To make a Mac Quick Action process the files you select in Finder, enable the shortcut as a Quick Action and allow Files (and, if needed, Folders) as input. Then make sure your workflow’s actions use that incoming input. If Finder is unavailable as a place to run it, the allowed input types are a key place to check.

1. Set the shortcut up as a Finder Quick Action

Open Shortcuts on your Mac and double-click the shortcut you want to use. Click the shortcut’s Details button, then select Use as Quick Action. Apple says this adds an input action at the beginning of the workflow; that input action determines what content the shortcut accepts. Apple’s guide to running shortcuts on Mac

For Finder access, open Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Extensions > Finder and turn on your shortcut. Apple documents this as part of enabling a shortcut in Finder’s Quick Actions menu. Apple’s Quick Actions instructions

2. Allow the selected file types

In the shortcut editor, inspect the input action at the top. Click the current input setting, such as Any, and make sure Files is allowed. Enable Folders as well if you want the Quick Action to accept selected folders. Apple defines Files broadly to include documents, images, PDFs, and other files; Folder is a separate input type. Apple’s input type reference

You can turn off content types the shortcut does not need. This limits where the shortcut appears when launched from other apps. Avoid clearing all types unless you then explicitly enable the types you intend to accept. If Finder cannot be selected in the Quick Action settings, Apple specifically recommends adding Files or Folders to the shortcut’s allowed input. Apple’s input limitation guide

3. Pass the received items into your workflow

The input action makes content from Finder available to the shortcut, but later actions still need to use it. Connect an action that accepts the file input, or choose the incoming input as a variable where the action asks for content. For example, a file-processing action should receive the selected files rather than a separate “get” action that fetches unrelated content. The exact action depends on your task.

Check the line between actions in the editor: Apple explains that a connecting line indicates the previous action’s output is used as the next action’s input. If there is no compatible connection, the next action may not accept that kind of content; use an action that accepts files or inspect the action’s information for its input types. Apple’s explanation of action connections

4. Run it on the selected Finder items

In Finder, select one or more files, Control-click the selection, and choose Quick Actions > [your shortcut]. Apple also notes that shortcuts can appear in the Quick Actions area at the bottom of Finder’s Preview pane. Quick Action availability can depend on the selected file type and enabled Finder extensions. Apple’s Finder Quick Actions guide

A useful initial check is to select one ordinary file of a type your shortcut accepts. Run the action and confirm its first file-processing step is operating on that selection. Then try the intended multiple-file selection. If it is missing from the menu, check that Use as Quick Action is selected, the shortcut is enabled under Finder extensions, and the accepted types include the selected item. If it appears but acts on no files, inspect the input action and the connections to the workflow’s first processing action.

What this setup does—and does not do

A Finder Quick Action receives the content passed by Finder into the shortcut’s first action. It does not automatically make every later action process those items: the workflow must use compatible actions and pass the input through. Apple describes Finder’s Quick Actions as dependent on item type and enabled extensions, so the exact menu options can vary. Apple’s input type reference, Apple’s Finder guide

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