iOS Shortcut
Add actions to Exponential by voice or text from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac using Apple Shortcuts
Quickly capture tasks using your voice or keyboard — straight from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac — without opening the app.
Once set up, just say "Hey Siri, Save Action" and dictate your task. It gets added instantly.
Exponential understands natural language, so you can say things like:
- "Call John tomorrow"
- "Review the proposal next Friday"
- "Send invoice for Sales project"
Dates and project names are picked up automatically.
What You'll Need
- An Exponential account
- An iPhone, iPad, or Mac with the Shortcuts app (built in)
- 5 minutes
Step 1: Create an API Key
Your API key lets the shortcut securely add actions to your account.
- Open Exponential and go to Settings > API Keys
- Click Create API Key
- Fill in the form:
- Name:
iOS Shortcut(or anything you'll recognize) - Token Type: select Hex Key (32 chars)
- Expires In: choose 90 days (you can always create a new one later)
- Name:
- Click Generate API Key
- Copy the key immediately — you won't be able to see it again after closing this window
- Keep it somewhere safe for the next step (e.g., paste it in Notes temporarily)
Step 2: Install the Shortcut
Tap the link below on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to install the shortcut:
When prompted, tap Add Shortcut to confirm.
Step 3: Add Your API Key
Now you'll paste your API key into the shortcut so it can connect to your account.
- Open the Shortcuts app
- Find the Exponential shortcut
- Tap the three dots (
...) in the top-right corner to edit it - Scroll down to the "Get contents of URL" block
- Expand the Headers section
- Find the row with x-api-key — the value will be a placeholder like
YOUR_API_KEY_HERE - Replace it with the API key you copied in Step 1
- Tap Done to save
Step 4: Rename for Siri
The shortcut name is what Siri listens for. We recommend renaming it to "Save Action" so you can simply say "Hey Siri, Save Action".
- Open the Shortcuts app
- Long-press the shortcut
- Tap Rename
- Type Save Action (or any phrase you'd like to say to Siri)
- Tap Done
You can name it anything you like — whatever you choose becomes your Siri trigger phrase. For example, naming it "Quick Add" means you'd say "Hey Siri, Quick Add".
How to Use It
With Siri (voice)
Say: "Hey Siri, Save Action"
Siri will ask what you'd like to add. Just speak your task naturally.
From the Shortcuts app
Open the Shortcuts app and tap the Save Action shortcut. Type or dictate your task.
From your Home Screen
Long-press the shortcut in the Shortcuts app and tap Add to Home Screen for one-tap access.
Examples
| What you say | What gets created |
|---|---|
| "Buy groceries" | Action: Buy groceries |
| "Call John tomorrow" | Action: Call John, due tomorrow |
| "Review proposal next Friday" | Action: Review proposal, due next Friday |
| "Send invoice for Sales project" | Action: Send invoice, added to Sales project |
Troubleshooting
"Invalid or expired API key" Your API key may have expired. Go to Settings > API Keys in Exponential and create a new one, then update it in the shortcut (Step 3).
Nothing happens when I run the shortcut
- Make sure you pasted the API key correctly — no extra spaces before or after
- Check that the key hasn't expired
- Make sure you have an internet connection
The action was created but the date wasn't picked up Try being more specific. "Tomorrow", "next Monday", and "Friday" work well. Vague phrases like "soon" or "later" won't be parsed as dates.
I want to change the default priority
Edit the shortcut and find the Request Body section. Change the priority value. Options: Quick, Scheduled, Urgent, Important.