URL Commands

Parameters

path

Path. Required. Path to file. Must point to a file and not a folder

edit

Boolean. Optional. If true, keyboard will be shown on compatible iOS devices.

Return parameters on x-success

None.

EXAMPLE:

ia-writer://open?path=/Locations/iCloud/Website/URL-Commands/EXAMPLES.txt

Opens EXAMPLES.txt (file) which is saved in iCloud → Website → URL-Commands (folder)

Parameters

path

Path. Optional. Path for the file to be created. If omitted the file will be created at the root of the default location. If the path points to a directory, the file will be automatically named. If the path points to a file, it must have a plain text file extension, or the path will be ignored. The proposed filename will be used, but adjusted to avoid overwriting an existing file.

text

String. Optional. File contents.

edit

Boolean. Optional. If true, keyboard will be shown on compatible iOS devices.

Return parameters on x-success

None.

EXAMPLE:

ia-writer://new?path=/Locations/iCloud/Journal/entry123.txt

Creates a new file titled entry123.txt in iCloud → Journal (folder)

Parameters

query

String. Optional.

Return parameters on x-success

None.

EXAMPLE:

ia-writer://quick-search?query=%23unfinishedtask

Opens a Quick Search window for terms “#unfinishedtask” Note: # symbol needs to be percent encoded → %23

Parameters

auth-token

String. Required.

path

Path. Required. Path to the file to read.

Return parameters on x-success

path

Path. Path to the file.

text

String. File text.

EXAMPLE:

ia-writer://read?auth-token=y0uRt0K3Nh3r3&path=/Locations/iCloud/Journal/entryXYZ.md

On x-success returns:

• Path to (file) entryXYZ.md found in iCloud → Journal (folder)
• Text contained in entryXYZ.md

Parameters

auth-token

String. Required.

path

Path. Required.

text

String. Optional.

mode

String. Optional.

create Default. Adjusts last path component to avoid replacing an existing file.

replace Replaces an existing file.

append Appends the given text to an existing file.

append-location

String. Optional. Used only when mode is append.

beginning Append text at the beginning of a file.

end Default. Append text at the end of a file.

append-padding

Boolean. Optional. Default: true. Make a paragraph out of appended text. Used only when mode is append.

Return parameters on x-success

path

Path. Path to the file that was created or modified.

text

String. File contents after writing.

EXAMPLE:

ia-writer://write?auth-token=r4nd0m5tr1n9&path=/Locations/iCloud/Journal/entry123.txt&text=%2A%2ALOG+COMPLETE%2A%2A&mode=append&append-location=end&append-padding=true

Appends the term “LOG COMPLETE” in a new paragraph at the end of document entry123.txt found in iCloud → Journal

Parameters

None.

Return parameters on x-success

scheme-version

String. URL scheme version.

app-version

String. App version.

EXAMPLE:

ia-writer://x-callback-url/version?

On x-success returns:

• current URL-scheme version
• current version of iA Writer

String

A string is any series of letters, numbers or symbols. To work within a URL, these must be “URL or percent encoded”.

Example: Alice's Diary becomes Alice%27s%20Diary where the invalid characters (apostrophe and space) are replaced with %27 and %20.

Limits: 4,000 characters max before encoding

Path

Points to the location of the file to be created, opened or edited. This must be percent encoded to work in your URL.

/ this leading slash refers to the default location (iCloud or local).

/Locations/From Other Apps/ is available on iOS.

/Locations/Name/ can be used to filter files from custom locations on macOS.

Example: Path to Tester's Folder, found within the default iCloud folder. → /Tester%27s%20Folder

🔆 You can use the right-click menu in Library and Organizer to copy paths on macOS.

🔆 You can tap and hold items in Library to copy paths on iOS.

Boolean

Either true or false.

• On Mac: iA Writer → Preferences → General → URL Commands → Manage.
• On iOS: Library → Settings → URL Commands.

🔆 If you reset your auth-token you will need to replace this parameter in any x-callback-urls you’ve previously created.

In adding these to your Shortcut library you will have not only handy Shortcuts but also something you can refer to or modify to your own liking.

• Add text clippings from everywhere.
• Clone entire articles from the Web to iA Writer.

Note: If you have not enabled Allow Untrusted Shortcuts in iOS settings → Shortcuts, you will be prompted to do so when trying to add these Shortcuts.