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Server and Web Sharing

Save to pinakea Apple Shortcut

Install the generated Tailscale Share Sheet shortcut for saving URLs from iPhone, iPad, and Mac

The Save to pinakea Apple Shortcut sends a shared webpage URL from iPhone, iPad, or Mac to pinakea on your Mac through Tailscale.

You install it from pinakea once. pinakea creates the Shortcut with the right Server URL and a hidden clipping token already inside, then opens Apple Shortcuts so you can add it. There is no token to copy and no Shortcut code to inspect.

Current Set

Shortcut clips land in the currently selected Set in pinakea. Switch Sets in the Mac app before saving if you want the clip in a different library.

Requirements

  • pinakea running on your Mac.
  • Browser access available for your license or trial.
  • Tailscale connected on the Mac running pinakea.
  • Tailscale connected on the iPhone, iPad, or Mac that runs the Shortcut.
  • iCloud Shortcuts sync enabled if you want the Shortcut to appear automatically on iPhone/iPad after adding it on Mac.

Browser access is available during the trial and then requires Pro on an active Mac. See Paid Features.

Install

  1. Open pinakea -> Settings -> Server.
  2. Turn on Enable Remote Access (Tailscale).
  3. Click Install Save to pinakea Shortcut.
  4. If asked, set a Server password. The password stays in your Mac Keychain and is not added to the Shortcut.
  5. If asked, allow pinakea to enable the Browser Server.
  6. If Apple Shortcuts opens, tap Add Shortcut.

The install button is disabled until Enable Remote Access (Tailscale) is on. pinakea does not disable the button just because the Tailscale app is disconnected, but it still needs a Tailscale address when creating the Shortcut. If install fails, connect Tailscale on your Mac and try again.

pinakea puts your Tailscale IP address into the Shortcut. The Shortcut does not use LAN or localhost addresses. Reinstall the Shortcut if your Tailscale target changes.

Save a Page

  1. Open a webpage on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
  2. Tap Share.
  3. Choose Save to pinakea.
  4. Wait for Clip queued in pinakea.

The Shortcut accepts URL Share Sheet input only. It does not accept arbitrary text, Safari webpage objects, read the clipboard, or ask you to type a URL. In Safari, share from the URL field when needed so iOS hands the Shortcut the page URL itself.

The Shortcut sends only the URL. pinakea fetches and imports the page from your Mac; it does not read the authenticated page content currently visible in iPhone Safari.

If pinakea is unreachable or rejects the request, Apple Shortcuts shows the request error. First check that Tailscale is connected on this device and on your Mac. pinakea still checks the hidden token, rate limit, URL format, and private-network safety rules before accepting a clip.

Known Limitation

The Shortcut sends a URL to pinakea; it does not send the authenticated page content currently visible in iPhone Safari. Some websites block automated fetching or require login/cookie state, including paywalled or sign-in-only articles.

If pinakea accepts the URL but cannot fetch the full page, it saves a placeholder item. If the page title was available, pinakea keeps it; otherwise the item is titled Unknown title, URL saved. The item body explains that the full content could not be saved and includes the original URL.

To replace the placeholder with full content, open the original URL on your Mac, then save the page again with the pinakea browser extension. pinakea updates the placeholder item and reprocesses it instead of creating a duplicate.

Security

The Shortcut does not store your Server password. It stores a generated clipping token that can only queue URL clips through POST /api/clip.

The token cannot read your timeline, search, chat, item pages, job status, or HTML pages. pinakea stores only token hashes on your Mac.

Revoke Access

If a device is lost, or you want all installed copies to stop working:

  1. Open pinakea -> Settings -> Server.
  2. Click Revoke Shortcut Access.

To install again, click Install Save to pinakea Shortcut and add the newly generated Shortcut in Apple Shortcuts.

Troubleshooting

  • Shortcut does not appear on iPhone/iPad: confirm iCloud Shortcuts sync is enabled and Apple Shortcuts has finished syncing.
  • Install button is disabled: turn on Enable Remote Access (Tailscale) in Settings -> Server.
  • Install fails because no Tailscale address was found: connect Tailscale on your Mac, then try again.
  • Request timed out: connect Tailscale on the device running the Shortcut, then try again. This is the usual symptom when the iPhone/iPad/Mac running the Shortcut cannot reach your Mac over Tailscale.
  • Could not reach pinakea Server: confirm pinakea is running, Browser Server is enabled, Enable Remote Access (Tailscale) is on, and Tailscale is connected on both devices.
  • Shortcut token rejected: click Install Save to pinakea Shortcut again, then add the regenerated Shortcut.
  • Shortcut says it needs a webpage URL: open the page or link you want to save, then run the Shortcut from that app’s Share Sheet.
  • Rate limited: wait a moment before running the Shortcut again.
  • Placeholder item appears: see Known Limitation.
  • Clip queued, but no item appears: wait for pinakea to fetch and process the page. If no item or placeholder appears, open pinakea on your Mac and check whether Browser Clips ingestion is running.
  • Wrong Set: switch Sets in pinakea before using the Shortcut.