- Open the Shortcuts app — GitSync.md's actions are already there.
- Use Pull All Repositories for everything, or Pull Repository and pick one.
- For a hands-free attempt, create a Personal Automation: When GitSync.md opens → Pull All Repositories.
Four actions, built in
No parameters. Walks every cloned repository, attempts each pull, and reports a summary: how many updated, how many were already current, how many need your attention, and how many failed — with details for the first few that need attention.
Takes one repository, chosen from your cloned repos (Shortcuts shows them by name as you type). Returns that repo's result: updated, up to date, or needs attention.
Stages all non-ignored edits, creates a commit with the configured Git identity, and pushes one repository. Active conflicts stop before staging.
Runs a configured-branch, clean-fast-forward pull first, then stages, commits, and pushes only when remote state remains safe. It returns structured status, commit SHA, and message fields for later Shortcut steps.
All four actions appear automatically in the Shortcuts app's action list under GitSync.md — nothing to install or enable. They return dialogs or structured results so they compose cleanly with notifications, logging, Home Screen buttons, and Personal Automations.
Siri phrases
Because the actions are exposed as App Shortcuts, Siri understands them out of the box:
- "Pull all repositories in GitSync.md"
- "Sync all repositories in GitSync.md"
- "Update my notes in GitSync.md"
- "Pull <repository name> in GitSync.md"
Attempt a pull when you open the app
The classic setup takes thirty seconds:
- In Shortcuts, go to Automation → New Personal Automation.
- Choose App → GitSync.md → Is Opened.
- Add the Pull All Repositories action.
- Turn off "Ask Before Running" for an unprompted attempt, or leave it on if you prefer a confirmation.
When the automation is allowed to run, it attempts the same safe fast-forward pull the app uses everywhere. Check its result for repositories that were updated, already current, blocked, or need attention; iOS automation delivery and Git/network success are not guaranteed.
Reading the result dialogs
- "Pulled 4 repositories: 2 updated, 1 already up to date, 1 needs attention" — the attention case names the repo and why: local changes, diverged history, a missing remote branch, or an authentication prompt waiting for you.
- "No cloned repositories to pull yet" — you're signed out or haven't cloned anything.
- Pull summaries return structured attention text. Push and Sync return
blockedstatus for safety stops such as divergence or concurrent work; missing repositories, authentication/trust prompts, and hard operation failures throw actionable errors. Branch on the returned status first, then handle thrown errors.
Publishing stays explicit and fail-closed
Pull actions never publish. Push Repository and Sync Repository publish only when you deliberately add those actions to a Shortcut or Personal Automation. They stage all non-ignored changes and push directly to the repository's configured remote.
Anything that would require a judgment call — an active conflict, divergence, remote work arriving alongside local edits, an SSH trust prompt, or the wrong checked-out branch — stops and reports attention instead of guessing. Shortcut publishing never merges, rebases, switches branches, resolves conflicts, or force-pushes.
Recap
Native Shortcuts actions plus one Personal Automation can attempt a safe pull when GitSync.md opens, without URL plumbing. Review the returned summary because iOS may suppress an automation and Git safety or network conditions may require attention. Combine it with the syncmd:// API for explicit Obsidian-triggered attempts.
