ScreenDiary Shortcuts
Recipe Book
Ready-to-build shortcut recipes, from single-action logs to multi-step discovery chains. Each recipe includes step-by-step instructions, a worked example, and a link to download the shortcut.
Contents
Chapter One
Logging & Library
Simple, high-frequency shortcuts for recording what you watch. Start here. These are the fastest to build and immediately useful.
Add a Movie to Your Wishlist
You hear about a film in a podcast or conversation. Search for it and save it to your wishlist in a few taps.
Steps
Set Search Text to Ask Each Time. The shortcut will prompt you to type the title when it runs. Set type to Movie if you want to filter out TV Series.
Pass the Search Media results so you can confirm the correct title.
Pass the chosen Media Result. The title is saved to your wishlist immediately.
Worked example
You run Add to Wishlist, type "Hundreds of Beavers", and pick the first result.
Expected result
Tip
Add to Wishlist will let you know if a title is already there.
Mark a Movie as Watched
You just finished watching a film. Log it with a date, liked status, and star rating - all in one prompted shortcut run.
Steps
Ask Each Time - type the film you just watched.
Confirm the correct title from search results.
Set Watch Date to Today. Set Liked and Rating both to Ask Each Time - you'll be prompted for each on every run.
Worked example
You search "Alien Romulus", pick the 2024 film from the results, choose Liked, and enter a rating of 4.
Expected result
Tip
To log silently without prompts - from an automation, for instance - pre-fill Liked and Rating with fixed values. All parameters support Ask Each Time or a fixed value.
Mark First Episode Watched
You've watched the first episode of a new show. Log it with the First Episode scope so your diary reflects what you've actually seen, not the whole series.
Steps
Media Type: Series. Ask Each Time.
Pick the series from results.
TV Watch Scope: First Episode. Watch Date: Today. Liked: Ask Each Time.
Pass the same series. Shows when Episode 2 airs - display as a Show Result notification.
Worked example
You search "Severance", pick the show, mark S1E1 as watched, and say you liked it.
Expected result
Tip
If the series is already in your diary, Mark Series as Watched pauses and asks before overwriting - so it's safe to run even if you're not sure whether you've logged it before.
Recent Watches Digest
Pull your recent viewing history and share it - as a plain-text message, a note, or anything your other shortcuts can consume.
Steps
Count: 10. Media Type: All - or restrict to Movie if you only want films.
Use the Title field of each item, joined with new lines. This formats the list as readable text.
Send to Messages, copy to clipboard, append to a note - whatever fits your workflow.
Worked example
You run the shortcut on a Sunday to send your week's watches to a friend.
Expected result
Tip
Attach this to a Sunday evening automation trigger so it runs automatically each week without you needing to remember.
Chapter Two
Discovery
Find something to watch - from browsing your wishlist to checking streaming availability and pulling recommendations.
Find Something in Your Wishlist
Two ways to pick from your wishlist. Browse and choose yourself, or let the shortcut pick one at random. Both options show where you can watch and open the film in ScreenDiary.
Option A: Browse and Choose
Pick Something from Wishlist
Source: Wishlist. Random Pick: Off. This returns the full list so you can choose.
Pick the title you want to watch.
Region: Ask Each Time - or change this to your region so you never have to pick. Tip: if you have ScreenDiary Pro, you can use the enhanced Where to Watch feature from inside the app after Open Media takes you to the title.
Opens the selected title in ScreenDiary.
Option B: Feeling Adventurous?
Surprise Me
Source: Wishlist. Random Pick: On. The shortcut picks one film for you - no list shown, no deliberating.
Opens the randomly selected title straight in ScreenDiary.
Worked example
You run Option A with 40 titles on your wishlist. You pick "The Lighthouse" and want to know where to watch it.
Expected result
Tip
Change the Region parameter from Ask Each Time to your own region so you are not prompted every time. ScreenDiary Pro users can then use the enhanced Where to Watch feature from inside the app after the title opens in ScreenDiary to open straight to a streaming service.
What Can I Watch Right Now?
Cross-reference your wishlist against live streaming availability. Only surfaces titles you can actually watch tonight.
Steps
Returns wishlist titles currently available to stream in your region.
Pick one of the streamable titles.
Region: Ask Each Time. Change this to your own region to skip the prompt every run.
Opens the selected title in ScreenDiary.
Worked example
You run this on a Friday night with 35 titles on your wishlist.
Expected result
Tip
Set Region to your own country once and you will not be asked again. ScreenDiary Pro users can then use the enhanced Where to Watch feature from inside the app after opening the title in ScreenDiary.
