Raw SmithGuide
Shortcuts, Siri and AI agents
Raw Smith can be driven by more than taps and keys. On iPhone, iPad and Mac it adds actions to Shortcuts and Siri, and on a Mac it includes an MCP server so an AI assistant such as Claude can search, cull, edit and export your library for you.
Which Shortcuts actions does Raw Smith add?
Open the Shortcuts app and search for Raw Smith. These actions are available:
| Find Photos | Find photos in the library, to pass to the other actions. |
|---|---|
| Set Profile | Give photos a profile such as Vivid or Monochrome. |
| Apply Preset | Apply one of your presets or a built-in one. |
| Rate Photos | Set a star rating. |
| Flag Photos | Pick, reject or unflag. |
| Label Photos | Set a color label. |
| Add Keywords to Photos | Add keywords. |
| Add Photos to Album | File photos into an album. |
| Rename Photos | Rename photos. |
| Export Photos | Export with a Format, a Longest Edge (pixels) and an optional frame. |
| Undo Last Library Change | Take back the last change an action made. |
A typical shortcut: Find Photos rated four stars or more, Apply Preset, then Export Photos at 2048 pixels for the web.
Siri and Spotlight
Raw Smith indexes your photos and albums in Spotlight, by name, keywords and camera, so you can find them from the system search and ask Siri for them. Siri can also open photos and albums, add photos to albums, and nudge exposure, warmth and saturation.
Connect an AI assistant on the Mac (MCP)
MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is how AI assistants such as Claude Desktop and Claude Code use apps. Raw Smith's MCP server lets an assistant work with your library through the same code as the app, so every change shows live in Raw Smith, syncs to your other devices, and can be undone.
How to turn it on
- Open Raw Smith › Settings… and choose Agents.
- Turn on Let AI agents use the library.
- Choose what Agents can do (below).
- Use Copy Claude Code Command or Copy MCP Server Config (JSON), and add it to your assistant.
Status shows "Ready, no agents connected" or which agent is connected.
Access levels
| View Only | The default. Search, read photo details and look at previews. |
|---|---|
| View and Edit | Also change profiles, edits, masks, ratings, flags, labels, keywords, captions and albums, and import from the Import Folder. |
| View, Edit and Export | Also export, into the Export Folder you choose. |
| View, Edit, Export and Delete | Also delete photos. |
An agent only ever sees the tools its level allows. The Import and Export folders are set in the same page with Choose….
What you can ask an agent to do
- "Every 4-star photo from Saturday's import: Vivid, warm it a little, export 2048 px to my blog folder."
- "Make these 30 photos consistent with the first one."
- "Flag the photos where someone's eyes are closed."
- "Keyword this shoot, and put the picks in an album called Lisbon."
Agents can search by camera, lens, keyword, label, rating and date, render previews and before-and-after comparisons, apply presets, add found and gradient masks, save snapshots and presets, and undo their own changes. Brushed masks and Remove spots still need drawing in the app.
Privacy and safety
- Agents are off until you turn them on, and view-only by default.
- The assistant reaches Raw Smith through a small helper inside the app over a local connection on your Mac. There's no network server and no open port.
- When an agent looks at a preview, that preview is sent to the assistant's AI provider under its terms. Settings says so too.
- Every agent change goes through the app's own edit and undo, so you can see it and take it back.
On iPhone and iPad, agents work through Shortcuts and Siri; changes made by an agent on the Mac reach them through iCloud sync.
Questions
Can I automate Raw Smith with Shortcuts?
Yes. Raw Smith adds actions to the Shortcuts app on iPhone, iPad and Mac, including Find Photos, Apply Preset, Rate Photos, Flag Photos, Add Photos to Album, Rename Photos and Export Photos.
How do I connect Claude or another AI assistant to Raw Smith?
On a Mac, open Settings › Agents, turn on Let AI agents use the library, choose what agents can do, then use Copy Claude Code Command or Copy MCP Server Config (JSON) to add Raw Smith to your assistant.
Is the MCP server safe to turn on?
It's off by default and view-only when you turn it on. It's reached only through a local connection on your Mac, with no network port, and every change an agent makes shows in the app and can be undone.
Do AI agents see my photos?
Only when they ask for a preview. Previews an agent looks at are sent to that assistant's AI provider under its terms, so connect only assistants you trust.