
 Use Repeat actions Add filter parameters 
Support Shortcuts User Guide About Find and Filter actions in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/about-find-and-filter-actions-apd3c845e881/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Add filter parameters to Find and Filter actions in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Add filter parameters to Find and Filter actions

in Shortcuts
After you add a Find or Filter action to your shortcut, you activate filter parameters in the action to narrow
down the data set gathered by the action.
For example, in the Find Photos action, you can add filter parameters such as “Album is Portrait,” which
retrieves only photos in an album named “Portrait.” You can add more filter parameters to further refine
the search criteria—for example, to exclude the “Selfies” album, by changing the filter option from “Album
[is]” to “Album [is not],” and then choosing “Selfies” from the list of search criteria.
Add filter parameters to a Find or Filter action

2. In the shortcut editor, tap , enter “Find” or “Filter” in the search field, touch and hold the action in
the list, then drag it to the position you want.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/add-filter-parameters-apdbdab3433f/ios 1/3
3. In the Find or Filter action you added, tap Add Filter.
A default filtering string appears, with the filtering terms in colored fonts—for example, “Album is All
Photos.”
4. Tap any of the colored terms, then tap an option from the list to customize the filtering string.
For example, you could tap Album and choose Width; tap “is” and choose “is not;” then tap “anything”
and enter a number in the keypad that appears.
5. To add more filter parameters, repeat steps 2–3.
Note: When you add multiple filter parameters, the “All of the following are true” or “Any of the
following are true” options become available.
Sort and limit filter parameter results

The Find and Filter actions also include parameters to order your results and limit the number of results
collected in the filtering operation.
In the Shortcuts app, do either or both of the following:
Order the filter results: Tap “Sort by,” choose an option from the list that appears, then, in the Order
parameter that appears, tap an option (Ascending or Descending, for example).
Limit the filter results: Turn on Limit; then in the Get [x Items] row that appears, tap the plus (+) or
minus (–) button to select a maximum number of results.
Additionally, you can tap Limit or Get [x Items] to set these parameters using an Ask When Run
variable or a Magic Variable (depending on actions in the shortcut), allowing you to alter the limit while
the shortcut is running.
Tip: To use two Find actions in a row—without causing the second action to filter the output of the
first—place a Nothing action in between the two Find actions. That way, “nothing” is passed as input to
the second Find action, signaling it to retrieve its own content.
When working with a large amount of content or broad queries in the Find and Filter actions, a shortcutʼs
performance may be impacted when run from iOS Today View. In such cases, use a Continue In App
action to switch to the Shortcuts app, or experiment with more specific filters that limit the number of
possible results.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 About Find and Filter actions About using prompts 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Add filter parameters to Find and Filter actions in Shortcuts
11/25/2018 About using prompts in a shortcut - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
About using prompts in a shortcut

If you want to display or enter information while your shortcut is running, use the Ask for Input, Show Alert,
or Show Notification action, or use an Ask When Run variable.
Using actions and variables in this way lets you create shortcuts that are more dynamic—you can set up a
structure for what occurs in your shortcut, but you donʼt need to fill in all of the information as you build
the shortcut. Instead, you can leave certain options to be decided at runtime.
For example, you can create a shortcut that asks questions about your day and enters the answers in a
journal, such as this Dear Diary shortcut. Or, you can create a more complicated shortcut with prompts
that fill out each portion of an email template, combine all of the portions, then send the email, such as
this example shortcut.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/about-using-prompts-apd8efa49a70/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 About using prompts in a shortcut - Apple Support
Add filter parameters Use the Ask for Input action

 
Support Shortcuts User Guide About using prompts in a shortcut
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/about-using-prompts-apd8efa49a70/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Use the Ask for Input action in a shortcut - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Use the Ask for Input action in a shortcut

Ask for Input is a powerful action that lets you enter information at the time your shortcut is run. The
action presents a dialog that asks a question. When you enter the answer and tap OK, the data is passed
into the next action or is stored as a Magic Variable to be retrieved later.
Ask for Input supports the entry of words, dates, or numbers, and the keyboard adapts to each input type.
Additionally, Ask for Input allows you to specify a default value that prefills the dialog. When you run the
shortcut, you can adjust the prefilled information.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-the-ask-for-input-action-apd68b5c9161/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Use the Ask for Input action in a shortcut - Apple Support
The Ask for Input action works well with “logging” shortcuts, such as shortcuts that log health data or
create journal entries.
Tip: Use an Ask for Input action thatʼs set to Number to quickly enter numbers in iOS Today View with
the numeric keypad.
For more information, see Set up and run shortcuts in Today View.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 About using prompts Use the Ask When Run variable 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use the Ask for Input action in a shortcut
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-the-ask-for-input-action-apd68b5c9161/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Use the Ask When Run variable in a shortcut - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Use the Ask When Run variable in a shortcut

The Ask When Run variable allows you to adjust the parameters of an action at runtime. Using the Ask
When Run variable, you can wait to decide how an action should operate until the shortcut is run.
As your shortcut runs, each action is completed until the shortcut reaches an action that contains an Ask
When Run variable. At that point, the shortcut pauses, prompting you to update the actionʼs parameters.
Once you tap Done, the shortcut continues its run.
To add the Ask When Run variable to a parameter, tap the empty space in the actionʼs parameter row, then
tap Ask When Run. Now, each time the shortcut runs, youʼre asked to confirm your option for that
parameter. To insert an Ask When Run variable in actions with text fields, tap the text field, then tap Ask
When Run (in the Variables bar that appears above the keyboard).
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-the-ask-when-run-variable-apd8b28e2166/ios 1/3
Using the Ask When Run variable on a parameter can be helpful for adjusting options on the fly, such as
the option to Show Compose Sheet in the Send Email action.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Use the Ask for Input action Use the Show Alert action 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use the Ask When Run variable in a shortcut
11/25/2018 Use the Show Alert action in a shortcut - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Use the Show Alert action in a shortcut

