Automate Screenshots with the Apple Shortcuts App on Mac

The Shortcuts app on Mac can take a screenshot, wait, and repeat, using actions you drag into place. A shortcut can also run from the menu bar, a keyboard shortcut, Terminal, or (on recent macOS versions) a personal automation. This post builds a repeated screenshot shortcut, starts it in three ways, and fixes the permission problems that stop it.

Allow script actions and screen capture

Two permissions decide whether the shortcut works.

Screen capture. The first time a shortcut takes a screenshot, macOS asks for permission to record the screen. Allow it. If you declined earlier, open System Settings, then Privacy and Security, and turn on Shortcuts in the screen recording list. The exact label differs between macOS versions.

Script actions. Shortcuts blocks "Run Shell Script" and "Run AppleScript" until you allow them. Open the Shortcuts app, choose Settings, then Advanced, and turn on Allow Running Scripts. You need this only for the optional page-turn step below.

Create and test a repeated screenshot shortcut

1. Create the shortcut

   Open Shortcuts, select the plus button, and name the shortcut "Repeat Screenshots".

2. Add Repeat

   Add the Repeat action and set the count to 3 for the first test.

3. Add Take Screenshot inside the loop

   Drag Take Screenshot inside the Repeat block. It captures the full screen by default.

4. Save each image

   Add Save File inside the block. Turn off asking where to save, choose a folder used only for this job, and use the Repeat Index variable in the file name so each pass writes a new file.

5. Add a wait

   Add Wait after Save File and set it to 3 seconds.

6. Run the test

   Select the run button and check that the folder holds 3 files. Then raise the count.

Repeat Index starts at 1, so file names follow capture order. Use names such as "frame-1", "frame-2" and so on, and expect Finder to sort "frame-10" after "frame-1" unless you sort by date added.

Optional: turn a page between captures

Add Run AppleScript after Wait with this line:

tell application "System Events" to key code 124

Key code 124 is Right Arrow. The key goes to the frontmost app, so click the reader window before the shortcut starts. Shortcuts needs Accessibility permission for this step.

Start it from a personal automation

On macOS Tahoe 26 and later, the Shortcuts app on Mac has an Automation section. A personal automation runs a shortcut when a trigger fires, such as a time of day or when a chosen app opens. For example, an automation at 09:00 can run "Repeat Screenshots" to capture a dashboard.

Select Automation in the sidebar, create a new personal automation, pick the trigger, and choose the shortcut. Check the run setting so the automation does not wait for a confirmation you will not see. If your Shortcuts window has no Automation section, your macOS version does not offer automations on Mac. Run the shortcut from Terminal instead.

Run the shortcut from Terminal

macOS includes a shortcuts command:

shortcuts list
shortcuts run "Repeat Screenshots"

This lets a shell script, a scheduled job, or another tool start the shortcut. The shortcut still runs with the Shortcuts app's permissions, not Terminal's.

Shortcuts vs Automator

Point	Shortcuts	Automator
Loop	Repeat with a count	Loop with a count or minutes
Wait	Wait action in seconds	Pause action
File names	Repeat Index variable	Fixed name unless renamed
Triggers	Menu bar, keyboard, Terminal, automations on recent macOS	Run in app, saved app, Quick Action
Scripts	Shell and AppleScript actions after opt-in	Shell and AppleScript actions
Sharing	Shortcut files sync through iCloud	Workflow files and apps

Both run on the same capture permission model. Shortcuts is the better starting point for new workflows and triggers. Automator remains useful for older workflows you already maintain. The Automator version of this job shows the same loop with Pause and Loop.

Troubleshoot the shortcut

• Images show only the wallpaper. Shortcuts lacks screen recording permission. Allow it and run again.
• Only one file in the folder. Save File overwrites a fixed name. Add Repeat Index to the file name.
• "Run Shell Script" or "Run AppleScript" fails. Turn on Allow Running Scripts in Shortcuts settings.
• Key presses do nothing. Shortcuts needs Accessibility permission, and the target app must be in front.
• The automation never runs. It may be waiting for confirmation, or the Mac was asleep at the trigger time.
• Frames are black. The display slept. Run caffeinate -di in Terminal during the run.

When Shortcuts is not the best capture interface

Shortcuts is a general automation tool. The capture loop works, but several jobs take extra building:

• Capturing one window or a fixed region needs a shell step with screencapture -l or -R.
• Stopping at a clock time needs date checks inside the loop.
• There is no pause, resume or finish button during the run.
• A combined, searchable PDF needs OCR from another tool.

Temposhot's Auto Capture provides those controls as settings: Screens, Windows or Custom Area sources, Screenshots, Duration or End time stop conditions, a Key press field, a Countdown of None, 3, 5 or 10 seconds, and a floating toolbar. Keypress automation, Duration, End time and unlimited screenshots per session need Temposhot Pro.

FAQ

Does Take Screenshot capture every display?

It captures the full screen by default, and options for display or window selection depend on your macOS version. Open the action's details to see what your version offers.

Can a shortcut make a PDF from the screenshots?

Yes. The Make PDF action combines images into a PDF. The result has no OCR text layer.

Can I give the shortcut a keyboard shortcut?

Yes. Open the shortcut's details and add a keyboard shortcut. Avoid combinations already used by macOS, such as Shift+Command+3.

How many screenshots can the Repeat action take?

Repeat takes the count you enter. Long runs fill disk space quickly, so test with a small count and check file sizes first.

Turn repeatable screenshots into finished work

When the shortcut needs a window source, page turns and PDF or MP4 export, set up the same job in Auto Capture or start from a capture preset.