Integration and Automation
OmniOutliner is deeply integrated into the system of whichever device you are using. This allows OmniOutliner to integrate with a range of Apple technologies, including:
In addition to the available Apple technologies, we have our own cross-platform automation system: Omni Automation!
Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence is available on Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Vision Pro, if your device meets the minimum system requirements:
As Apple continues to update Apple Intelligence, we evaluate each new feature to determine which will help you accomplish more in OmniOutliner. OmniOutliner currently supports:
Foundation Models
OmniOutliner 6 includes support for Apple’s Foundation Models framework, allowing you to integrate Apple’s on-device large language model into your Omni Automation workflows.
To learn more about using Foundation Models with OmniOutliner 6, please visit the Apple Foundation Models page.
Genmoji
Genmoji can be used in row titles, row notes, and any cell which is part of a Rich Text Column.
To learn more about creating Genmoji, see these Apple User Guide articles:
Shortcuts Actions
The Shortcuts app supports Apple Intelligence actions, which can be combined with the OmniOutliner actions described below.
As of the time of writing, Apple Intelligence actions include using a cloud, on-device, or ChatGPT language model; creating an image using Image Playground; or incorporating Writing Tools into your workflow.
To learn more about using Apple Intelligence with Shortcuts, see these Apple User Guide articles:
Writing Tools
Writing Tools are available for row titles, row notes, and text contained in any cell.
To use Writing Tools, select the text you want to modify, then choose Show Writing Tools from the Shortcut Menu; on Mac, you can also select Writing Tools from the Edit Menu.
If you select a row (instead of text inside the row), Writing Tools will focus on the row title, but is unable to successfully Replace the title. You can still Copy and Paste the result manually.
To learn more about using Writing Tools, see these Apple User Guide articles:
Shortcuts
OmniOutliner 6.1 (or later) adds a collection of actions to the Shortcuts app. These actions are described below, with additional context and links to other sections of this documentation, where helpful.
You can also view available actions by launching the Shortcuts app, creating a New Shortcut, and then scrolling to the OmniOutliner section. Shortcuts also allows you to search action details, which is a quick way to find specific actions, or narrow your search to actions affecting one primary element (such as rows).
Select the
button to the right of an action title to show details,
including the intended purpose of the action,
as well as possible inputs and results.
If you are just getting started with Shortcuts, please start with these helpful Apple User Guide articles:
Categories
OmniOutliner actions are separated into categories, based on which part of an OmniOutliner document they primarily affect:
The Shortcuts app will also suggest actions for you, based on how you have been using OmniOutliner; these are grouped under the Other category.
Remember that shortcuts can also include actions from other apps, as well as actions that are built-in to the system, including the Apple Intelligence actions.
Actions for Columns
Actions for Omni Automation
Actions for Outlines
Actions for Rows
Shortcut Actions Reference
All available OmniOutliner Shortcuts actions, in alphabetical order:
- Add Child to Row
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- Add Column to Outline
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- Add Value to Pop-up List
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- Append Rich Text
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- Create New Outline
- Delete Row
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- Get All Columns
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- Get All Descendants for Row
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- Get Children for Row
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- Get Column with Name
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- Get Note Column
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- Get Outline Column
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- Get Outline Root
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- Get Outline Row with Identifier
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- Get Row Value in Column
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- Get Selected Rows
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- Get Status Column
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- Keep Sorted by Column
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- Omni Automation Plug-In
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- Omni Automation Script
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- Prepend Rich Text
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- Set Column Summary
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- Set Column Visibility
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- Set Rich Text
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- Set Row Value in Column
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Add Child to Row
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Add a child with the given topic to the provided row.
Action:
- Add
TopictoParent
Inputs:
Topic— The Rich Text topic for the added row.Parent— The parent row for the child or, if not provided, the child will be added to the root of the outline.Use OmniOutliner setting for Pasting From Other Apps— When turned on, this uses your setting for Pasting from Other Apps. Turning off this setting allows you to customize how styled text is used for this action.Styled Text— Customize how styled text is used when setting the “topic” for this child.
This Shortcuts action is the equivalent of the Add Inside command.
Add Column to Outline
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Add a column with a chosen Column Type and name to the current outline.
Action:
- Add
Column Type
Inputs:
Column Type— The Column Type of the newly added column. A Rich Text Column will be created when no value is specified.Name— If specified, the string will be used as the name for the added column.Position— Optionally used to control the position of the new column. Choices are “Before” or “After” and your selection is relative to an optional “Column”. If not set, “After” will be used.Column— Optionally specifies the existing column next to which the new column will be ordered. Any choice works in conjunction with the optionally providedPosition.
This Shortcuts action is the equivalent of the Add Column command.
Add Value to Pop-up List
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Adds a new value to a Pop-up List retrieved from a column of the appropriate type.
