Shortcuts and automations

What an automation is

An automation is a name, an icon, something to do, the text it works on, and the key that fires it. Make as many as you like and keep them on the Shortcuts panel. Open Shortcuts on the home hub to create them, or start from one of the nine starters.

NuKey ProComes with NuKey Pro.

The four things a key can do

Run a Shortcut	Any Shortcut you have built, by name, with the selection, the word, the sentence or everything before the cursor as its input.
Insert text	A snippet with live tokens that fill in as it types, like `{date}`, `{greeting}`, `{secret}`. Instant, and it works without Full Access.
Post to a webhook	Send the text to a URL of yours as JSON, plain text or a form, with an Authorization header if needed. Type the reply back if you want it.
Open a URL	A link with the text filled in, like `things:///add?title={input}`.

Triggers

Any of these can run an automation:

Knob press	One automation on the rotary knob. Turn it for the cursor, press it to run.
Push button	A button in the bar that does exactly one thing.
Switch positions	Three stops on switch 1, two on switch 2: five more automations.
Hold Return	A tap still returns. A hold runs your automation or opens the panel.
Shortcuts key	Hold the emoji key, choose Shortcuts, and the key opens the panel with every automation on it.

Make your first one

Open Shortcuts and tap to add an automation.
Give it a name and an icon, and pick a kind (try Insert text).
Type a template such as {weekday} {date}.
Choose a trigger, such as Hold Return.
Open any text field in NuKey and use the trigger. The text is typed in.

How a Shortcut's answer gets back

A keyboard cannot run a Shortcut itself, so NuKey hands it to the Shortcuts app and listens for the answer in two ways.

End with Copy to Clipboard	NuKey notes where the clipboard stood and, when you are back in the field, types whatever is new. Needs Full Access.
End with Type with NuKey	NuKey's own action. It takes the text and a placement, at the cursor or in place of the input. Works without Full Access.
Get Text from NuKey	For Shortcuts that want the input again later.

Tell an automation which app you will use it in (Notes, Messages, Mail, Slack, Obsidian or any URL scheme) and Shortcuts returns there the moment it finishes. Otherwise the back link in the status bar does it.

Good to knowDoes Notes say Note Unavailable when a Shortcut returns? Shortcuts passes text output on the return link and Notes reads it as a note to look up. End with Type with NuKey, or add a Nothing action after Copy to Clipboard.

Recipes

Send my ETA: Get Travel Time → Text → Type with NuKey, on the knob press.
Say it in Spanish: Receive Shortcut Input → Translate Text → Type with NuKey in place of the input, on Hold Return.
Where am I: Get Current Location → Get Addresses → Copy to Clipboard → Nothing.
Reply for me: Use Model with the text before the cursor, then Type with NuKey, on the push button.
A 32-byte secret: an Insert text automation with {secret}, bound to a switch position. Instant, offline.

The full walkthrough with pictures is on What's new.

Tokens

A token is {name} or {name:argument}. Names ignore case; arguments keep it, so date patterns work. Anything that is not a token is typed exactly as written. There are 196 of them: dates, times, greetings, random secrets, passwords and passphrases, text transforms such as {selection:title} and more. Browse and copy them all.

What needs Full Access

Running Shortcuts, inserting text, opening links and the Type with NuKey round trip all work without it. Webhooks and reading a copied answer need it.

Something unclear or out of date? Tell us on the feedback board, or use Support inside the app and we will fix the guide.