The Show Alert action presents an arbitrary dialog at runtime; the dialog contains a title, a description, an
OK button (to continue the shortcut run), and an optional Cancel button (to stop the shortcut run). Use
Show Alert to share information with the user, provide warning messages, pause the shortcut at a specific
point, and so on.
Show Alert is especially useful for displaying information in iOS Today View. For example, you can create a
shortcut that determines sunrise and sunset times and displays an alert that includes a summary.
You can also use the Show Alert action to debug shortcuts when youʼre not getting your intended shortcut
result. By passing content into Show Alert, you can preview the output of the previous action at a certain
point in a shortcut, then cancel the shortcut, if necessary.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-the-show-alert-action-apdb9661c761/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Use the Show Alert action in a shortcut - Apple Support
Use the Ask When Run variable Use the Show Notification action
 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use the Show Alert action in a shortcut
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-the-show-alert-action-apdb9661c761/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Use the Show Notification action in a shortcut - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Use the Show Notification action in a shortcut

The Show Notification action creates a system notification. Show Notification runs instantly and continues
to the next action (unlike the Show Alert action, which pauses the shortcut).
Media thatʼs passed into the notification is displayed in a rich preview, such as an image or a Maps
location.
When the Current Track shortcut (shown above) is run, the title, artist, album name, and album art of the
currently playing artist are displayed in a notification.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-the-show-notification-action-apd2175adcab/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Use the Show Notification action in a shortcut - Apple Support
Note: To display album artwork in the notification, the song or album must be added to your music library.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Use the Show Alert action Action Extension input types 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use the Show Notification action in a shortcut
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-the-show-notification-action-apd2175adcab/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Understanding Action Extension input types in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Understanding Action Extension input types in

Shortcuts
If youʼve set a shortcut as an Action Extension, you can open the shortcut from within other apps via the
iOS share sheet. When run from the share sheet, the shortcut receives input—such as a URL or an image
—from the app itʼs running within. The input from the host app is passed into the first action of your
shortcut.
When a shortcut is set as an Action Extension, you can specify which input types the shortcut can accept.
The default input type is Anything, which allows the shortcut to appear when the Action Extension is run
from any app.
When you change input types, the shortcut will appear only in apps that share the specified type of
content. For example, a shortcut that accepts only URLs appears when you run the shortcut from Safari,
but does not appear when you run the shortcut from Photos. Shortcuts that donʼt work with the current
app are hidden.
Tip: Specify an input type for each of your Action Extension shortcuts so that your share sheet is
organized when opened.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/action-extension-input-types-apd7644168e1/ios 1/3
Note: At times, shortcuts may appear in unexpected places—for example, a shortcut that accepts images
appears when sharing a webpage in Safari (because webpages can contain images).
The following table lists supported Action Extension input types.
Input type Definition
Phone numbers Telephone numbers (automatically identified in text by Shortcuts)
Contacts Contact cards shared from the Contacts app or vCard files
Email addresses Email addresses (automatically identified in text by Shortcuts)
iTunes products Items shared from the iTunes Store app, including music, movies, TV
shows, music videos, ringtones, and alert tones (also includes content
shared from Apple Books)
App Store apps Apps shared from the App Store
Locations Street addresses (automatically identified in text by Shortcuts) or

locations shared from the Maps app
Maps links Links to locations or directions from Maps or other navigation apps
URLs Any URL, whether a web link (such as http://) or another scheme (such
as twitter://)
Safari webpages Pages shared from the Safari app or from the Safari View Controller in
third-party apps
Articles Articles identified when a web URL is passed as input, including details
such as Title, Author, Published Date, Body, Excerpt, Number of Words,
and Main Image URL
Rich text Text with formatting applied, including HTML from webpages and content
in text editors, such as Microsoft Word
Text Plain text with no applied formatting
Files Any file, including documents, images, PDFs, zips, and more
PDFs PDF files
Images Image files, including images from apps and on the web, as well as photos
shared from the Photos app
Media Video and audio files
Dates Dates and times automatically identified by iOS (To run a shortcut with a
date as input, in any app, touch and hold an underlined date, such as
“tomorrow at 4 PM,” tap Share, then tap Run Shortcut.)
Tip: To explore the share sheet of an app and what it passes into Shortcuts, set up a shortcut that
accepts Anything and includes only a View Content Graph action. When the shortcut is run as an Action
Extension in an app, the content items that the Content Graph can identify are displayed.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Use the Show Notification action About the Run JavaScript on Web Page action 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Understanding Action Extension input types in Shortcuts
11/25/2018 About the Run JavaScript on Web Page action in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
About the Run JavaScript on Web Page action

in Shortcuts
Nearly all webpages are scripted using JavaScript, a programming language that creates dynamic effects
within web browsers, including animations, interactive menus, video playback, and more. Generally,
JavaScript isnʼt exposed to you as you surf a website. However, by building a shortcut that contains the
Run JavaScript on Web Page action, and then running the shortcut from the Safari app, you can control a
webpageʼs JavaScript.
Shortcuts that run your custom JavaScript on a webpage have myriad uses. For example, you can create
shortcuts that retrieve specific data from a webpage and then incorporate that data into a task, such as
extracting a class schedule and then adding it to the Calendar app, or exporting the member data of a
Facebook group and then adding that data to a spreadsheet.
You can also create shortcuts that let you modify a webpage, such as changing the font of the webpageʼs
text or modifying the speed at which a video plays back.
For information on using shortcuts that run JavaScript on a webpage, see Use the Run JavaScript on Web
Page action in Shortcuts.
About retrieving webpage data

The Run JavaScript on Web Page action lets you retrieve data from a webpage by grabbing all elements
that match certain criteria, then iterating through those elements to perform a task with the data (or to
inspect the elements further).
For example, to create a list of every image element on a webpage, use:
var elements = document.querySelectorAll("img");
In another example, to retrieve every element with the class “post,” use:
var elements = document.querySelectorAll(".post");
Once a NodeList is created, you can iterate through the elements (to further filter the elements or add the
elements to a data structure) using something like:
var elements = ...;

for (let element of elements) {
// ...
}
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/about-the-run-javascript-on-web-page-action-apd218e2187d/ios 1/6
For more information on querying webpage results, see https://developer.mozilla.org/Selectors and

https://developer.mozilla.org/SelectorAll.
Run JavaScript on Web Page action input

The input to the Run JavaScript on Web Page action must be an active Safari webpage, which means you
must run the shortcut from the Shortcuts Action Extension in the share sheet (specifically from Safari,
SFSafariViewController, or ASWebAuthenticationSession).
When a shortcut is run from the share sheet, the input from the Safari app is passed into the first action of
your shortcut.
Although the input into the Run JavaScript on Web Page action must be a Safari webpage, you can insert
additional data into the action by using Magic Variables. For example, the following shortcut contains a
Run JavaScript on Web Page action that modifies a video on a webpage. The playback rate of the video is
controlled by the Speed variable.
Tip: The Change Video Speed shortcut is available in the Gallery.
If the Run JavaScript on Web Page action isnʼt the first action in your shortcut, an error message will
appear when you run the shortcut.
To correct this, you can add a Get Variable action and set its parameter to the Safari webpage to pass its
content into the Run JavaScript on Web Page action.
For information on running shortcuts from Safari, see Set up and run shortcuts from another app.
Run JavaScript on Web Page action output