Action:
- Add
ValuetoEnumeration
Inputs:
Value— The value to add to the Pop-up List.Enumeration— A Pop-up List retrieved from a Pop-up List Column.Position— Optionally used to control the position of the new value. Choices are “Before” or “After” and your selection is relative to an optionalRelative Value. If not set, “After” will be used.Relative Value— Optionally specifies the existing relative value next to which the new value will be ordered. Any choice works in conjunction with the optionally provided “Position.”
Append Rich Text
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Appends the provided Rich Text in a row’s chosen column. Produces an error if the provided column is not a Rich Text Column.
Action:
- Append
Rich TextforRowinColumn
Inputs:
Rich Text— The rich text to append to existing content in the provided row’s column.Row— The row in which to set the value.Column— A chosen column for the provided rich text or, if not provided, the outline column.Use OmniOutliner setting for Pasting From Other Apps– When turned on, this uses your setting for Pasting from Other Apps. Turning off this setting allows you to customize how styled text is used for this action.Styled Text— Customize how styled text is used when setting the topic for this child.
The Topic of a row is another name for text entered into the row.
The Outline Column defines the overall structure of your OmniOutliner document, and is frequently referred to as the Topic Column.
Compare Prepend Rich Text.
Create New Outline
Description:
- Create a new outline in OmniOutliner.
Action:
- Create New Outline
Inputs:
- No inputs.
This Shortcuts action is the equivalent of the New command.
Delete Row
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Deletes the provided row from the current outline.
Action:
- Delete
Row
Inputs:
Row— The row that should be deleted. Deleting the outline root produces an error.
This Shortcuts action is the equivalent of the Delete command.
Get All Columns
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Gets all columns in the current outline.
Action:
- Get All Columns
Inputs:
- No inputs.
Get All Descendants for Row
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Gets all descendants for the given row.
Action:
- Get All Descendants for
Row
Inputs:
Row— The parent row whose descendants should be returned or, if not provided, all rows in the outline will be returned.
Get Children for Row
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Gets the children of the given row.
Action:
- Get the Children for
Row
Inputs:
RowThe parent row whose children should be returned or, if not provided, the top-level children of the outline root.
Get Column with Name
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Gets the first column in the current outline that exactly matches the provided name.
Action:
- Get Columns with
Name
Inputs:
NameSpecifies the name of the column to retrieve.
Get Note Column
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Gets the note column from the current outline.
Action:
- Get Note Column
Inputs:
- No inputs.
Get Outline Column
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Gets the primary outline column from the current outline. This is typically the topic column, but can be renamed.
Action:
- Get Outline Column
Inputs:
- No inputs.
Get Outline Root
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Gets the root in the current outline.
Action:
- Get Outline Root
Inputs:
- No inputs.
Get Outline Row with Identifier
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Gets the row in the current outline with a given identifier if possible.
Action:
- Get Outline Row with
Identifier
Inputs:
Identifier— The identifier of the row to retrieve.
Get Row Value in Column
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Gets the row’s value in a given column.
Action:
- Get value for
RowinColumn
Inputs:
Row— The row from which to retrieve the value.Column— The column from which to retrieve the value.
Compare Set Row Value in Column
Get Selected Rows
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Gets the selected rows from the current outline.
Action:
- Get Selected Rows
Inputs:
- No inputs.
Get Status Column
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Gets the status column from the current outline.
Action:
- Get Status Column
Inputs:
- No inputs.
Keep Sorted by Column
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Set the persistent sort order on a given column. This only changes the displayed order of rows and not the actual structure of your outline. Row numbering may appear out of order.
Action:
- Set
Sort OrderingforColumn
Inputs:
Sort Ordering— The sort ordering to set for the column. If no sort ordering is selected, the default is “None” and clears an existing sort.Column— The column on which to set the persistent sort order.
This Shortcuts action is the equivalent of the Keep Sorted command.
Omni Automation Plug-In
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Runs an action from an Omni Automation plug-in.
Action:
- Run the
Plug-In ActionOmni Automation Plug-In
Inputs:
Plug-In Action— Any installed Omni Automation Plug-In for OmniOutliner
To learn more about incorporating Omni Automation into your Shortcuts workflows, visit the Omni Automation and Shortcuts page on the Omni Automation website, and try Installing Plug-Ins from the Omni Automation Plug-Ins for OmniOutliner collection.
Omni Automation Script
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Runs an Omni Automation script, using optional input from another Shortcuts action.
Action:
- Run a script with
Inputvia Omni Automation
Inputs:
Input— Result from another Shortcuts action.Script— Omni Automation script, using JavaScript.Associated Files— Files to be used by the script.
To learn more about incorporating Omni Automation into your Shortcuts workflows, see Omni Automation and Shortcuts on the Omni Automation website.
Prepend Rich Text
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Prepends the provided Rich Text in a row’s chosen column. Produces an error if the provided column is not a Rich Text Column.
