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Steno supports automation via the stenoai:// deep link scheme. You can trigger recording start and stop from Apple Shortcuts, Automator, or any tool that can open URLs on macOS.
ActionURL
Start recordingstenoai://record/start
Start recording with a namestenoai://record/start?name=Meeting%20Name
Stop recordingstenoai://record/stop
The name parameter is URL-encoded. Spaces become %20.

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Create a start/stop shortcut

1

Open the Shortcuts app

Open Shortcuts from your Applications folder or search for it with Spotlight.
2

Create a new shortcut

Click the + button to create a new shortcut. Name it “Start Steno recording”.
3

Add the Open URLs action

Search for “Open URLs” in the action search bar and add it to the shortcut.
4

Set the URL

Enter stenoai://record/start as the URL. To pass a name, use stenoai://record/start?name=Daily%20Standup.
5

Add a keyboard shortcut (optional)

In the shortcut’s settings (top-right menu), assign a keyboard shortcut — for example ⌃⌥R — so you can start a recording without opening any app.
Create a second shortcut for stenoai://record/stop and assign it a different key combination.

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Calendar automation

macOS Shortcuts cannot natively trigger at calendar event start times. To automate recordings based on your calendar, use Rules - Calendar Automation as a bridge.
1

Create the Shortcuts workflow

In Shortcuts, create a shortcut that:
  1. Uses Find Calendar Events (limit to 1, upcoming, sorted by start date)
  2. Extracts the event title
  3. URL-encodes the title
  4. Opens stenoai://record/start?name=[encoded title]
2

Set up a Rules trigger

In Rules, create a calendar trigger:
  • Source: your target calendar
  • Trigger: event start (or a few minutes before)
  • Condition: event note contains steno (use this as an opt-in marker)
  • Action: run your Steno shortcut
3

Mark events for recording

In Calendar, add the word steno to the notes field of any event you want automatically recorded. Events without this marker will not trigger Steno.

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Use with the menu bar

Steno runs a menu bar icon when active. You can trigger recordings from the menu bar without using Shortcuts. The deep links are most useful when you want to trigger recordings from other apps, scripts, or automations.
Yes. URL-encode the name and pass it as the name query parameter: stenoai://record/start?name=Weekly%20Product%20Sync. Steno uses this as the recording title.
Yes. Both Raycast and Alfred can open URLs. Create a script command or workflow that opens stenoai://record/start or stenoai://record/stop.
macOS Shortcuts does not provide a trigger that fires at a calendar event’s start time. Rules adds this capability. It watches your calendar and runs a Shortcut when an event starts.