Shortcuts App Integration

We Love Lights integrates with macOS Shortcuts (formerly Automator actions) using App Intents, allowing you to create powerful automations, voice commands with Siri, and complex workflows that combine lighting control with other apps and services.

What is Shortcuts Integration?

Overview

Shortcuts is Apple's automation framework:

Pre-installed: Available on all modern Macs
Visual programming: No code required
Cross-platform: Works on Mac, iPhone, iPad
Siri integration: Voice-activated shortcuts
Automation triggers: Time, location, app-based

We Love Lights + Shortcuts = Powerful lighting automation beyond what the bridge alone can do.

What You Can Do

Time-Based Automation:

Turn on lights at specific times
Scene changes throughout the day
Wake-up lighting routines
Bedtime automation

Location-Based:

Activate scenes when arriving home
Turn off lights when leaving
Different lighting based on location

App Integration:

Dim lights when video call starts
Brighten when opening work apps
Turn on focus lighting with Focus modes
Integration with Calendar, Reminders, etc.

Voice Control:

"Hey Siri, activate movie mode"
"Hey Siri, turn off all lights"
"Hey Siri, set bedroom to 50%"
Custom voice commands

Available We Love Lights Actions

Scene Control

Activate Scene

Trigger any scene from Shortcuts
Select bridge and scene
Instant activation

Parameters:

Bridge: Which bridge to use
Scene: Which scene to activate

Use Cases:

Time-based scene changes
Voice-activated scenes
App-triggered atmospheres

Light Control

Turn Lights On/Off

Control specific lights or groups
Simple binary control

Parameters:

Bridge: Which bridge
Light/Group: Which device(s)
State: On or Off

Set Brightness

Adjust brightness to specific level
Precise control

Parameters:

Bridge: Which bridge
Light/Group: Which device(s)
Brightness: 0-100%

Set Color

Change light color
Temperature or full color

Parameters:

Bridge: Which bridge
Light/Group: Which device(s)
Color: Color value or temperature

Room/Group Control

Control Room

Turn room on/off
Set room brightness
Apply room scene

Parameters:

Bridge: Which bridge
Room: Which room/zone
Action: On, Off, Brightness, Scene

Query Information

Get Light State

Check if light is on/off
Get current brightness
Get current color

Returns:

State information
Use in conditional logic

Get Scene List

Retrieve available scenes
Use in dynamic shortcuts

Returns:

List of scenes

Creating Your First Shortcut

Simple Example: Good Morning

Create a morning routine that turns on lights:

Open Shortcuts app on Mac
Click "+" to create new shortcut
Search for "We Love Lights" actions
Add "Activate Scene" action
Configure:
- Select your bridge
- Choose "Morning" or "Bright" scene
Name shortcut: "Good Morning Lights"
Click Done

Test:

Click shortcut to run
Lights should activate chosen scene

Adding Time Trigger

Make it run automatically:

Edit the shortcut (if not already open)
Click info icon (ⓘ) or Details
Enable "Run Automatically" or "Automation"
Click "Add Automation"
Choose "Time of Day"
Set time (e.g., 7:00 AM)
Set days (e.g., weekdays only)
Enable "Run Immediately" or disable notification
Save automation

Now lights activate automatically every weekday at 7 AM!

Advanced Shortcut Examples

Multi-Scene Morning Routine

Gradual wake-up with multiple stages:

Shortcut Steps:

Activate Scene: "Nightlight" (5% warm)
Wait: 2 minutes
Activate Scene: "Morning Low" (30% neutral)
Wait: 5 minutes
Activate Scene: "Morning Bright" (80% cool)

Result: Gentle 7-minute wake-up sequence

Work Focus Mode Integration

Automatically adjust lighting when entering Focus:

Automation Trigger: When "Work" Focus turns on

Shortcut Steps:

Activate Scene: "Office - Focus Mode"
Turn Off: Kitchen lights
Turn Off: Living room lights
Show Notification: "Work mode activated"

When Focus ends:

Activate Scene: "Office - Normal"
Turn On: Living room to 60%

Location-Based Arrival

Turn on lights when arriving home:

Automation Trigger: Arrive at Home

Conditions: If after sunset OR before sunrise

Shortcut Steps:

Get Current Time
If time is between 6 PM and 11 PM:
- Activate Scene: "Evening Welcome"
Otherwise (late night):
- Activate Scene: "Night Entry"
Wait: 15 minutes
Activate Scene: "Evening Normal"

Leaving Home Routine

Ensure everything is off:

Automation Trigger: Leave Home location

Shortcut Steps:

Turn Off: All lights on Bridge 1
Turn Off: All lights on Bridge 2 (if multiple bridges)
Turn On: Entry hall light to 30% (security)
Show Notification: "Lights secured"

Calendar Integration

Dim lights during calendar events:

Automation Trigger: When calendar event starts

Conditions: Event contains "Meeting" or "Call"

Shortcut Steps:

Get Current Brightness: Office lights
Set to Variable: "Original Brightness"
Set Brightness: Office lights to 40%
Wait Until: Calendar event ends
Set Brightness: Office lights to "Original Brightness"

Siri Voice Commands

Create custom voice shortcuts:

"Movie Time":

Activate Scene: "Living Room - Movie"
Turn Off: Kitchen lights
Turn Off: Hallway lights
Say: "Movie mode activated"

Invoke: "Hey Siri, movie time"

"Good Night":

Turn Off: All lights except bedroom
Activate Scene: "Bedroom - Nightlight"
Turn On: Bedroom fan (smart plug)
Say: "Good night"

Invoke: "Hey Siri, good night"

Shortcuts with Multiple Bridges

Coordinating Across Bridges

Scenes can't span bridges, but Shortcuts can:

