Automate on your Mac

iPhone

Follow the workflow below on your iPhone. Use the Mac notes for desktop-specific controls.

iPad

The same workflow applies on iPad. Editing controls may appear beside the canvas in a wide window instead of below it.

On iPhone and iPad, use Decks actions in Apple Shortcuts. See the Photos and Shortcuts guide. The command-line tool, AppleScript, and folder permissions below are Mac features.

Mac

Allow folders first

1. Open Decks ▸ Settings… ▸ Automation and click Allow Folder… for each folder automation reads from or writes to. Remove takes a folder away.
2. Files outside an allowed folder return an error instead of opening a window. Shortcuts, AppleScript, and the command-line tool use the same processing and export rules as the app.

Use the command-line tool

1. Settings ▸ Automation shows where the decks tool is inside the app. Add its Helpers folder to your shell’s PATH, then run decks --help.
2. decks templates and decks projects list names with their IDs. decks apply --template ID --output FOLDER followed by files renders them with that template; decks create adds --name and keeps an editable project.
3. decks render --project ID --output FOLDER exports a saved project. Add --photos to save to Photos, or --async to return the job right away and check it with decks status --job ID.
4. Results are JSON. The first time, macOS asks to let your terminal control Decks; allow it in System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security ▸ Automation.

Use AppleScript

1. Try tell application "Decks" to list templates. Results are JSON with stable IDs.
2. apply template, create project, and render project start jobs; job status, cancel job, and retry job follow them. open project and project captions work with a project’s ID.
3. Open Decks’ dictionary in Script Editor for each command’s parameters.

Use Shortcuts

1. Decks adds Apply Template, Save Photos with Template, Save Photos and Keep Project, Create Project from Photos, Render Project, Get Project Captions, Open Project, and Add to Incoming Photos to the Shortcuts app.
2. A typical shortcut is Select Photos, then Apply Template, then Save File or Save to Photo Album.

Follow your jobs

1. Recent Activity in the sidebar lists command-line and AppleScript jobs alongside your exports, with Cancel, Retry, and Reveal Output.
2. Jobs run without opening an editor window. If Decks quits during a job, Retry resumes its saved work.