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MCP Server Apple Shortcuts

by recursechat

Lists available macOS Shortcuts and runs named automations through MCP.

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Install MCP Server Apple Shortcuts

Pick your client, then add it in one click or paste the config.

STDIONode.js
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "recursechat-mcp-server-apple-shortcuts": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-server-apple-shortcuts"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Settings → Developer → Edit Config, merge this into mcpServers, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

Install not yet sandbox-tested— the server itself is confirmed live (we called its tools/list endpoint). The stdio install command is a separate, ongoing check.

Overview

The recursechat/mcp-server-apple-shortcuts MCP server connects AI assistants to the macOS Shortcuts app. It exposes tools for listing installed shortcuts and running a shortcut by name, with optional input parameters. Use it when an MCP-compatible assistant needs to trigger automations configured on a Mac. The documented setup uses Node.js, Claude Desktop, and a local macOS Shortcuts configuration.

Use cases

  • Discover available Mac shortcuts
  • Run a named Shortcuts automation
  • Pass optional input to a shortcut
  • Trigger configured tasks from Claude Desktop

Key features

  • List available macOS shortcuts
  • Run shortcuts by name
  • Support optional shortcut inputs
  • Launch with npx
  • Build and run locally

Tools2

What MCP Server Apple Shortcuts lets your agent do. Expand a tool for its parameters.

Verified live~81 tokens of context

Security & health

What it can reach and how reliably it runs — from our own checks, not the maintainer’s claims.

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Recent health check succeeded.

20/21 checks healthy over the last 78d

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Scanned 10d ago via OSV.dev · mcp-server-apple-shortcuts (npm)

Adoption & maintenance

Factual signals from GitHub, npm, and our automated checks — not a rating.

GitHub stars352Stargazers on the source repository.
npm downloads1.7kPackage downloads in the last 30 days.
Last commit1y agoMost recent push to the default branch.
Tools exposed2Callable tools this server registers over MCP.
Directory activity4 viewsConfig copies, upvotes, and views on AllMCPs.

How MCP Server Apple Shortcuts works

What recursechat/mcp-server-apple-shortcuts MCP server does

The recursechat/mcp-server-apple-shortcuts MCP server exposes macOS Shortcuts automations through the Model Context Protocol. An assistant can first retrieve the shortcuts available on the Mac, then invoke one by its name. This provides an MCP interface for automations already configured in the Shortcuts app rather than defining those automations inside the server.

The repository documents examples such as asking an assistant to list shortcuts, retrieve a word of the day, or play a song. The actual actions depend on the shortcuts installed and configured on the target Mac.

How it works

The server runs as an MCP process and makes two operations available:

  • list_shortcuts returns the available shortcuts.
  • run_shortcut starts a selected shortcut by name and can accept optional input parameters.

An MCP client sends requests to these tools. For a typical workflow, the assistant uses list_shortcuts to discover available names and then passes a selected name to run_shortcut. The README presents Claude Desktop as the client and shows a configuration that starts the package with npx.

Setup and configuration

The recursechat/mcp-server-apple-shortcuts MCP server requires Node.js 18 or newer, Claude Desktop, and macOS with the Shortcuts app configured. The documented package-based setup adds an MCP server entry with npx -y mcp-server-apple-shortcuts as the command and argument configuration.

A local source build is also supported. Clone the repository, install dependencies with npm install, and create the build with npm run build. Claude Desktop can then be configured to launch the generated build/index.js file through npx using its local path.

No environment variables are documented as required. Because the tools operate on macOS Shortcuts, the server is intended to run in an environment where that app and its shortcuts are available.

Tools and capabilities

list_shortcuts is useful for discovering the names that can be passed to the execution tool. run_shortcut runs a named automation and supports optional input parameters. Together, these tools cover shortcut discovery and invocation through an MCP client.

The server does not provide a separate catalog of automation actions. What it can do is determined by the shortcuts configured in the macOS Shortcuts app and by the inputs those shortcuts accept.

Limitations and notes

This server depends on macOS and the Shortcuts app, so it is not a general-purpose automation service for other operating systems. A shortcut must already exist and be configured before the assistant can invoke it. The README specifically documents Claude Desktop rather than describing behavior for other MCP clients.

The repository does not document authentication settings, environment variables, shortcut permissions, or a remote deployment mode. Evaluate the configured shortcuts and their effects before making them available to an assistant.

Read the full README View source on GitHub

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Frequently Asked Questions about MCP Server Apple Shortcuts

recursechat/mcp-server-apple-shortcuts is an MCP server that connects AI assistants to the macOS Shortcuts app. Its main tools list available shortcuts and run a named shortcut, with optional input parameters. It requires macOS with Shortcuts configured and is documented for use with Claude Desktop.

Install it by configuring Claude Desktop to launch `npx -y mcp-server-apple-shortcuts`. The documented prerequisites are Node.js 18 or newer, Claude Desktop, and macOS with the Shortcuts app configured. You can also clone the repository, run `npm install`, and build it locally.

Call the `list_shortcuts` tool through your MCP client. It returns the shortcuts available on the configured Mac, allowing you to identify a name for a later `run_shortcut` request.

Yes. The `run_shortcut` tool runs a shortcut by name and supports optional input parameters. The available behavior and accepted inputs depend on how the selected shortcut is configured in the macOS Shortcuts app.

It specifically provides setup instructions for Claude Desktop, while the server communicates through MCP.

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