Watch a Trailer
Search a film, pick a trailer, and open it before deciding whether to add it to your wishlist.
Steps
Ask Each Time.
Pick the title from search results.
Pass the selected title. Category can be Ask Each Time, or set it to Trailer if you only want trailers.
Pick the video you want to watch.
Pass the selected Video directly. It already behaves like a playable link in Shortcuts.
Worked example
You search "Nosferatu", choose the 2024 film from the results, and watch the trailer before deciding.
Expected result
Tip
After Open URLs, add an Add to Wishlist step so you can save the film immediately if the trailer sells you on it, all in one run.
More Like This
Just finished something you loved? Get recommendations based on it and bulk-save them to your wishlist or a custom list.
Steps
Ask Each Time - type the film you just loved.
Confirm the correct title.
Mode: Ask Each Time (choose from Recommended or Similar), or fix it to Recommended. Returns a list of suggested titles.
Destination: Ask Each Time - choose Wishlist, an existing custom list, or create a new one. Titles already present are skipped.
Worked example
You just watched and loved Parasite. You run the shortcut with Parasite as the seed and choose Recommended.
Expected result
Tip
Choose "New Custom List" and name it "Like Parasite" to keep these recommendations separate from your main wishlist. Run it after a few films and you'll have a rich, themed list to work through.
Save a Collection
Search for a TMDB collection and add every film in it to your wishlist or a custom list in a single step.
Steps
Ask Each Time - type the franchise or collection name, e.g. "Mission: Impossible".
Select the correct collection from results.
Returns all films in the collection as a list of Media Results.
Destination: New Custom List (name it e.g. "Bond Films") or Wishlist. All titles saved in one step.
Worked example
You search "Alien Collection" and pick the Alien franchise.
Expected result
Advanced option
Instead of Bulk Save to List, add Repeat with Each Item, then Is Watched, then Add to Wishlist inside the false branch. That version checks each film against your history and only adds unseen entries.
Chapter Three
People & Filmography
Explore cast and crew - pull a director's filmography, dive into an actor's credits, or find the cinematographer behind a film you loved.
Who Directed This?
Search any film and get its director's name and biography - then optionally chain into their full filmography and save it to your library.
Part 1: Who Directed This?
Ask Each Time.
Pick the film.
Department: Directing. Job: Director. Returns the director(s) as People.
Field: Biography. Show Result to display as a quick look.
Part 2: What Else Did They Direct?
Chain directly from Part 1. Credits: Crew. Department: Directing. Job: Director.
Display their filmography directly, or save the whole lot to a new custom list or your wishlist.
Worked example
You search "Mulholland Drive" and run Part 1. You then chain into Part 2.
Expected result
Tip
Change the roles in Part 2 to find other films from the same writer or cinematographer. Swap Department: Directing / Job: Director to Department: Writing / Job: Screenplay - same shortcut, different lens.
Director Deep Dive
Search for a director by name, pull their full filmography, and save it to a named custom list - a complete director survey in seconds.
Steps
Ask Each Time. Birth year shown in subtitle helps distinguish people who share a name.
Pick the correct person from results.
Credits: Crew. Job: Director. Returns all directing credits.
Destination: New Custom List. Name it e.g. "Kubrick Films". List created and filled in one step.
Worked example
You search "Paul Thomas Anderson" and run the shortcut.
Expected result
Tip
Change Job to "Screenplay" for a writer's filmography, or Department to "Camera" for a cinematographer's full credit history. Department and Job filters use substring matching and are case-insensitive.
Cast Rabbit Hole
Pick a film, see its cast, choose an actor, and pull up their filmography for a late-night discovery spiral.
Steps
Ask Each Time.
Pick the starting film.
Returns the full cast list - up to 100 people.
Pick one actor from the cast.
Credits: Cast. Then Bulk Save to List (Wishlist) or Open Person to explore in-app.
Worked example
You start with "Eyes Wide Shut", browse the cast, and pick Nicole Kidman.
Expected result
Tip
Run Open Person at the end instead of Bulk Save if you'd rather browse the actor's page in ScreenDiary and decide which films to save manually.
Find the Cinematographer
Discover who shot a film you loved, then explore every other film they've shot - a great way to find visually consistent work.
Steps
Ask Each Time - type the film whose cinematography you loved.
Pick the film.
Department: Camera. Job: Director of Photography.
Pick the DP - some films have more than one.
Department: Camera. Bulk Save to List (Wishlist or a new named list).
Worked example
You loved the look of Blade Runner 2049 and want to find more work by its DP.
Expected result
Tip
You can combine Department and Job independently. Omit Job to get all camera department credits including camera operators and gaffers - useful for a broader view of someone's career.
