URL Scheme Automation

Control Dayflow recording with URL schemes and Shortcuts

Dayflow registers the dayflow:// URL scheme, allowing you to control recording from external tools, scripts, and Shortcuts.

Supported URLs

Dayflow supports two primary actions:

Start Recording

dayflow://start-recording

Starts screen recording (no-op if already recording).

Alternative formats (all equivalent):

• dayflow://start
• dayflow://resume

Stop Recording

dayflow://stop-recording

Stops screen recording (no-op if already stopped).

Alternative formats (all equivalent):

• dayflow://stop
• dayflow://pause

AppDeepLinkRouter.swift:10-24

enum Action: String {
    case startRecording = "start-recording"
    case stopRecording = "stop-recording"

    init?(identifier: String) {
        switch identifier.lowercased() {
        case Self.startRecording.rawValue, "start", "resume":
            self = .startRecording
        case Self.stopRecording.rawValue, "stop", "pause":
            self = .stopRecording
        default:
            return nil
        }
    }
}

Quick Tests

Test the URL scheme from Terminal:

# Start recording
open dayflow://start-recording

# Stop recording
open dayflow://stop-recording

Shortcuts Integration

Create automation workflows using the Shortcuts app:

Example: Start Recording Shortcut

1. Open Shortcuts app

   Launch the Shortcuts app on your Mac

2. Create new Shortcut

   Click + to create a new shortcut

3. Add Open URLs action

   Search for and add the Open URLs action

4. Enter URL

   Type dayflow://start-recording in the URL field

5. Name and save

   Name it “Start Dayflow Recording” and save

Example: Stop Recording Shortcut

Repeat the same steps but use dayflow://stop-recording as the URL.

Advanced: Toggle Recording

Create a more sophisticated shortcut that toggles recording state:

Toggle Recording Shortcut

# Get current recording state (requires scripting Dayflow UI)
if application "Dayflow" is running then
    # Check menu bar state or use defaults read
    set isRecording to do shell script "defaults read com.dayflow.app isRecording"
    
    if isRecording is "1" then
        open location "dayflow://stop-recording"
    else
        open location "dayflow://start-recording"
    end if
else
    # Launch Dayflow and start recording
    open location "dayflow://start-recording"
end if

This example requires additional scripting to read Dayflow’s recording state. The URL scheme alone doesn’t provide state information.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Combine URL schemes with keyboard launcher tools:

Using Raycast

1. Create a new Script Command in Raycast
2. Add the following script:

#!/bin/bash

# Required parameters:
# @raycast.schemaVersion 1
# @raycast.title Start Dayflow
# @raycast.mode silent

open dayflow://start-recording

3. Assign a keyboard shortcut (e.g., ⌘⇧D)

Using Alfred

1. Create a new Workflow in Alfred
2. Add a Hotkey trigger
3. Add Open URL action with dayflow://start-recording
4. Connect the trigger to the action
5. Assign your preferred keyboard shortcut

Automation Scripts

Time-Based Recording

Schedule recording start/stop with cron or launchd:

Start Recording at 9 AM

#!/bin/bash
# Save as ~/scripts/start-dayflow.sh

open dayflow://start-recording

Load the launch agent:

cp com.dayflow.morning-start.plist ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.dayflow.morning-start.plist

Focus Mode Integration

Start/stop recording when entering/exiting macOS Focus modes:

Focus Mode Trigger

on focusDidChange(focusMode)
    if focusMode is "Work" then
        open location "dayflow://start-recording"
    else if focusMode is "Personal" or focusMode is "Do Not Disturb" then
        open location "dayflow://stop-recording"
    end if
end focusDidChange

Focus mode integration requires a third-party automation tool like BetterTouchTool or Keyboard Maestro to detect focus changes.