To return data, you must call the completion handler in JavaScript, such as completion(result).
Because JavaScript is usually used with asynchronous patterns, the call is intentionally not synchronous.
This way, you can finish the action asynchronously. For example, the following is valid:
window.setTimeout(function() {
completion(true);
}, 1000);
The output of the Run JavaScript on Web Page action is any valid JSON data type, including:
String
Number
Boolean (true or false)
Array (containing any other valid JSON type)
Dictionary (containing any other valid JSON type)
null
undefined
For more information about JSON, see About using JSON in Shortcuts.
Behind the scenes, Shortcuts automatically encodes and decodes your returned value to communicate
between JavaScript and the Shortcuts app. This means you donʼt need to call
JSON.stringify(result) before calling the completion handler.
Because the return value is JSON, certain return values wonʼt work well. For example, a function or Node
wonʼt have a useful JSON-encoded representation. In this case, itʼs recommended that you create an
Array/Dictionary that contains the JSON-compatible values you need.
For more information on Nodes, see https://developer.mozilla.org/Node; for more information on functions,
see https://developer.mozilla.org/Functions.
Note: Because an object in JavaScript is just a dictionary, basic objects convert to JSON well.
Tip: If you donʼt want to return any data from the Run JavaScript on Web Page action, you can call
completion() with no argument in the function (because undefined is valid output). This is identical to
calling completion(undefined).
Run JavaScript on Web Page action time limit

Like all JavaScript extensions in Safari, the Run JavaScript on Web Page action is subject to a time limit
and should be completed as quickly as possible. JavaScript that uses synchronous functions might not
complete in time, including:
window.alert()
window.prompt()
window.confirm()
Timeouts that last multiple seconds—for example: window.setTimeout(function() {

completion(); }, 5000);
If your JavaScript exceeds the time limit, the shortcut will fail to complete and a JavaScript Timeout error
message will appear when you run the shortcut.
Syntax and Runtime Error Handling

You can use any syntax that's supported in Safari to write JavaScript in the Run JavaScript on Web Page
action. iOS 12 supports ECMA 6 JavaScript syntax, including for of loops and let.
In the Shortcuts app, the Run JavaScript on Web Page action helps you spot errors by doing a basic
syntax check before you run the shortcut from the Safari extension.
As you enter your script in the text field, syntax highlighting helps ensure that your JavaScript is valid. For
example, if you forget to include quotation marks at the end of a string, all the text following that string is
highlighted.
If your scriptʼs syntax is valid but contains a runtime error, the Run JavaScript on Web Page action catches
and displays the exceptions. For example, if your script references a variable or function that doesnʼt exist
(such as shortcuts.completion()), an error is displayed at runtime.
Privacy and Security

When you allow a shortcut to run Javascript on a webpage, that shortcut can access all of the information
on that webpage—including potentially sensitive data. The Shortcuts app takes a few measures to make
sure you run your JavaScript shortcuts securely and privately.
When you run a shortcut that contains the Run JavaScript on Web Page action, a prompt is displayed
informing you that the shortcut is about to interact with the webpage. This means that the shortcut can
access potentially sensitive data from the webpage, such as passwords, phone numbers, or credit card
information.
Once you tap Allow, the shortcut runs on the specified webpage. If you run the same shortcut on the same
webpage again, Shortcuts does not show the prompt again. This permission persists on a per-shortcut,
per-webpage basis.
After youʼve allowed a shortcut access to a webpage, Shortcuts takes an extra step to further protect you
from potentially malicious scripts by periodically downloading updated malware definitions. Before
interacting with a webpage, Shortcuts analyzes the JavaScript, then consults the malware definitions.
Based on this evaluation, Shortcuts is instructed to allow the script, to deny the script, or to display an
additional prompt before allowing the shortcut to run.
Note: This evaluation is performed on your device—the contents of your JavaScript (in the text field of the
Run JavaScript on Web Page action) are not sent to an external server for analysis.
If the shortcut is prevented from running, an explanatory error message is displayed.
Important: You should never run a shortcut that contains JavaScript you donʼt trust.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Action Extension input types Use the Run JavaScript on Web Page action 
Support Shortcuts User Guide About the Run JavaScript on Web Page action in Shortcuts
11/25/2018 Use the Run JavaScript on Web Page action in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Use the Run JavaScript on Web Page action in

Shortcuts
Use the Run JavaScript on Web Page action to retrieve specific data from a website, or to modify the
contents of a webpage.
The Run JavaScript on Web Page action contains a text field where you write your own script. You run the
shortcut from the Safari app.
Note: You can also use the Run JavaScript on Web Page action in SFSafariViewController.
Create a JavaScript shortcut

1. In the Shortcuts app Library , tap Create Shortcut.
2. In the shortcut editor, tap at the top of the action list, begin typing “Run JavaScript…” in the search
field, then tap the Run JavaScript on Web Page action to add it to the shortcut editor.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-the-run-javascript-on-web-page-action-apdb71a01d93/ios 1/3
Note: If the Run JavaScript on Web Page actionʼs input isnʼt a Safari webpage, an error message will
appear when you run the shortcut. Additionally, if the Run JavaScript on Web Page action isnʼt the first
action in the shortcut, you need to use a Get Variable action and set its parameter to the Safari
webpage (or the shortcutʼs input).
3. Write your script in the text field in the Run JavaScript on Web Page action.
Important: In your script, make sure you call the completion handler. For more information, see Run
JavaScript on Web Page action output.
4. Add any other actions you want to include in the shortcut.
Tip: To use multiple Run JavaScript on Web Page actions in the same shortcut, make sure each
instance of the action has the Safari webpage as its input (using the Get Variable action).
5. Tap to open Settings, then turn on Show in Share Sheet.
A new row labeled “Accepted Types” appears. So that the shortcut only appears in Safari, deselect all
input types except “Safari web pages.”
For more information, see About input types in an Action Extension shortcut.
6. Tap Done to return to the shortcut editor, then tap Done again to save the shortcut to your Library.
For more information about working with JavaScript in Shortcuts, see About the Run JavaScript on
Web Page action in Shortcuts.
Run the JavaScript shortcut on a webpage

