> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bor-os.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Shortcuts # Shortcuts A **shortcut** is a small, live, stateful surface that renders *inside the thought bubble* as a sandboxed iframe card. It's the right surface for something conversation-adjacent — a quick interaction you want next to the chat, not in its own window. Shortcuts are built with `create_shortcut` and revised with `update_shortcut`. > Historically shortcuts are also called "widgets"; their surface ids use the `widget-` prefix and a few tools keep the legacy name (`rename_widget`). ## When BOR builds a shortcut When the result lives next to the conversation and is small/stateful: * *"Give me a quick currency converter card."* * *"A pay button with an amount input."* * *"A tiny travel itinerary that streams its own AI content."* * *"A Pomodoro card."* / *"A waveform player."* / *"A one-step API caller."* The words "card", "quick", or "in the bubble" signal a shortcut. When BOR suspects a shortcut would help but you didn't ask, it can offer one inline with `suggest_shortcut` — a cheap Yes/No card; click Yes and it builds it next pass. ## How it renders Shortcuts render as live iframes in the bubble thread: * Up to **5 stay live** at once. Older ones demote to a "tap to revive" frozen placeholder to save memory. * When the bubble is hidden, live iframes stop painting to suppress work. * The card has a title, a close button, and a drag-to-resize handle (the height persists). * The active theme's CSS tokens are injected into each shortcut so it matches your theme even though the sandbox has an opaque origin. ## Full capability A shortcut has the **same power as an app** — only the presentation differs. Through the [bridge](the-bridge.md) it can: * Persist state (`getState`/`setState`). * Ask the AI (`askAI`) and generate images (`generateImage`). * Search and fetch the web (`webSearch`/`webFetch`). * Schedule cron jobs and send notifications. * Launch a full app (`launchApp`). So a "translator card" can stream its own AI translations; a "pay button" can call an API; a "weather glance" can fetch live data. ## Building & updating * **Design gate.** Like apps, the first surface in a turn requires `get_ux_ui_strict_guidelines`. Shortcuts have their own strict spec (`design-guideline/shortcut-card.md`): heights, allowed primitives, theme tokens, and the API-key UI pattern. * **Doc required.** `create_shortcut` must include a `` child. * **Update by id.** To change a shortcut, read its doc, then `update_shortcut` with the existing `widget-…` id. State persists. * **Third-party keys.** If a shortcut needs an API key, it must ship in-shortcut settings UI (masked input, save/clear, how-to-generate, key-needed initial state) as the first interaction. ## App vs. shortcut, quickly Pick by **where the user will look**: * Its own window, multi-screen, long-lived → **app**. * Inside the bubble, adjacent to the conversation, compact → **shortcut**. * Unsure between shortcut and app → **shortcut**. Unsure between shortcut and just answering → **`suggest_shortcut`**. ## Tools | Tool | Purpose | | ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- | | `create_shortcut` | Build a new shortcut (``, ``, ``). | | `update_shortcut` | Revise an existing shortcut by id (read its doc first). | | `launch_shortcut` | Re-render an existing shortcut in the bubble. | | `delete_shortcut` | Remove a shortcut. | | `rename_widget` | Rename a shortcut. | | `suggest_shortcut` | Offer a shortcut inline (Yes/No). | See the [Tool reference](../reference/tool-reference.md) for exact params, and [The bridge](the-bridge.md) for the API surfaces use.