Chapter Four
TV & Series
Track upcoming episodes, build a TV schedule, and stay on top of every show you follow.
This Week's Episodes
A digest of every upcoming episode across all series you follow - covering the next seven days.
Steps
Within Days: 7. Filter: Watching - gives you only series you're currently following that have episodes airing this week.
Display the episode list directly, or use Combine Text to format it as a readable digest before sharing.
Worked example
You run this on a Monday morning. You follow 12 active series.
Expected result
Tip
Attach a Monday 8am automation trigger to this shortcut so you get the week's TV schedule delivered automatically.
Add Episode to Calendar
Find the next episode of a specific show and add it as a calendar event - including the episode code and title - so you never miss a premiere.
Steps
Media Type: Series. Ask Each Time.
Pick the series. Save it to a variable - you'll reference it in the calendar title.
Returns the next unaired episode. If nothing is returned (show ended or on hiatus), the If block below handles it gracefully.
Only proceed if an episode was found.
Pass the episode from Get Next Episode. Returns the episode code (e.g. S2E4), episode title, and air date as separate fields you can use in the next step.
Title: [Series Name] + [Episode Code] + [Episode Title] - all from your variables. Date: Air Date from Get Episode Details. Add to your TV or Entertainment calendar.
No upcoming episode found. Display a friendly message so the shortcut doesn't just silently end.
Worked example
You search "The Bear" and run the shortcut.
Expected result
Tip
Always include the If block after Get Next Episode. The action returns nothing gracefully if the show has ended or been cancelled - without the check, the Calendar step has nothing to work with and may error.
Am I Caught Up?
Check whether a series is in your diary, and find out what the next episode is if you're not up to date.
Steps
Media Type: Series. Ask Each Time.
Pick the series. Save it to a variable.
Returns true or false based on whether the series is in your diary.
You're up to date - display a confirmation.
Pass the series variable. Returns the next episode to watch so you know where to pick up.
Worked example
You search "Slow Horses" to check where you're up to.
Expected result
Tip
Chain Get Episode Details after Get Next Episode to pull out the episode code, title, and air date - useful for adding a calendar reminder or sharing with a friend.
Reference
Using Actions Together
A few simple ways to combine ScreenDiary actions in Shortcuts.
Save and Discover
Universal starting point. Search returns both Media Results and People Results - pick the branch your shortcut needs.
Wishlist to Watch
Wishlist items, filtered and picked, with streaming availability shown before opening in ScreenDiary.
Person Deep Dive
Full filmography saved to a named list in three actions. Job filter narrows to a specific role like Director or Screenplay.
Franchise Sweep
Every film in a franchise, saved at once. Add an Is Watched loop to filter to unseen titles only.
Weekly TV
Filter to Watching for active shows only. Get Episode Details pulls the code, title, and air date. Pair with a Monday automation for a hands-off weekly digest.
Wishlist to Trailer
Start with something from your wishlist, pick a trailer or teaser, then open it straight away.
Reference
All Actions
Add to Wishlist
Returns Library Update
Mark Movie as Watched
Returns Library Update
Mark Series as Watched
Returns Library Update
Get Recently Watched Titles
Returns List of Media Results
Get Recently Added Titles
Returns List of Media Results
Is Watched
Returns Boolean
Get Media in Custom List
Returns List of Media Results
Pick Something to Watch
Returns List of Media Results
What Can I Watch Right Now?
Returns List of Media Results
Bulk Save to List
Returns Dialog (summary only)
Search Anything
Returns Search Results (Media + People)
Search Media
Returns List of Media Results
Open Media
Returns Nothing - opens app
Get Media Info
Returns Text (single field value)
Get Cast for Media
Returns List of People
Get Crew for Media
Returns List of People
Get Videos for Media
Returns List of Videos
Get Recommendations for Media
Returns List of Media Results
Get Watch Providers for Media
Returns List of Watch Providers
Get Images for Media
Returns List of Images (JPEG)
Get Collection for Media
Returns List of Collections
Get Media in Collection
Returns List of Media Results
Search Collections
Returns List of Collections
Search People
Returns List of People
Get Person Info
Returns Text (single field value)
Get Credits for Person
Returns List of Media Results
Open Person
Returns Nothing - opens app
Get Seasons for Series
Returns List of Seasons
Get Episodes for Season
Returns List of Episodes
Get Next Episode
Returns Episode (or nothing if show ended)
Get Latest Episode
Returns Episode
Get Episode Details
Returns Episode Code, Title, Air Date
Upcoming Episodes
Returns List of Episodes
Is Caught Up?
Returns Boolean