1. In Safari, make sure the Shortcuts button is enabled in the share sheet.
2. In Safari, tap .
3. In the bottom row (the monochrome buttons), tap Shortcuts.
If the Shortcuts button is not immediately visible, swipe left.
4. In the Run Shortcut screen, tap a shortcut containing the Run JavaScript on Web Page action.
Note: You can also run the shortcut in SFSafariViewController.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 About the Run JavaScript on Web Page action About URL schemes 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use the Run JavaScript on Web Page action in Shortcuts
11/25/2018 About URL schemes in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
About URL schemes in Shortcuts

You can use URL schemes in Shortcuts. A URL scheme is the part of a link that specifies the type of
application your device uses to open a URL. Many apps support URL schemes: FaceTime uses URL
schemes to place calls when a URL starting with facetime:// is opened, just like Safari handles URLs
starting with http://.
Shortcutʼs URL scheme, shortcuts://, launches the Shortcuts app from a link to perform a task, such
as importing or running a shortcut. These links can be useful in many different contexts, such as on the
web, or when using Shortcuts with other apps that support opening URLs, such as Launcher or Launch
Center Pro.
You can also open URLs using schemes inside of your shortcuts provided by other apps. To do so, use the
Open URL or Open X-Callback URL action.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Use the Run JavaScript on Web Page action Open, create, and run a shortcut 
Support Shortcuts User Guide About URL schemes in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/about-url-schemes-apd621a1ad7a/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 Open and create a shortcut using a URL scheme - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Open and create a shortcut using a URL

scheme
The Shortcuts URL scheme allows you to open the app, create, run, or import a shortcut, and interact with
the Gallery in the Shortcut app.
Open Shortcuts using a URL scheme

Open the URL shortcuts:// to launch the app to the state when it was last used.
Create a new shortcut using a URL scheme

Open the URL shortcuts://create-shortcut to jump to the shortcut editor and to create a new,
empty shortcut.
Open a specific shortcut using a URL scheme

You can launch the app to a particular shortcut in your collection.
Open a URL with the following structure: shortcuts://open-shortcut?name=[name], and

provide the name of the shortcut in the name parameter.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 About URL schemes Run a shortcut from a URL 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Open and create a shortcut using a URL scheme
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/open-create-and-run-a-shortcut-apda283236d7/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Open and create a shortcut using a URL scheme - Apple Support
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/open-create-and-run-a-shortcut-apda283236d7/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Run a shortcut using a URL scheme - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Run a shortcut using a URL scheme

The Shortcuts URL scheme supports running a shortcut thatʼs saved in the Shortcuts Library. This
functionality may be useful in automation systems that extend beyond Shortcuts itself, so that other apps
can run a shortcut in your collection. Or you could use the Shortcuts URL scheme in a task manager like
OmniFocus or Todoist for running a shortcut as one step in a project.
Run a shortcut from a URL

Open a URL with the following structure: shortcuts://run-shortcut?name=[name]&input=
[input]
Use the following parameters in the URL:
name: The name of the shortcut to run.
input (optional): The initial input into the shortcut. There are two input options: a text string or the
word clipboard. When the input value is a text string, that text is used. When the input value
is clipboard, the contents of the clipboard are used.
By using a text string, you can provide your own URL-encoded text as input to the shortcut. For
example, a URL that uses the text “soup” as input to a shortcut named Make PDF would look like this:
shortcuts://run-shortcut?name=Make%20PDF&input=text&text=soup
A URL to transfer the most recently copied text into a shortcut called Add to Bear would look like this:
shortcuts://run-shortcut?name=Add20%to20%Bear&input=clipboard
Tip: If youʼd like to run one shortcut from within another shortcut, use the Run Shortcut action instead
of a URL scheme. You should only run shortcuts with a URL if youʼre integrating from another app outside
of Shortcuts.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/run-a-shortcut-from-a-url-apd624386f42/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Run a shortcut using a URL scheme - Apple Support
Open, create, and run a shortcut Import a shortcut from a URL

 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Run a shortcut using a URL scheme
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/run-a-shortcut-from-a-url-apd624386f42/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Import a shortcut using a URL scheme - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Import a shortcut using a URL scheme

You can import .shortcut files into the Shortcuts app and add them to your collection. This is useful, for
example, if you want to share a shortcut online and provide a link for others to quickly add it to their library.
Import a shortcut from a URL

Open a URL with the following structure: shortcuts://import-shortcut?url=[url]&name=
[name]
Use the following parameters in the URL:
url: A URL pointing to the .shortcut file you want to import.
name (optional): A title for the new shortcut. If you donʼt provide a name, the shortcut filename is
used.
silent (optional): By default, the imported shortcut is opened and displayed to the user. Set this
parameter to true to import without opening the shortcut.
Note: Before a shortcut imported from another app is run for the first time, youʼll be asked for permission
to run it.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Run a shortcut from a URL Open or search the Gallery from a URL 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Import a shortcut using a URL scheme
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/import-a-shortcut-from-a-url-apd77a47304b/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 Open or search the Shortcuts Gallery using a URL scheme - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Open or search the Shortcuts Gallery using a

URL scheme
Shortcuts offers two URL scheme options for interacting with the Gallery: One for opening the Gallery, and
one for searching the Gallery.
Open the Gallery from a URL

Open a URL with the following structure: shortcuts://gallery
Shortcuts opens, showing you the main page of the Gallery.
Search the Gallery from a URL

Open a URL with the following structure: shortcuts://gallery/search?query=[query]
The query parameter determines the URL-encoded keywords to be searched in the Gallery.
For example, if you want to send someone a link to explore Evernote shortcuts available in the Gallery,
you would instruct them to open
shortcuts://gallery/search?query=Evernote
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Import a shortcut from a URL Use x-callback-url 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Open or search the Shortcuts Gallery using a URL scheme
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/open-or-search-the-gallery-from-a-url-apd9c112ca23/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 Use x-callback-url with Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Use x-callback-url with Shortcuts