"All Off" Shortcut:

Turn Off: All lights on "Main House" bridge
Turn Off: All lights on "Guest House" bridge
Turn Off: All lights on "Garage" bridge

"Party Mode" Shortcut:

Activate Scene: "Party" on Main House bridge
Activate Scene: "Party" on Guest House bridge
Activate Scene: "Outdoor Party" on Garage bridge

Sequential Bridge Control

Control bridges in sequence:

"Goodnight Sequence":

Activate Scene: "Off" on Main Floor bridge
Wait: 5 seconds
Activate Scene: "Off" on Ground Floor bridge
Wait: 5 seconds
Activate Scene: "Nightlight" on Bedroom bridge

Conditional Logic

Time-Based Conditions

Different actions based on time:

Get Current Time
If time is between 6 AM and 9 AM
    Activate Scene "Morning"
Otherwise if time is between 9 AM and 6 PM
    Activate Scene "Daytime"
Otherwise if time is between 6 PM and 11 PM
    Activate Scene "Evening"
Otherwise
    Activate Scene "Night"
End If

State-Based Conditions

Check light state before acting:

Get Light State: Living Room
If Living Room is On
    Set Brightness: Living Room to 100%
Otherwise
    Turn On: Living Room to 60%
End If

Complex Conditions

Multiple conditions combined:

Get Current Time
Get Day of Week

If (time is after 6 PM) AND (day is weekday)
    Activate Scene "Evening Workday"
Otherwise if (time is after 6 PM) AND (day is weekend)
    Activate Scene "Evening Relaxation"
Otherwise
    Activate Scene "Daytime"
End If

Integration with Other Apps

Focus Modes

Work Focus:

On activation: Bright focus lighting
On deactivation: Normal lighting

Sleep Focus:

On activation: All off except nightlight
On deactivation: Morning routine

Do Not Disturb:

On activation: Dim all lights

Calendar

Meeting starts: Dim office lights Meeting ends: Restore brightness All-day event "Vacation": Run "Away Mode" shortcut

Home Assistant (via Shortcuts)

Bridge to Home Assistant:

Trigger Home Assistant automation from Shortcuts
Use Home Assistant conditions with We Love Lights
Complex cross-platform automation

Weather

If weather forecast is "Sunny":

Use cooler color temperatures (counterbalance warmth)

If weather is "Cloudy":

Use warmer, brighter lighting (compensate)

Tips for Effective Shortcuts

Best Practices

Start Simple:

Begin with basic shortcuts
Add complexity gradually
Test each addition

Name Clearly:

Descriptive shortcut names
"Morning Routine" not "Shortcut 1"
Include trigger context in name

Test Thoroughly:

Test all conditions
Try edge cases
Verify on different days/times
Check error handling

Use Comments:

Add comments to explain logic
Note why something is done
Document complex conditions

Version Control:

Duplicate before major changes
Name versions: "Good Morning v1", "Good Morning v2"
Keep working backup

Performance Tips

Minimize Actions:

Fewer actions = faster execution
Combine where possible

Avoid Long Waits:

Long delays can cause timeouts
Consider separate shortcuts for delayed actions

Handle Errors:

Add error checking
Provide fallbacks
User notifications for failures

Maintenance

Regular Review:

Test shortcuts monthly
Update when life changes (seasons, routines)
Remove unused shortcuts

Update After Changes:

When you change scenes, update shortcuts using them
When bridges change, verify bridge selections
When moving/renaming devices, check shortcuts

Troubleshooting Shortcuts

Shortcut Doesn't Run

Problem: Shortcut fails to execute

Solutions:

Check We Love Lights is running
Verify bridge connection
Test shortcut manually first
Check automation permissions in System Settings
Review error messages

Automation Doesn't Trigger

Problem: Time/location trigger doesn't work

Solutions:

Check automation is enabled
Verify trigger conditions correct
Check System Settings → Privacy → Automation
Ensure "Run Immediately" enabled (no notification)
Test by manually running shortcut

Siri Doesn't Recognize

Problem: "Hey Siri" doesn't trigger shortcut

Solutions:

Check shortcut has Siri phrase assigned
Try rewording phrase
Check Siri is enabled
Verify microphone permissions
Try re-recording phrase

Wrong Action Occurs

Problem: Shortcut does unexpected thing

Solutions:

Review shortcut logic carefully
Check conditional branches
Verify bridge and scene selections
Test step-by-step
Check for variable errors

Shortcut Works Sometimes

Problem: Inconsistent execution

Solutions:

Check conditions (time, state, etc.)
Verify network/bridge stability
Check if certain conditions prevent execution
Review logs if available
Simplify and rebuild

Advanced Topics

Variables and Logic

Store values:

Set Variable "OriginalBrightness" to Current Brightness
Change lights
Later: Restore to "OriginalBrightness"

Calculations:

Get Current Brightness
Calculate: Current Brightness + 20
Set New Brightness

Repeat Loops

Gradually brighten:

Repeat 10 times
    Get Current Brightness
    Add 10%
    Set New Brightness
    Wait 30 seconds
End Repeat

Input Parameters

Create shortcuts that ask for input:

Ask: "Which scene?"
Activate Scene: [User Input]

Number input:

Ask: "What brightness?" (Expect Number)
Set Brightness to Input

Next Steps

Master Shortcuts integration? Explore more:

Automation Examples - Real-world scenarios
Scenes - Create scenes to use in Shortcuts
Rules Engine - Native automation
Keyboard Shortcuts - Another control method
Multi-Bridge - Coordinate multiple bridges

Questions? Visit the FAQ or troubleshooting guide.

Shortcuts App Integration

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