The Repeat Index variable All repeat loops offer a special variable called Repeat Index, which is used to keep track of the current iteration of the loop.

Using the Repeat action When you add a Repeat action to your shortcut, the action includes two markers: Repeat (not visible as a separate tag) and End Repeat.

Place the actions that you want to repeat between the Repeat and End Repeat markers, then specify the number of times you want the action to repeat.

When the shortcut runs, the actions placed between the markers loop the number of times that you specify.

For example, a repeat loop that contains a Vibrate Device action set to Repeat 3 Times vibrates your iOS device three times when the shortcut is run.

The actions run in order (from top to bottom), and when the last action is reached, the shortcut loops back to the first action, then runs again (the specified number of times).

Tip: You can place Repeat actions inside each other in your shortcut: In the shortcut editor, drag a second Repeat action so that it overlaps the lower portion of the first Repeat action.

The second Repeat action is nested (indented) under the first Repeat action.

About data flow in a Repeat action For each iteration of a repeat loop, the last actions output is gathered into a list, and that list becomes the output of the Repeat action as a whole.

After all four iterations run, the outputs are gathered together, and a list of four identical photos is created.

The four photos become the output of the Repeat action as a whole, and are then passed to the next action after the repeat loop.

To learn more about the flow of inputs and outputs, see Intro to how shortcuts work.

Tip: Touch and hold the repeat parameter to set the number of repetitions to a variable.

For example, if you add the Ask Each Time variable to the Repeat parameter in the Repeat action, youll be asked to choose how many times the loop should repeat when the shortcut is run.

Using the Repeat with Each action The Repeat with Each action takes a list of items as its input and then runs the same group of actions one time for each item in the list.

This is useful if youre working with multiple files or with multiple pieces of content.

This type of loop repeats until every item that was passed into the Repeat with Each action iterates.

When you add a Repeat with Each action to your shortcut, the action includes two markers: Repeat with Each (not visible as a separate tag) and End Repeat.

At the end of the repeat loop, the output passed to the End Repeat marker during each iteration is gathered together and passed as the output of the Repeat with Each action as a whole.

The Repeat Item variable The Repeat with Each action offers a special variable for tracking the current item: Repeat Item.

The Repeat Item variable updates with each iteration of the loop, containing the item passed as input for that iteration.

For example, if you pass 10 Calendar items into a Repeat with Each action, the Repeat Item variable represents one of the Calendar events in each iteration as the shortcut loops through each Calendar item.

Note: If youve placed a Repeat with Each action inside another Repeat with Each action, the variable name changes to Repeat Item 1 to represent the inner repeat item, to Repeat Item 2 for the deeper loop, and so on.

Excel For Mac Repeat Last Action