Deep Link Resolution

Dayflow’s URL scheme parser is flexible:

AppDeepLinkRouter.swift:43-68

private func resolveAction(from url: URL) -> Action? {
    guard let scheme = url.scheme, scheme.caseInsensitiveCompare("dayflow") == .orderedSame else {
        return nil
    }

    var candidates: [String] = []
    if let host = url.host, !host.isEmpty {
        candidates.append(host)
    }

    let pathComponents = url.path
        .split(separator: "/")
        .map { String($0) }

    candidates.append(contentsOf: pathComponents)

    if candidates.isEmpty {
        if let actionItem = URLComponents(url: url, resolvingAgainstBaseURL: false)?.queryItems?.first(where: { $0.name.lowercased() == "action" }),
           let value = actionItem.value, !value.isEmpty {
            candidates.append(value)
        }
    }

    guard let identifier = candidates.first else { return nil }
    return Action(identifier: identifier)
}

Supported URL Formats

All of these are valid:

dayflow://start-recording
dayflow://start
dayflow:///start-recording  (extra slash)
dayflow://host/start-recording  (host-based)
dayflow://?action=start-recording  (query parameter)

Case-insensitive: dayflow://START-RECORDING works the same as dayflow://start-recording

Analytics Tracking

Deeplink-triggered state changes are logged as reason: "deeplink" in analytics:

AppDeepLinkRouter.swift:79-95

private func startRecording() {
    guard !AppState.shared.isRecording else {
        print("[DeepLink] Recording already active; ignoring start request")
        return
    }
    delegate?.prepareForRecordingToggle(reason: "deeplink")
    AppState.shared.isRecording = true
}

private func stopRecording() {
    guard AppState.shared.isRecording else {
        print("[DeepLink] Recording already stopped; ignoring stop request")
        return
    }
    delegate?.prepareForRecordingToggle(reason: "deeplink")
    AppState.shared.isRecording = false
}

This allows you to distinguish automation-triggered toggles from manual UI interactions in usage analytics.

Troubleshooting

URL Not Opening

If the URL scheme doesn’t work:

1. Verify Dayflow is installed: The URL scheme is only registered when Dayflow is installed in /Applications
2. Check macOS defaults:
   defaults read com.apple.LaunchServices/com.apple.launchservices.secure LSHandlers
   
   Look for dayflow in the output
3. Re-register the scheme: Restart Dayflow or reinstall the app

Action Not Triggering

If the URL opens but nothing happens:

1. Check Dayflow is running: The app must be running to handle URL events
2. Review Console logs: Open Console.app and filter for “Dayflow” to see deep link processing logs
3. Test with Terminal: Use open dayflow://start-recording to see error messages

Permission Issues

If automation scripts fail:

1. Grant Automation permissions: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation
2. Allow Terminal/Script Editor: Enable access for the app running your scripts
3. Check sandboxing: Some automation tools require Full Disk Access

Advanced Use Cases

GitHub Actions Integration

Trigger recording during CI/CD runs (for local testing):

.github/workflows/test.yml

name: Test with Dayflow Recording
on: [push]
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: macos-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Start Dayflow Recording
        run: open dayflow://start-recording
      - name: Run Tests
        run: npm test
      - name: Stop Dayflow Recording
        run: open dayflow://stop-recording

Hammerspoon Integration

Use Hammerspoon to create custom triggers:

~/.hammerspoon/init.lua

-- Start recording when connected to external monitor
function monitorWatcher()
    local screens = hs.screen.allScreens()
    if #screens > 1 then
        hs.urlevent.openURL("dayflow://start-recording")
    else
        hs.urlevent.openURL("dayflow://stop-recording")
    end
end

screenWatcher = hs.screen.watcher.new(monitorWatcher)
screenWatcher:start()

BetterTouchTool Triggers

Create touch bar buttons or keyboard shortcuts:

1. Open BetterTouchTool
2. Add a New Trigger (e.g., Keyboard Shortcut)
3. Set action to Open URL
4. Enter dayflow://start-recording or dayflow://stop-recording
5. Customize with icons and labels