---
title: "Workflows"
description: "Step-by-step recipes for common jobs. Each one links to the reference page for the parts it uses."
url: https://www.bigshot.pics/docs/workflows
---
# Workflows

Step-by-step recipes for common jobs. Each one links to the reference page
for the parts it uses.

## Paste a screenshot into a chat or issue

1. Press **⌃⌥A** (Area) and drag, or **⌃⌥W** to take the frontmost window.
2. The capture is already on the clipboard. Press ⌘V in the chat, issue or
   document.

To drop the file instead, drag the preview in the bottom-right corner, or a
thumbnail from Peek View, into the target app.

## Capture a menu, tooltip or hover state

The mouse is busy opening the menu, so use a timer.

1. Press **⌃⌥F** to open Capture Frame.
2. Drag its edges over the area, and set the timer to 3 or 5 seconds.
3. Click the shutter, or press **⌃⌥F** again.
4. While the outline is red and counting down, open the menu or hover the
   element.
5. The shot is taken without the frame in it.

The frame remembers its place. Press **⌃⌥F** twice for the same shot again.
See [Capture Frame](https://www.bigshot.pics/docs/capture-modes#frame).

## Take the same area several times

Use Capture Frame. After each shot it closes, and **⌃⌥F** brings it back at
the same position, size and timer. Set the timer to **No timer** for
immediate shots. Useful for before-and-after comparisons and step-by-step
screenshots of one panel.

## Capture one panel cleanly

1. Choose Smart (**⌃⌥S**, Licence).
2. Hover. The panel, dialog or card under the pointer is highlighted.
3. Scroll to step out to the region around it if the highlight is too small.
4. Click.

The result needs no cropping. Hold **⌥** while dragging to ignore the
edges.

## Annotate a bug report

1. Capture the problem.
2. Click its thumbnail to open the [editor](https://www.bigshot.pics/docs/editor).
3. **Crop** to the relevant part and press Return.
4. **Line › Arrow** to point at the problem. **Shape › Rectangle** to box it.
5. **Text** for a short label, then Return.
6. **Redact** emails, names or tokens.
7. **Save** (⌘S). The file is overwritten with the annotated image.
8. The clipboard still holds the original. Hover the thumbnail in Expanded
   View and click **Copy**, or drag the thumbnail, to send the annotated
   version.

## Document a flow with numbered steps

1. Capture the screen.
2. Open it in the editor and choose **Step**.
3. Click each control in order. Discs number themselves 1, 2, 3.
4. Optionally **Shape › Spotlight** around the area that matters to dim the
   rest.
5. Save.

## Check a design: sizes and colours

1. Capture the UI.
2. In the editor, **Measure › Distance** and drag between two edges. The
   value, in pixels, is copied to the clipboard as you finish. Hold ⇧ to
   keep it straight.
3. **Measure › Size** and drag over an element for its width × height.
4. **Colour Picker**: hover with the loupe and click to copy the colour as
   HEX. Switch to RGB, HSL or OKLCH in its card.
5. Close with **Cancel** (⌘.) if you only wanted the numbers, so the marks
   are not saved into the image.

Measurements are in screen pixels: on a Retina display, divide by two for
points.

## Copy text out of a screenshot

1. Open the capture in the editor.
2. Choose **Select Text**, drag over the text, and press ⌘C. With nothing
   selected, **Copy** takes all of it.

## Show an agent what is wrong

Let Claude Code or Codex look at your screenshots without pasting them.
Needs a Licence.

1. Settings › Projects › **Add Project…**, and choose the repository.
2. In the plan, keep **Add Bigshot instructions** to `CLAUDE.md` or
   `AGENTS.md`, **Add to .gitignore**, and **Share captures with agents
   automatically** on. Create the Project.
3. Capture the bug while the Project is active.
4. In the agent, ask: *"look at the last screenshot and fix the layout
   bug"*.

The agent reads `.screenshots/index.json` and opens the image. Add a note in
**Screenshot Context…** for anything the screenshot itself does not say.
See [Projects](https://www.bigshot.pics/docs/projects#screenshot-context-for-agents).

## Keep screenshots for one task together

1. On a feature branch, create the Project; it offers a tag named after the
   branch. Or type a name into **New tag** in the island's tag pill.
2. Every capture now carries that tag.
3. Ask the agent: *"look at the ones tagged checkout"*.
4. When the work is done, archive the tag in Settings › Projects › Edit ›
   Task tags. The captures keep it and stay searchable.

## Approve each screenshot before an agent sees it

1. Set the Project's Sharing to **Review first**.
2. Captures wait as *Needs review*.
3. Right-click one, choose **Screenshot Context…**, check it, and click
   **Share now**. Click **Exclude** for anything that should never be read.

An edited capture needs approval again.

## Run an LLM on every capture

1. Settings › General › LLM Connections: make sure Claude Code or Codex
   shows *Connected*, or save an API key.
2. Settings › Projects › Edit › **Add Hook**. Pick the connection, access and
   timeout, and write the prompt.
3. Capture with the Project active. Right-click the capture › **View Hook
   Runs…** to see the result.

Use **Pause Hooks** in the menu bar to stop new runs while you take a burst
of screenshots. See [Hooks](https://www.bigshot.pics/docs/hooks).

## Find an old screenshot

1. Press **⌃⌥O** to open the Library.
2. Type in the search field: words from a note, a tag, the source app, or
   text on screen (with OCR on).
3. Space to Quick Look, Return to edit, or drag it out.

## Export a batch

1. In the Library, select captures: ⇧-click for a range, ⌘-click to add,
   or ⌘A.
2. Click **Export…** and pick a folder. Nothing there is overwritten.

Or **Share** for AirDrop, Mail and Messages.

## Keep the Desktop tidy

1. Settings › General › **Keep screenshots**: choose 1 day or 1 week.
2. Old captures are moved to the Trash automatically.
3. For any you want to keep, right-click › **Keep · prevent automatic
   deletion**.

## Replace the macOS screenshot keys

1. System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts › Screenshots: turn off
   ⇧⌘3, ⇧⌘4 and ⌃⇧⌘4.
2. Bigshot Settings › Shortcuts: turn on **Use ⇧⌘3 and ⇧⌘4 for Bigshot**.

⇧⌘3 now takes the display, ⇧⌘4 and ⌃⇧⌘4 an area. ⇧⌘5 stays with macOS.