OnDevice OCR Pro

Apple Shortcuts

Automatic Text Recognition (OCR)
with Apple Shortcuts

Make invoices and other documents searchable and name them automatically, right from Finder.

Introduction

With Apple Shortcuts and OnDevice OCR Pro, you can make invoices and other documents searchable with just one right-click.

You can download OnDevice OCR Pro for free and test it fully with a watermark.

To name the invoice in the same step as well, we use this previously created template, which shows how scans can be named automatically with local AI models. File naming is optional, though, and not required for OCR processing via a shortcut.

Let’s start by creating the shortcut

  1. Open the app and click “Settings” → “Integration”.
  1. Clicking “Add New Shortcut” lets us create and add the first shortcut.
  1. Optionally, click “Name Files” to have the document named after OCR, and select the template. Then click “Use”.

    By creating rules, you can also have the matching template selected automatically from several templates based on the recognized text, and then have the document saved in a specific folder – here, for example, “Invoices”.

  1. Finally, we name the shortcut “Invoice” and choose “Add to Shortcuts”.

    Under “Advanced Options”, you can also specify, for example, whether PDFs should be given Finder tags or several documents should be merged into one.

  1. Now confirm in the Shortcuts app by clicking “Add Shortcut”.
  1. To make the shortcut available directly via right-click → “Quick Actions” in Finder, we now open it via right-click → “Edit” …
  1. … and under “i”, turn on the “Finder” option.

    This window looks slightly different depending on your macOS version.

  1. To test whether the integration worked, right-click a document → “Quick Actions” and check whether the shortcut you created is available.

    You can process PDF files as well as images in JPG, PNG, TIFF, and HEIC format this way. PDFs that are already searchable, such as digital invoices, are skipped by default. This can be turned off in the shortcut’s configuration.

    By turning on the “Delete Original” option, you can have the original file – in this case “Scan001.pdf” – moved to the Trash automatically after successful processing.

All set

From now on, a right-click in Finder is all it takes: the shortcut makes every document searchable and names it using your template – even when OnDevice OCR Pro is closed.

If you want new scans processed without any clicks at all, a watched folder (hotfolder) is the right choice.

Optional: Using shortcuts with Hazel

With the app Hazel, the shortcut can be applied to new files automatically.

  1. Add the folder you want (e.g. your scanner folder) in Hazel.
  2. Create a rule with the condition “Extension is pdf” (or “Kind is Image”).
  3. As the action, choose “Run Shortcut” and select the shortcut “OnDevice OCR - Invoice”.

Hazel then processes every new file in that folder that matches the condition. Unlike the built-in hotfolder, this lets you have additional folders processed automatically using text recognition and set further conditions.

Note: Leave the “Overwrite Existing OCR” option in the shortcut turned off. The finished PDF is saved in the same folder and is detected by Hazel as a new file – this way, it is skipped afterwards.

Frequently asked questions about shortcuts

Does OnDevice OCR Pro need to be open for this?

No. The shortcut processes your documents even when the app is closed – including naming with Ollama.

How does this differ from “Services → Apply OnDevice OCR”?

The Finder action “Services → Apply OnDevice OCR” uses the app’s general settings. A shortcut of your own, by contrast, has its own fixed settings – language, PDF quality, naming template, Finder tags. This lets you create a suitable shortcut for every purpose.

Shortcut, hotfolder, or Hazel – which one when?

The shortcut is ideal when you want to process individual documents selectively. A hotfolder, by contrast, automatically processes every new file in a folder in the background, for example straight from the scanner. Hazel combines both: it watches folders like a hotfolder but can also check additional conditions – e.g. only PDFs above a certain size or with a certain file name – and then triggers the shortcut.

For general questions about pricing, languages, features, and system requirements, see the FAQ on the homepage.

Make your documents searchable – starting today.

Download on the Mac App Store

Compatible with macOS 14.6 and later.