When setting up an automation in the Shortcuts app, you can either create a new shortcut or choose an existing one. The latter is easier to maintain and backup because shortcuts created within automations do not appear in your library.
However, some automations use input types that cannot be selected in normal shortcuts. These include message/email/transaction/display automations as well as folder/external drive automations new in macOS 26.
The following shortcuts can handle these special input types:
- Message Handler: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/4590a86c479b4fc09b7c37f223b4078b
- Email Handler: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/7d7ebd4c359949c3bf7162f77052ca13
- Transaction Handler: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/510c6d15f4d844d69f64180c69f54589
- Display Handler: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/124fe5fc8a194ee2859a785cbb375d75
- Folder Handler: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/9b9b6cb772ee4f72aeb769842ce4c254
- External Drive Handler: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/a48f22d754494856960c5813062618df
Download, rename and modify them as needed, connect them to your automations, and backup or share them like normal shortcuts.
Below is the structure of each type:
Message
╠ Content: Text
╠ Recipients: Text
╠ Sender: Text
╚ Name
Email
╠ Subject: Text
╠ Sender: Email address
╠ Recipients: Email address
╠ Attachments: File
╠ Content: File
╚ Name
Transaction
╠ Card or Pass: Payment Method (card name in text)
╠ Merchant: Text
╠ Amount: Currency Amount (currency and amount in text)
║╠ Currency Code: Text
║╚ Currency Amount: Number
╚ Name
Display
╠ Is Main Display: Boolean (macOS)
╠ Is Built-in Display: Boolean (macOS)
╠ Scale: Number (macOS)
╠ Apps: App (macOS)
╠ Windows: Window (macOS)
╚ Name
Folder Change Summary (macOS 26+)
╠ Added files: File
╠ Modified files: File
╠ Removed paths: Text
╠ Current folder contents: File
╠ Number of Items: Number
╠ Folder Path: Text
╠ Folder Creation Date: Date
╠ Folder Last Modified Date: Date
╚ Folder Name
External Drive (macOS 26+)
╠ Drive Identifier: Text
╠ Current folder contents: File
╠ Number of Items: Number
╠ Drive Path: Text
╠ Drive Last Modified Date: Date
╚ Folder Name