This repository tackles a very specific but tricky problem: how to teach an AI model to generate fully valid macOS/iOS Shortcuts — those complex .shortcut plist files that Apple’s Shortcuts app uses under the hood. Instead of building a traditional library or plugin, it offers a skill package for Claude Code, a language model platform, that uses rich documentation and structured prompts to do the job. This approach sidesteps the need for code execution or fine-tuning, relying solely on carefully engineered prompts and reference files to produce correct shortcut files.
what generate-shortcuts-skill does
At its core, this repo is a Claude Code skill designed to generate valid Shortcut files for macOS/iOS. It is not a code library or executable tool but a collection of markdown documents that serve as a knowledge base for the AI model. These documents include detailed references for 427 WF*Action identifiers (the building blocks of shortcuts), 728 AppIntent actions, parameter types, variables, control flow constructs, content filters, and working examples.
The skill auto-triggers within Claude Code when a conversation or prompt relates to shortcuts, enabling the AI to respond with correctly structured plist XML that can be signed and imported directly into Apple’s Shortcuts app. This is critical because Apple’s plist format for shortcuts is complex, and generating valid files manually or with naive templates is error-prone.
The architecture here is purely file-based: nine markdown files define the skill’s domain knowledge. The repo expects the user to run this on macOS with the built-in shortcuts CLI tool and the Claude Code CLI. The skill acts as a structured prompt package — essentially a domain-specific language for AI prompt engineering centered on Apple Shortcuts.
the strength of prompt engineering as a skill system
What distinguishes this project is its approach to AI specialization. Instead of writing code or training a model, it encodes domain expertise as reference documentation and structured prompts. Claude Code dynamically loads this knowledge and uses it to generate complex XML plist files that conform to Apple’s requirements.
The tradeoff is clear: there’s no runtime overhead or dependencies beyond Claude Code and macOS tools, which keeps the footprint minimal. But it requires careful maintenance of the markdown references to keep up with changes in Apple’s shortcut action identifiers and parameter types.
The code quality here is more about documentation quality and prompt design than software engineering. The markdown files are well-organized to cover different aspects of shortcuts, from actions to control flow, ensuring Claude Code has a rich context to generate valid output.
This approach solves a real problem — generating valid shortcuts programmatically is notoriously difficult — and it does so with an unusual technique. However, it is tightly coupled to the Claude Code AI platform and macOS environment, which limits portability.
quick start
1. Create the skills directory (if it doesn’t exist)
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
2. Clone or copy this repository
cd ~/.claude/skills
git clone https://github.com/drewocarr/shortcuts-generator.git
Or download and extract the files manually into ~/.claude/skills/shortcuts-generator/.
3. Verify the installation
Your directory structure should look like:
~/.claude/
└── skills/
└── shortcuts-generator/
├── SKILL.md # Required - skill definition
├── ACTIONS.md
├── APPINTENTS.md
├── CONTROL_FLOW.md
├── EXAMPLES.md
├── FILTERS.md
├── PARAMETER_TYPES.md
├── PLIST_FORMAT.md
└── VARIABLES.md
4. Restart Claude Code
The skill will be automatically detected on the next conversation.
verdict
This repo is a solid example of using prompt engineering as a true skill system rather than a mere prompt template. It’s ideal for developers invested in Claude Code who want to automate the generation of macOS/iOS Shortcuts without writing complex plist manipulation code.
The limitations are worth noting: it requires macOS with the shortcuts CLI and Claude Code CLI, so it’s not platform agnostic. Also, maintaining the skill’s markdown references requires some discipline to keep pace with Apple’s evolving shortcut APIs.
Overall, it’s a clever, lightweight solution for a niche but real problem, offering a fresh perspective on how AI prompt engineering can be structured and scaled as domain-specific skills.
→ GitHub Repo: drewocarr/generate-shortcuts-skill ⭐ 184