Shortcuts supports x-callback-url, allowing the calling app to receive a response (a callback) when a
particular interaction has completed. You can import and run shortcuts from an x-callback-url using the
same parameters as discussed in Run a shortcut using a URL scheme and Import a shortcut using a URL
scheme. Hereʼs an example:
shortcuts://x-callback-url/run-shortcut?
name=Calculate%20Tip&input=text&text=24.99&x-success=...&x-cancel=...
Per the x-callback-url standard, the following additional parameters can be provided:
x-success (optional): A URL that opens when the interaction is successful—for example, after a shortcut
is imported or finished running. If a shortcut is run, a parameter named result is appended to the URL
and contains the textual output of the shortcut.
x-cancel (optional): A URL that opens when the interaction is canceled by the user.
x-error (optional): A URL that opens when the interaction fails because an error occurred. A parameter
named errorMessage is appended to the URL and contains a description of the error.
With x-success, you can provide a URL that opens after the shortcut successfully finishes running. This
could be used in conjunction with a multistep checklist of tasks in OmniFocus, wherein you open the x-
callback-url to run a shortcut, return to the list, and move on to the next task via URL.
With x-cancel, you can provide a contingency URL to launch if the shortcut stops before it finishes
running. Because the shortcut did not complete, no output from the shortcut is provided.
With x-error, you can provide a contingency URL to launch if the shortcut encounters an error while
running and fails to finish. In this case, you can kick off a different URL to handle the issue.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Open or search the Gallery from a URL Use another appʼs URL scheme 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use x-callback-url with Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-x-callback-url-apdcd7f20a6f/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Use x-callback-url with Shortcuts - Apple Support
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-x-callback-url-apdcd7f20a6f/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Use another app’s URL scheme in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Use another appʼs URL scheme in Shortcuts

Shortcuts also has the ability to integrate with other apps via their URL schemes. If you want to use an app
that has URL schemes but isnʼt currently supported in a built-in action, you can construct the URLs
manually using the URL action and launch them using the Open URLs action or the Open X-Callback URL
action.
Note: Many URL schemes can be hard to implement and debug. The schemes often include a variety of
parameters and require text to be URL-encoded which can be difficult to read. That said, exploring URL
schemes does provide a deeper range of customization beyond the built-in apps included in Shortcuts.
Contact the developers of your favorite apps to see if they currently use a URL scheme, or ask them to
implement URL schemes so you can automate their app in Shortcuts as well.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Use x-callback-url About web APIs 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use another appʼs URL scheme in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/use-another-apps-url-scheme-apd68802640c/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 About web APIs in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
About web APIs in Shortcuts

You can take your shortcuts to a whole new level by taking advantage of the power of web APIs
(application programming interfaces).
Although most Shortcuts actions fill potential gaps between iOS apps, you may find a gap between one of
your apps and the web service that powers that app. For example, you may want to retrieve and work with
more raw data than an app discloses. Or you may want to automate saving or posting of information to a
service (or perhaps a service doesnʼt offer a mobile app but does offer an API). In such cases (and many
more), you can use Shortcuts to perform an API request.
The following two sections, “Get started with web APIs” and “Work with JSON,” discuss obtaining and
modifying a Dark Sky weather API to build a shortcut that displays the weather forecast. To follow along,
download the example shortcut.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Use another appʼs URL scheme Whatʼs an API? 
Support Shortcuts User Guide About web APIs in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/about-web-apis-apd2d448b2de/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 What’s an API? - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Whatʼs an API?
An API, or application programming interface, is used to pass data back and forth between software apps
in a formalized way. Many services offer public APIs that allow anyone to send and receive content from
the service. APIs that work over the Internet using http:// URLs are referred to as web APIs. On the web,
you send a request to an API to get and post information.
All of your favorite apps that connect to the Internet are powered by APIs. For example, social media apps
use APIs to let you view and publish posts from their mobile apps. When you refresh the feed, the app
makes an API request to fetch all of the posts. When you “like” a post, the app makes an API request to
post that data.
With the ability to make API requests in Shortcuts, you can go beyond the data thatʼs locally available on
your device and make shortcuts that interact with any web service that has a public API. You can build
custom shortcuts to gather a large amount of data and display it however you want, or even send data
back into the API and update the web service—if itʼs possible in an API, itʼs possible in the Shortcuts app.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 About web APIs Sign up for the API 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Whatʼs an API?
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/whats-an-api-apd2e30c9d45/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 Sign up for the API - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Sign up for the API

Most services require you to sign up for their API, after which youʼre assigned a “secret key” that grants
you access. This key is included as part of the API request, letting the service know whoʼs making the API
request—this key is unique to you and should not be shared with anyone else.
You can sign up for a Dark Sky account here.
Once you have your secret key, youʼre ready to make your first API request.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Whatʼs an API? Request your first API 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Sign up for the API
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/sign-up-for-the-api-apdab3bb9a7e/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 Request your first API in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Request your first API in Shortcuts

To request your first API, you create the URL that points at the API “endpoint” that you want to talk to, and
then pass that URL to the Get Contents of URL action. When the shortcut is run, this action makes the API
request.
Build the API request

Dark Skyʼs Forecast endpoint requires a URL request to be formatted as such:
https://api.darksky.net/forecast/[YOUR_SECRET_KEY]/[LAT],[LONG]
The text in brackets will be filled out with an API key and the location you want forecast data for.
In the Shortcuts app, place your API key from Dark Sky in the first Text action, which is passed to the
URL action as a variable. The LAT and LONG values are already set to 37.8267 and -122.4233, which
are the coordinates for Alcatraz Island in San Francisco. (You can change those values to a different
location.)
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/request-your-first-api-apd58d46713f/ios 1/3
Try using the Get Current Location action and placing it as a Magic Variable set to Latitude and
Longitude in the URL action to get local weather data whenever you run the shortcut.
Perform the API request with the Get Contents of URL

action
1. In the shortcut editor of the Shortcuts app, set Get Contents of URL to Advanced.
The following options for the types of API requests you can make become available:
GET allows you to retrieve data from an API to read.
POST allows you to create new data.
PUT and PATCH allow you to update data by replacing or modifying it, respectively.
DELETE allows you to remove an object specified in the URL request.
2. For this example, use a GET request to retrieve data from the Dark Sky API.
Now that the URL action has your request and the Get Contents of URL action is set up to GET data,
youʼre ready to make the API request.
Note: When the Get Contents of URL action is switched to POST, PUT, or PATCH, a new parameter
called Request Body is added. Request Body allows you to send JSON, a Form, or a File to the API as
part of your request. This lets you enter new data manually or by using variables so you can send the
data to the API for creating, replacing, or modifying an entry.
3. Tap to test the shortcut (the Quick Look action in the shortcut allows you to preview the data that
the API returns).
Congratulations, youʼve made your first API request using Shortcuts.
Upon first look, the API appears to return a lot of strangely formatted text. On closer inspection, you
can see that text contains weather forecast information. This weather data is encoded in JSON, which
stands for JavaScript Object Notation.
To learn about working with JSON and to continue with the Dark Sky API example, see About using JSON
in Shortcuts.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Sign up for the API About using JSON 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Request your first API in Shortcuts
11/25/2018 About using JSON in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
About using JSON in Shortcuts

