Preview a repeatable filename with a small Mac shortcut
Enter a meeting date and title, combine them with Ask for Input and Text, then preview the filename with Show Alert without changing a file.
Publication & corrections: infostoa · Editorial standards
Individual author and specialist reviewer information is not provided for this article.
To keep meeting-recording names consistent, preview a filename before changing any file. Enter 2026-10-12 for the date and Product review for the title; the displayed draft should be “2026-10-12_Product review.m4a”. This workflow produces text only and does not rename or move a recording.
Four actions, inputs, and outputs
| Step | Input | Action | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2026-10-12 | Ask for Input (Text), prompt: Meeting date (YYYY-MM-DD) | Date string |
| 2 | Product review | Ask for Input (Text), prompt: Meeting title | Title string |
| 3 | The two prior outputs | In Text, insert date variable + _ + title variable + .m4a | The text 2026-10-12_Product review.m4a |
| 4 | Text output | Insert the Text variable in Show Alert’s Message | A preview dialog; the original file stays unchanged |
Connect the four actions
In step 3’s Text field, Control-click and choose Insert Variable > Select Variable. Select Provided Input under the first Ask for Input action. Type the literal underscore _, repeat the menu steps, and select Provided Input under the second Ask for Input action; then type .m4a. Insert both blue Magic Variable tokens; do not type bracketed placeholders. MacMost’s Shortcuts text tutorial also demonstrates the general technique of placing an Ask for Input result inside a Text action.
For step 4, Control-click Show Alert’s Message field, choose Insert Variable > Select Variable, and select the output of the Text action.
Correct an unexpected preview
If the date or title is missing, check that both Magic Variables are in the Text field and in date-title order. If the date contains slashes or the extension appears twice, correct the prompt example or fixed text and run the preview again. Before renaming a real recording, duplicate it in Finder, apply the displayed name to the copy, and verify its extension and folder. If your recurring task is saving a search instead, see Finder Smart Folders. Apple documents Ask for Input, inserting Magic Variables, and previewing prior-action output with Show Alert. Macworld offers broader Shortcuts examples; Apple’s guides support this specific sequence.