Apple Shortcuts (macOS) MCP server

The Apple Shortcuts MCP Server enables AI assistants like Claude to control Apple Shortcuts automations on macOS. This tool provides a bridge between AI models and your local automation workflows, allowing Claude to trigger shortcuts and perform tasks on your computer in a safe, controlled manner.

Prerequisites

Before installing the Apple Shortcuts MCP server, ensure you have:

• Node.js version 18 or higher
• Claude Desktop installed
• macOS with Shortcuts app configured

Installation

There are two ways to install and use the Apple Shortcuts MCP server:

Method 1: Direct Installation via NPM

This is the simplest method, using the NPM package directly:

1. Configure Claude Desktop to use the Apple Shortcuts server by adding the following to your Claude Desktop configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apple-shortcuts": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-server-apple-shortcuts"]
    }
  }
}

Method 2: Building from Source

If you prefer to build from source:

1. Clone the repository:

git clone [email protected]:recursechat/mcp-server-apple-shortcuts.git

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Build the project:

npm run build

4. Configure Claude Desktop to use your local build:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apple-shortcuts": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["/path/to/mcp-server-apple-shortcuts/build/index.js"],
    }
  }
}

Usage

Once the MCP server is configured, you can interact with your Apple Shortcuts through Claude in natural language:

Basic Commands

• List available shortcuts: Ask Claude to "list shortcuts" to see what automations are available
• Run a shortcut: Ask Claude to run a specific shortcut by name, for example:
  • "Get word of the day"
  • "Play a song"
  • "Run my morning routine shortcut"

Advanced Usage

You can also provide input parameters when running shortcuts that accept them. Simply specify the parameters when asking Claude to run the shortcut.

For example:

• "Run the 'Send Message' shortcut with the message 'Hello from Claude'"
• "Execute the 'Set Timer' shortcut for 10 minutes"

The MCP server provides Claude with the information about which shortcuts are available and what parameters they accept, allowing for seamless interaction between the AI assistant and your automation workflows.

How to add this MCP server to Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > MCP and click "Add new global MCP server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cursor-rules-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "cursor-rules-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explictly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.