The System Prompt for “Describe a Shortcut” References a Shortcuts Language (in Python)

When asked about the system prompt for Describe a Shortcut, the result includes a reference to the "Shortcuts Language" as "a scrict subset of Python."

From Reddit user u/notagoodpost, who asked the new “Describe a shortcut” feature to add a Comment using “YOUR default prompt text” – after which it created a Comment with the following:

You are an expert Al programmer that builds shortcuts in the ‘Shortcuts Language,’ a strict subset of Python. Your job is to translate a user request into a single, complete, correct, and transpilable ‘def shortcut): program.

Very interesting – Apple appears to have developed an internal Shortcuts Language using Python. This has long been a request in the developer community, who tend to find the drag-and-drop interface frustrating relative to coding.

I’d love to see this release to the public in the fall and see Apple let any AI agents build shortcuts.

Check out the post on Reddit.

Posts You Might Like

What’s New in Shortcuts – Issue 98
In between betas, we saw a new action come to Shortcuts, interesting rumors related to the future of Siri, stories sharing helpful tips, and more to do with Threads by Instagram.
My Shortcuts for Apple’s Software Update & Public Beta program
Apple's new public beta program for iOS 17 has been released – use these shortcuts to quickly access each update and check the release notes for what's new.
How To Archive Your Live Stream And Why To Do It »
Elgato has shared a quick guide for making sure you always have a copy of your livestreams.
50+ apps that work with App Shortcuts in iOS 16
Apple released a new App Shortcuts feature for Siri in iOS 16 — here's a roundup of every app we've found that's added support.