Command line and power tools

Shortcuts for files

Updated 2026-07-31 · 4 min read

Shortcuts came from iOS with real file abilities attached. For visual, on-demand file automation it is now the friendlier tool.

What it is good at

Shortcuts (in /Applications since Monterey) chains actions visually. For files, the useful verbs: Get File / Select File, Rename, Move, Copy, Get Details (name, extension, dates, size), Save, Make PDF, Convert Image, Create Folder, Filter.

Recipes worth building

• Convert & shrink: receive images → Convert to JPEG → Resize → Save to folder. Run

from Quick Actions on any selection in Finder

• Date-prefix rename: Get details → Formatted date + name → Rename. Selection-driven

batch renaming with your exact convention

• File this: move selection to a chosen project folder, with a menu of destinations —

filing as a right-click

• Make PDF from images: selection → Make PDF → save; scanner-to-document in one action

Running them from Finder

Set a shortcut's details to Use as Quick Action → Finder. It then appears in the right-click Quick Actions menu on any selection — which is what makes these feel native rather than app-bound.

They can also take keyboard shortcuts, live in the menu bar, or run on a schedule via the automation triggers.

Shell inside Shortcuts

The Run Shell Script action embeds anything the Terminal can do into a visual flow — the escape hatch that keeps Shortcuts from hitting a wall.

Where Automator still wins

Folder Actions — Shortcuts has no true watch-this-folder trigger on macOS. Arrival- driven automation stays Automator/launchd territory; Shortcuts owns selection-driven, on-demand work. The two coexist happily.

Common questions

Can Shortcuts rename files in bulk on a Mac?

Yes — a shortcut over a Finder selection with Rename actions, exposed as a Quick Action in the right-click menu.

Can Shortcuts watch a folder for new files?

Not natively on macOS — use Automator Folder Actions or a launchd WatchPaths agent for arrival-triggered automation.