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macOS Shortcuts with Selected Text in OnText

· 2 min read
gityeop
gityeop
Creator of OnText

OnText can pass selected text into a macOS Shortcut. This gives you a quick way to turn text from any supported Mac app into a note, task, calendar item, message draft, or custom automation.

The workflow is: select text, press F2, then trigger a Shortcut action by name.

Setup​

  1. Open the Shortcuts app on macOS.
  2. Create a Shortcut that accepts text input.
  3. In OnText, create a new action.
  4. Choose Shortcut as the action type.
  5. Enter the exact Shortcut name.
  6. Select text and trigger the action from the OnText panel.

OnText sends the selected text as input to the Shortcut.

Example Ideas​

Use a Shortcut action to:

  • Append selected text to a note.
  • Create a reminder from selected text.
  • Add a research quote to a document.
  • Create a calendar item from selected text.
  • Send selected text to another app that Shortcuts supports.

Tips​

  • Keep Shortcut names stable so OnText can find them.
  • Test the Shortcut in the Shortcuts app before wiring it into OnText.
  • Use clear action titles and icons when you have multiple Shortcut actions.
  • Use regex context rules if a Shortcut should appear only for certain text patterns.

For setup details, read Shortcuts Integration, Custom Actions, and Placeholders.