About get actions in Shortcuts
Get actions collect content and add it to a shortcut. As you build your shortcut, you can search for get actions in the action list by entering keywords like get, search, find, and select. Actions like Get Latest Photos, Search Local Businesses, and Find Music look into their respective apps, get content, and then send it to the next action.
Additionally, there are actions that let you enter data directly into the shortcut, either manually or using variables. These actions include Date, Street Address, Phone Number, Text, Contact, Email Address, Dictionary, List, URL, and so on. Using these actions lets you pass a specific type of content into another action in your shortcut.
When gathering actions at the beginning of your shortcut, ask yourself, “What information does my shortcut need to retrieve each time it’s run?” The answer to this question will help you determine which get actions you might need. Perhaps your shortcut needs to grab photos, music, videos, or health data stored on your device, fetch content from the Internet, or ask you to enter text (using the Ask for Input action).