# Apple Shortcuts

Lets the agent reach the Shortcuts app on a Mac: list what you have, open one in the editor, run it with text input. macOS only.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI · ★ 13
- Author: mindstone
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/mindstone/mcp-servers/tree/HEAD/connectors/apple-shortcuts
- Updated: 2026-10-22
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/mindstone-apple-shortcuts

## What it does

This server sits on top of the macOS `shortcuts` command-line tool and hands the agent three tools. `apple_shortcuts_list` returns your shortcuts, narrowed to a folder if you want, or to the ones outside any folder. `apple_shortcuts_run` fires a shortcut by name and can pass text into it. `apple_shortcuts_view` opens a shortcut in the Shortcuts editor so you can look at its steps before letting it run.

You need a Mac with the Shortcuts app and Node.js 18+. No credentials. One optional variable, `APPLE_SHORTCUTS_TIMEOUT_MS`, defaults to `120000` — two minutes per CLI call. A shortcut that pops a dialog or waits for a click has nobody to answer from the terminal, so it gets cut off at that timeout.

Anything a shortcut does, it does with your logged-in user's permissions. It can message someone, remove a file, buy something, touch a device or hit a remote API. That is why `apple_shortcuts_run` carries the destructive hint and the host asks you to approve each call. Shortcut names and their output come back wrapped in `<untrusted-content>` envelopes, so the model reads them as data rather than instructions. Outside macOS there is no `shortcuts` CLI, and the server has nothing to talk to.

## Requirements
- Needs: Node.js (commands run via npx)
- Environment variables: `APPLE_SHORTCUTS_TIMEOUT_MS` — keys and tokens: ask the human for the values, never commit them or put them in shared files.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

**Platform CLI**
```bash
claude mcp add --env APPLE_SHORTCUTS_TIMEOUT_MS=<APPLE_SHORTCUTS_TIMEOUT_MS> --transport stdio apple-shortcuts -- npx -y @mindstone/mcp-server-apple-shortcuts
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Codex

**Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add apple-shortcuts --env APPLE_SHORTCUTS_TIMEOUT_MS=<APPLE_SHORTCUTS_TIMEOUT_MS> -- npx -y @mindstone/mcp-server-apple-shortcuts
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apple-shortcuts": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@mindstone/mcp-server-apple-shortcuts"
            ],
            "env": {
                "APPLE_SHORTCUTS_TIMEOUT_MS": "<APPLE_SHORTCUTS_TIMEOUT_MS>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "apple-shortcuts": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@mindstone/mcp-server-apple-shortcuts"
            ],
            "env": {
                "APPLE_SHORTCUTS_TIMEOUT_MS": "<APPLE_SHORTCUTS_TIMEOUT_MS>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add -e APPLE_SHORTCUTS_TIMEOUT_MS=<APPLE_SHORTCUTS_TIMEOUT_MS> apple-shortcuts npx -y @mindstone/mcp-server-apple-shortcuts
```
Replace <…> with your own values

## When to use it
- run a shortcut straight from the agent chat
- see which shortcuts exist and how they are grouped into folders
- inspect a shortcut in the editor before running it
- feed text into a shortcut that expects input
- raise the timeout for a shortcut that takes a while

## Example prompts
- List my shortcuts in the Work folder
- Run the shortcut named Send Report and pass it this text: done
- Open the Build Invoice shortcut in the editor, I want to see what it does

## Similar
- [Apple Shortcuts Integration](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/apple-shortcuts-integration.md) — skill · 4700 installs
- [Mac Shortcuts — read your Mac from any agent](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/mac-shortcuts-read-your-mac-from-any-agent.md) — MCP server · ★ 14
- [apple-notes](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/hermes-agent-apple-notes.md) — skill · 381 installs
- [cmux-cli](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/cmux-cli.md) — skill · 831 installs
- [git-shortcuts](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/git-shortcuts.md) — skill · 656 installs
- [cli-anything-safari](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/cli-anything-safari.md) — skill · 483 installs

## Other versions with the same name
- [Apple Shortcuts · jonathanrreed](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/apple-shortcuts.md) — ★ 31

From the same set: [mindstone/mcp-servers](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/mindstone/mcp-servers.md) — 24 cards

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