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Treadle

Use a Shortcut as an action

Updated October 1, 2026

You can run any of your macOS Shortcuts from a Treadle button. Pick the Shortcut as the button's action in the Mac editor, and Treadle runs it with the Shortcuts tool when you press. It's a safe, Apple-supported way to automate the Mac without writing a command.

Set a Shortcut as the action

  1. On the Mac, open the menu-bar popover and choose Edit decks….
  2. Add a control, or select one you already have.
  3. In the action picker, choose the Shortcut source.
  4. Pick one of your macOS Shortcuts from the list.

When you use the control, Treadle runs the Shortcut with shortcuts run.

Add new Shortcuts in Apple's app

You build and edit Shortcuts in Apple's Shortcuts app, not in Treadle. When you add a new Shortcut there, it becomes available in Treadle's picker. You do not need to change anything else in Treadle.

Why Shortcuts are a good fit

  • They are free to use from Treadle.
  • They let you combine several steps into one control.
  • They keep the logic in Apple's app, where you can test it on its own.

If a Shortcut control does nothing, check that the Shortcut runs on its own in the Shortcuts app, and that Treadle has the permissions it needs. See A button does nothing when I press it and permissions.

If you need something Shortcuts cannot do, you can write your own command, which is a paid feature.

Questions & answers

Where do the Shortcuts come from?
They're your own Shortcuts from the macOS Shortcuts app. Treadle lists them so you can pick one as an action.
Is running a Shortcut safe?
Yes. Treadle runs the Shortcut you chose through Apple's own Shortcuts tool, so it stays within what macOS allows.

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