Getting started

Up and running in five minutes.

From install to your first action firing — without getting stuck.

1. Install

macOS

Grab ShortcutCast.dmg from the download section.
Open the DMG and drag ShortcutCast.app into the Applications folder.
Launch ShortcutCast from Launchpad.

Note

Requires macOS 13 Ventura or later. Universal Binary — runs on both Apple silicon and Intel.

Windows

Get the installer from the download section.
Run the installer and follow the on-screen steps.
Launch ShortcutCast from the Start menu.

Note

Windows 10 / 11 (x64). If SmartScreen warns you, click "More info" → "Run anyway".

2. First-run setup

The tutorial window opens automatically on first launch. Follow the on-screen steps to finish setup.

STEP 1

Grant permission (macOS only)

System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, and enable ShortcutCast. Required for opening the grid and sending keys. Why this permission

STEP 2

Record a trigger

In the tutorial's "Record trigger" step, press the key combo you want to use to open the grid. Mouse middle and side buttons are also valid triggers.

STEP 3

Try it

Press your trigger to open the grid. From the grid, press H to open the settings window and start adding or editing actions.

3. Basics

Open / close the grid: Toggle with the trigger. Esc or clicking outside the grid also closes it.
Fire an action: Press the corresponding key on the grid, or click the icon.
Contexts: Switch automatically based on the frontmost app.

Tip

While the grid is open, keystrokes are captured by the grid — they never reach the app underneath.

4. Create actions

Open the Action tab in the settings window, pick an empty key on the grid, and click +. Choose from these seven action types:

App launch: Activate if already running, launch fresh otherwise.
Send hotkey: Sends the specified key combination (auto-disables IME before sending).
Open URL: Opens a URL in the default browser.
Open settings: Brings up ShortcutCast's settings window.
Macro: Chains multiple actions. Step delays supported, drag to reorder.
Media keys: Play/pause, skip track, volume, mute, brightness (brightness is macOS only).
Clipboard snippet: Writes your saved text to the clipboard and auto-pastes.

Global vs. context-specific

Actions placed in "Global" are inherited by every context. "Context-specific" overrides the same key with an action for that particular app. Overrides do not count toward your usage limits.

Icons

Three options: pick a local image, extract one from an app, or fetch a favicon from a URL.

5. Troubleshooting

The grid doesn't appear when I press the trigger

The trigger may conflict with an OS or other-app shortcut. Re-record a different key or combo in Settings → Trigger.

On macOS, also check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility — make sure ShortcutCast is enabled. Toggling it off and back on sometimes clears it.

I sent a hotkey but the target app didn't react

On macOS, the Accessibility permission is required. Verify ShortcutCast is enabled in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.

An active IME conversion can block the outgoing key. Turn off your IME (switch to direct input) and try again. The target app may also require its own input-monitoring permission.

My mouse middle / side button doesn't respond

Your mouse driver (Logi Options+, Razer Synapse, etc.) may have remapped the button. Unbind it in the driver, then re-record the trigger.

Update check fails

Check your network connection and any firewall / proxy settings. If it still fails, you can manually download the latest build and reinstall over the old version.

Still stuck? Contact us.