Action:
- Prepend
Rich TextforRowinColumn
Inputs:
Rich Text— The rich text value to prepend to the existing value in the provided row’s column.Row— The row in which to set the value.Column— A chosen column for the provided rich text or, if not provided, the Outline Column.Use OmniOutliner setting for Pasting From Other Apps– When turned on, this uses your setting for Pasting from Other Apps. Turning off this setting allows you to customize how styled text is used for this action.Styled Text— Customize how styled text is used when setting the “topic” for this child.
The Topic of a row is another name for text entered into the row.
The Outline Column defines the overall structure of your OmniOutliner document, and is frequently referred to as the Topic Column.
Compare Append Rich Text.
Set Column Summary
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Set the summary for a given column in an outline.
Action:
- Set
SummaryforColumn
Inputs:
Summary— The summary to set for the column. If no summary is selected, the default is “None” and clears an existing summary.Column— The column on which to set the summary.
Set Column Visibility
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Set the visibility for a given column in an outline.
Action:
- Set
VisibilityforColumn
Inputs:
Visibility— The desired visibility for the column. The default is to toggle the visibility of the column.Column— The column on which to set the desired visibility.
This Shortcuts action is the equivalent of toggling a column in the Columns submenu.
Set Rich Text
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Sets the provided Rich Text in a row’s chosen column. Produces an error if the provided column is not configured for rich text input.
Action:
- Set
Rich TextforRowinColumn
Inputs:
Rich Text— The rich text value to set in the provided row’s column.Row— The row in which to set the value.Column— A chosen column for the provided rich text or, if not provided, the outline column.Use OmniOutliner setting for Pasting From Other Apps— When turned on, this uses your setting for Pasting from Other Apps. Turning off this setting allows you to customize how styled text is used for this action.Styled Text— Customize how styled text is used when setting the “topic” for this child.
Set Row Value in Column
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Description:
- Set the rows’s value in a given column.
Action:
- Set
ValueforRowinColumn
Inputs:
Value— The value to set in the provided row’s column, if not provided, clears the existing value.Row— The row in which to set the value.Column— The column in which to set the value.
Compare Get Row Value in Column
Siri
Once you have configured a shortcut using the Shortcuts app, you can launch it using Siri.
To learn more, see these Apple User Guide articles:
For general information about Siri, these articles are useful:
Spotlight
Spotlight indexes OmniOutliner documents, allowing you to quickly search by row title, document title, attachment name, and note contents.
Spotlight is available on Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Vision Pro:
Omni Automation
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Omni Automation is our JavaScript-based cross-platform automation system, which is available on Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Vision Pro.
To learn more about Omni Automation, please visit the What is Omni Automation? and Omni Automation in OmniOutliner pages.
Plug-Ins
Omni Automation Plug-Ins are written in Apple’s Core JavaScript, and can be used to automate a wide variety of workflows.
To learn more about Omni Automation Plug-Ins, visit the Omni Automation Plug-Ins website, try building your own using The Action Template Generators, or Installing Plug-Ins from the Omni Automation Plug-Ins for OmniOutliner collection.
Installing Plug-Ins
To install Omni Automation Plug-Ins on Mac:
- Add the plug-in to a Connected Folder which is configured to support Plug-Ins, such as the iCloud Drive Connected Folder.
- Double-click the plug-in, then select from On My Mac to use the plug-in on this device only, or OmniOutliner to add the plug-in to iCloud Drive > OmniOutliner > Plug-Ins, so it can be used on all your devices.
- Select Configure… from the Automation Menu, then drag the plug-in over the Automation Configuration window.
To install Omni Automation Plug-Ins on iPad, iPhone, or Apple Vision Pro:
- Add the plug-in to a Connected Folder which is configured to support Plug-Ins, such as the iCloud Drive Connected Folder.
- Tap the plug-in, then select from On My Device to use the plug-in on this device only, or OmniOutliner to add the plug-in to iCloud Drive > OmniOutliner > Plug-Ins, so it can be used on all your devices.
- Select
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Manage Plug-Ins
from the
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Automation Menu
in
The Toolbar,
then drag the plug-in over the On My Device or OmniOutliner headers.
This is easier on iPad or Apple Vision Pro,
but still possible on iPhone.
Uninstalling Plug-Ins
To uninstall Omni Automation Plug-Ins on Mac:
- If it is in a Connected Folder, remove it from that folder.
- Select Configure… from the Automation Menu, Control + click on the plug-in, and select Move to Trash.
To uninstall Omni Automation Plug-Ins on iPad, iPhone, or Apple Vision Pro:
- If it is in a Connected Folder, remove it from that folder.
- Select
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Manage Plug-Ins
from the
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Automation Menu
in
The Toolbar,
swipe on the plug-in row from right to left,
and select Delete.