JSON is a popular data-interchange format used by APIs (application programming interfaces). JSON lets
you bundle a large amount of data into one chunk of text and then send it along to another service. All of
the data values are given names, referred to as keys, and are combined with special characters like colons
(:) and braces ({ and }) to form data objects.
In JSON, your values are structured into two types of data objects: dictionaries and lists.
A dictionary is a collection of values that each have a unique key, together called key/value pairs. In JSON,
they look like {key1: value1, key2: value2, key3: value3} (and so forth).
A list is simply an ordered collection of values. In JSON, they look like [value1, value2, value3], and
so on.
In both cases, you can set the values as text, numbers, booleans (true or false), dictionaries, and lists.
JSON allows you to nest dictionary and list structures however you want. For example, you can nest a
dictionary within a dictionary or nest a list within a dictionary. This allows you to model almost any
structure of data, basic or complex, making JSON a powerful yet simple way to organize values as data
objects.
For example, you can represent a person using a dictionary like:
{"first_name: "John", "last_name": "Appleseed", "age": 9}
Or, if you want a list of people, you can put the people dictionaries in a list like:
[{"first_name: "John", "last_name": "Appleseed", "age": 9},

{"first_name: "Kate", "last_name": "Bell", "age": 10},
{"first_name: "Anna", "last_name": "Haro", "age": 11}]
Note: For more information about the semantics of JSON, visit http://www.json.org.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Request your first API Parsing JSON 
Support Shortcuts User Guide About using JSON in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/about-using-json-apd0f2e057df/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 About using JSON in Shortcuts - Apple Support
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/about-using-json-apd0f2e057df/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Parsing JSON in Shortcuts from an API request - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Parsing JSON in Shortcuts from an API request

If you look at the Dark Sky API response, you can see that thereʼs a lot of data stored in JSON. While itʼs
not easy to read at first, over time youʼll start to recognize the structures in JSON data, as well as how to
identify dictionaries, lists, keys, and values. Often, developers include a nicely formatted version of the
JSON data that their API will return, so look for that in their documentation. Additionally, itʼs helpful to
check your work using services like the online JSON Editor.
Notice that the top-level object is a dictionary with the keys latitude, longitude, timezone,
currently, and minutely. Some of these keys, such as latitude and timezone, simply contain a
number or text value, but others, such as daily, have a dictionary value.
And the daily dictionary contains some keys with values that are simple text, such as the summary, with
Rain throughout the day. But others, such as data, are lists containing a forecast (represented by a
dictionary) for each hour.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/parsing-json-apdde2dfe749/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Parsing JSON in Shortcuts from an API request - Apple Support
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 About using JSON Get Dictionary Value action 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Parsing JSON in Shortcuts from an API request
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/parsing-json-apdde2dfe749/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Handling dictionaries using the Get Dictionary Value action in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Handling dictionaries using the Get Dictionary

Value action in Shortcuts
To get the value for a particular key in a dictionary, you can use the Get Dictionary Value action and specify
the name of the key. To get the daily forecast, add the Get Dictionary Value action and set it to daily.
If you want the weather summary, you can use the Get Dictionary Value action again with summary.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/get-dictionary-value-action-apdf01294032/ios 1/3
The detailed forecast for each day is stored within daily as a dictionary called data.
Notice that the data dictionary is actually a list of dictionaries, represented at the start by the left bracket
([) in JSON. In the above image, a list of eight items (identified by the page dots above search field) is
output from the Get Dictionary Value action. This represents the forecast data for each of the days
requested from the API, which returns today and the next seven days to become a list of eight dictionaries
of data.
For information on working with multiple items in a dictionary, see Handling lists using the Repeat with
Each action in Shortcuts.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Parsing JSON Handling lists 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Handling dictionaries using the Get Dictionary Value action in Shortcuts
11/25/2018 Handling lists using the Repeat with Each action in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Handling lists using the Repeat with Each

action in Shortcuts
This section discusses using the data returned by the Dark Sky API (in the previous topic) to retrieve the
average temperature for each day in the forecast using the Repeat with Each action. The Repeat with Each
action allows a shortcut to act on every item in a list, one after another.
To work with the set of eight days of data, you must pass the output into the Repeat with Each action, then
set up actions within each loop to retrieve a single dayʼs data at a time.
To get the average daily high and low temperatures, create a repeat loop by using a List action with two
Repeat Item variables. Tap the first Repeat Item variable, change the content type to Dictionary, then enter
the key temperatureMax to obtain the maximum temperature of each day. Do the same for the second
Repeat Item variable, providing the key temperatureMin to obtain the minimum temperature of each day.
Next, use the Calculate Statistics action to average the two new values and use the Round Number action
to make the value a nice and readable version of average temperature for the day.
To make sure the raw data values are useful once theyʼre passed out of the repeat loop, extract the day of
the week to use in your alert. Using another Repeat Item variable set to the time key, you can extract a
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/handling-lists-apd9ba41d21b/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Handling lists using the Repeat with Each action in Shortcuts - Apple Support
time value from the API and use the Adjust Date action to calculate the correct date from the time value.
Place the variables for the day of the week (extracted from Adjust Date) and average temperature
(extracted from Round Number) into a Text action, so that the final output of each loop is a line of text with
the newly formatted data.
Once the shortcut is run and reaches the Repeat with Each action, it loops through each dayʼs dictionary
of data, performs the calculations, then passes the result into the End Repeat marker. After all eight
repeats, all of the numbers are grouped together and passed out of the End Repeat marker, available to
use as input into another action or retrievable as a Repeat Results variable.
Continue to the next section to learn how to display your custom weather data as an alert.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Get Dictionary Value action Show data as an alert 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Handling lists using the Repeat with Each action in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/handling-lists-apd9ba41d21b/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Show data as an alert in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Show data as an alert in Shortcuts

To display the custom weather data (created in the previous sections) as an alert, add the Show Alert
action and provide a custom title, then place the Repeat Results variable as the body of the message.
When you run the shortcut, it calls the API, repeats through all of the data, and pops up your custom
weather data in an alert.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/show-data-as-an-alert-apd9cf19a736/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Show data as an alert in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Congratulations! Youʼve made a full API request in Shortcuts!

Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Handling lists Challenge yourself in Shortcuts 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Show data as an alert in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/show-data-as-an-alert-apd9cf19a736/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Challenge yourself in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Challenge yourself in Shortcuts

Thereʼs a whole world of APIs that are connecting services that you already use every day. If youʼre
interested in integrating a certain web service with Shortcuts, look online for its public API documentation,
get an API key, and see what you can create with the almost infinite amount of data that you can bring into
your own shortcut.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Show data as an alert API limitations 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Challenge yourself in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/challenge-yourself-in-shortcuts-apdaefa31a6b/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 API limitations in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
API limitations in Shortcuts

There are a few limitations when working with APIs in Shortcuts:
OAuth: OAuth 2, a system of authentication that requires a user to manually enter their username and
password on a login page, is currently not supported.
Various endpoints: APIs often have a variety of endpoints that you can use to request different types of
data. Working with some APIs may require a series of API calls, first to retrieve current existing data, and
then later to add, update, or delete more data.
Rate limiting: Many APIs have limitations on how often you can make requests. These restrictions are
aimed at limiting abuse of an API service in case someone makes thousands or millions of requests
programmatically. API services can be limited by hour, day, or month, or may require you to pay for API
access after exceeding these limits.
Note: Usage of any web APIs in Shortcuts is subject to any terms and conditions of that service.
Because youʼre creating a custom API key for your own use within Shortcuts, you probably wonʼt reach
the usage limits. However, using Repeat actions to make a large number of requests in a short period of
time may lead to usage overages. If you do reach a usage limit, you may need to wait until your service
is restored and/or batch your processes to perform a limited amount of operations at a time.
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 Challenge yourself in Shortcuts Format Date timestamps 
Support Shortcuts User Guide API limitations in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/api-limitations-apd891a6c84e/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 Handling timestamps using Format Date in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Select version:
2.1 
Handling timestamps using Format Date in

Shortcuts
You may notice that time and date information in some API responses appear as long numbers with many
digits. This is because the time is formatted in UNIX time (or Epoch time), which represents the time as the
number of seconds that have elapsed since 00 00 00 UTC, Thursday, January 1, 1970.
UNIX time is used as a standard for all computers as a way to measure time from the same spot, or the
start date of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and is also considered the birthday of the UNIX operating
system. In Shortcuts, you can convert from the UNIX time format to a more human-readable time format
by using the Date, Adjust Date, and Format Date actions.
The Date action is set to 00 00 00 UTC Jan 1, 1970. Add the UNIX Time variable to the UTC date to get the
adjusted date. Next, use Format Date to remove the time component (as they are all 00 00 00).
Note: Other APIs might use other time formats such as ISO 8601. For more information, see About date
and time formatting in Shortcuts.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/format-date-timestamps-apdfb33b0e17/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Handling timestamps using Format Date in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Helpful? Yes No
Previous Next
 API limitations Dictionaries 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Handling timestamps using Format Date in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/format-date-timestamps-apdfb33b0e17/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Using Dictionaries in shortcuts - Apple Support
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2.1 
Using Dictionaries in shortcuts

In addition to APIs, dictionaries can also be a useful way to work with structured data in your shortcuts.
Use dictionaries in the following ways:
Enter text, numbers, values, dictionaries, or lists into a Dictionary action to manually create a dictionary
for use in your shortcuts.
Use the Get Dictionary from Input action to turn text containing JSON or .plist data into a dictionary
item.
Create a JSON dictionary without coding it manually by entering all of the values into a Dictionary action
and copying the results.
Use the Dictionary Magic Variable to extract a set of values repeatedly throughout a shortcut.
Use a dictionary to make a rich display of data in a Choose from List action, which displays the keys as
menu options and the keysʼ values as a preview; then, when you choose a key, the action passes the
corresponding value into the next action.
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 Format Date timestamps About date and time formatting 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Using Dictionaries in shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/dictionaries-apd43b69f337/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 About date and time formatting in Shortcuts - Apple Support
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2.1 
About date and time formatting in Shortcuts

When building shortcuts, you may encounter situations where you want to format a date into text.
Shortcuts offers a Format Date action for this purpose. Additionally, date and time formatting can be set
within a variable.
The following sections discuss the date and time formatting options available in Shortcuts. It may be
helpful to download this sample shortcut and experiment with the different date formats as you review the
information.
Helpful? Yes No
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 Dictionaries Date and time formats 
Support Shortcuts User Guide About date and time formatting in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/about-date-and-time-formatting-apd71b0ac246/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 Date and time formats in Shortcuts - Apple Support
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2.1 
Date and time formats in Shortcuts

The most convenient and simple date formats in Shortcuts are Short, Medium, and Long:
Short: Displays only numerical values in the result, as 6/1/17.
Medium: Displays the three-letter abbreviation of the month and doesnʼt use slashes, as Jun 1, 2017.
Long: Displays the full text of monthʼs name, as June 1, 2017.
You can also set the date format to None to exclude date information from the result and display only
the time.
Separately, you can choose a Short, Medium, or Long format for the time of day:
Short: Displays the time in hours and minutes, as 2:41 PM.
Medium: Displays the time in hours, minutes, and seconds, as 2:41:36 PM.
Long: Displays the time in hours, minutes, seconds, and time zone, as 2:41:36 PM PST.
You can also set the time format to None to exclude time information from the result.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/date-and-time-formats-apdfbad418ca/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Date and time formats in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Note: The formats shown above are specific to the English language and may vary by locale.
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 About date and time formatting Dates as written language 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Date and time formats in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/date-and-time-formats-apdfbad418ca/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Use Dates as written language in Shortcuts - Apple Support
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2.1 
Use Dates as written language in Shortcuts

The How Long Ago/Until format is useful for gathering a simple description of how long ago or how far into
the future a date is relative to now. The result is based on the most significant component of the time
period, producing results like 43 minutes ago, 19 hours from now, 5 days from now, or 3
months ago.
Similarly, the Relative date format allows you to choose from helpful options such as Yesterday, Today, and
Tomorrow. These options are relative to the current date and time when you run the shortcut.
Helpful? Yes No
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 Date and time formats Technical standards 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Use Dates as written language in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/dates-as-written-language-apdc6348bca9/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 Technical standards supported in Shortcuts - Apple Support
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2.1 
Technical standards supported in Shortcuts

Shortcuts supports standard formats typically used for more technical purposes, such as ISO 8601 and
RFC 2822:
ISO 8601: The date portion follows the format YYYY-MM-DD, displaying as 2017-06-01. If an ISO time
is included, the time and time zone are appended to the date after a T designator, displaying as 2016-
06-01T14:41:36-08:00.
Note: The ISO 8601 format is particularly helpful for keeping dates in order—a list of ISO 8601 dates is
displayed in chronological order when the files are sorted alphabetically from A-Z.
RFC 2822: An Internet Message Format used to uniformly represent date and time, including in HTTP
and email headers. RFC 2822 includes the shortened day of week, numerical date, three-letter month
abbreviation, year, time, and time zone, displaying as 01 Jun 2016 14:31:46 -0700.
Note: RFC 2282 is rarely used outside of the Internet—if you donʼt already know what it is, chances are
you donʼt need it. For more information, see https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2822.
Helpful? Yes No
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 Dates as written language Custom date formats 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Technical standards supported in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/technical-standards-apdfd459e13d/ios 1/1
11/25/2018 Custom date formats in Shortcuts - Apple Support
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2.1 
Custom date formats in Shortcuts

Despite all of the predefined date formatting options, you may want to craft a format specific to your
needs. You can create a custom date format by choosing Custom in the Format Date action. An additional
Format String text field is displayed, allowing you to enter a format string that consists of a pattern of
special characters.
Note: For custom format strings, Shortcuts uses the patterns defined by the Unicode Technical Standard
#35. For more information, see Date Format Patterns.
The following table lists a summary of example format strings and their results.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/custom-date-formats-apd8d9b19184/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Custom date formats in Shortcuts - Apple Support
Pattern Result
yyyy.MM.dd G 'at' HH:mm:ss zzz 1996.07.10 AD at 15:08:56 PDT
EEE, MMM d, ''yy Wed, July 10, '96
h:mm a 12:08 PM
hh 'o''clock' a, zzzz 12 o'clock PM, Pacific Daylight Time
K:mm a, z 0:00 PM, PST
Tip: Custom patterns can include special characters like . or / in between the date characters. You
can also include custom text in the custom patterns by placing single quotes around the string (see the
word 'at' in the first table entry, above).
You can see the complete set of custom date format characters in the Date Field Symbol Table included in
this shortcut, or you can view the full Unicode #35 standard.
Helpful? Yes No
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 Technical standards Frequently asked questions 
Support Shortcuts User Guide Custom date formats in Shortcuts
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/custom-date-formats-apd8d9b19184/ios 2/2
11/25/2018 Frequently asked questions about Shortcuts - Apple Support
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2.1 
Frequently asked questions about Shortcuts

Can I sync my shortcuts between devices?
Your shortcuts are automatically synced between any device thatʼs signed into iCloud. For more
information, see Sync shortcuts.
Does Shortcuts support my favorite app or service?

A list of supported actions that use apps and services is not available on the web. However, you can
quickly search for apps or services inside of the app.
To search, open a shortcut in the app, tap , then enter the app or service name in the search field.
Actions that use the app or service you searched for appear in the action list.
If you canʼt locate actions that use the app or service using the search field, try adding the Open In action
or Open App action to your shortcut, then look for the app or service in the Choose menu.
How do I build a shortcut that does X?

The Shortcuts app Gallery is a great place to discover shortcuts with a wide variety of capabilities. Search
through the Gallery to see whatʼs possible and how particular shortcuts are built.
For more information, see Discover shortcuts in the Gallery and Create a new shortcut.
Can Shortcuts change my system settings?

Shortcuts can modify your iOS deviceʼs screen brightness and volume, as well as Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, and Low Power Mode settings.
Shortcuts cannot change Personal Hotspot, VPN, or Location Services settings.
Can I send text messages or emails without tapping the

Send button?
Due to security restrictions in iOS, you must tap the Send button to send an email or a text message. To
override this restriction for text messages, turn off Show When Run in the Send Message action.
https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/frequently-asked-questions-apd36004586e/ios 1/2
11/25/2018 Frequently asked questions about Shortcuts - Apple Support
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 Custom date formats
Support Shortcuts User Guide Frequently asked questions about Shortcuts
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11/25/2018 Shortcuts User Guide - Apple Support

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Shortcuts User Guide

Learn how shortcuts work 

Create your own shortcut 

Where do I find shortcuts?

Explore the Gallery 

Support Shortcuts User Guide

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The Shortcuts app

Get Latest Photos + Mask Image + Send Message

Where are shortcuts stored?

Support Shortcuts User Guide Shortcuts at a glance

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Discover shortcuts in the Gallery

Open and browse the Gallery

2. Tap See All to see all the shortcuts in a category.

3. Swipe a category row sideways to see other shortcuts in a category.

4. Swipe up or down to see more category rows.

Add a Gallery shortcut to your collection

A description of the shortcut appears.

2. Tap Show Actions.

A preview of the actions in the shortcut is displayed.

The shortcut is added to your Library.

Search the Gallery

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Support Shortcuts User Guide Discover shortcuts in the Gallery

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In the Shortcuts app, do one of the following:

In the Library , tap a shortcut.

For more information on sharing your shortcut, see Share shortcuts.

Run a shortcut with Siri

Run a shortcut in Today View

Run a shortcut from another app

Run a shortcut from iOS Search

Run a shortcut from the iOS Home screen

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Support Shortcuts User Guide Run a shortcut

Shortcuts User Guide Communities Contact Support

How do shortcuts work?

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Support Shortcuts User Guide How do shortcuts work?

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The flow of content in Shortcuts

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Support Shortcuts User Guide The flow of content in Shortcuts

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Action connections in Shortcuts

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Support Shortcuts User Guide Action connections in Shortcuts

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Control the flow of actions in Shortcuts

Choose from actions

Support Shortcuts User Guide Control the flow of actions in Shortcuts

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The Content Graph engine in Shortcuts

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Support Shortcuts User Guide The Content Graph engine in Shortcuts

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Completing a shortcut run

Support Shortcuts User Guide Completing a shortcut run

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Identify opportunities for automation in