I just updated my ‘Bulk MB Image Uploader Shortcut’ shortcut to version 1.2:

• Added setup step to specify which blog the images should be uploaded to. If left blank, it will default to the last used blog on your account.
• Added a blank line so that the list of images has some separation (for @pratik 😉)

Get it from the HeyDingus Shortcuts Library.

@jarrod BTW, I noticed that I get that error from OpenAI only if I use this shortcut from within a Drafts action. So something about Drafts 🤔 I should contact Greg.

@pratik So strange. I used the Drafts action just today and still haven’t run into that issue. Hard to troubleshoot that way!

@jarrod I created a new Action with this shortcut only. I asked on the Drafts forum just now.

@jarrod Read your reply on the Drafts forum and perhaps I should clarify. I created a new Action with your new Bulk Image shortcut and got that error. Your previous Action works fine with PNGs but not with JPGs

@pratik Is it erroring on JPGs for sure and not HEICs from an iPhone? I know I’ve had trouble with those in the past and that OpenAI doesn’t work with them.

@jarrod So for the original shortcut for which you shared a Drafts Action, it doesn’t matter what the source image is but what I choose in your Multimedia Uploader shortcut menu. JPG craps out. PNG works fine for the same image.

@pratik I wonder if there’s something in the kind of JPGs going into it. Maybe adding a JPEG conversion action in the shortcut, even if they’re already in that format, would get things flowing.

@jarrod You mean this step, right? There is a conversion action in there.

@pratik Yeah, I guess I already thought of that. Maybe it’s something in the metadata? Let’s try unchecking that box.

@pratik Oh, and let’s double-check that the Run Shortcut action for Vision is using the ‘uploaded-url’ variable as input (under “Show More”)

@pratik And, as I look closer I think we could clear other things up here too.

I’d delete that “type” key in the web request. It’s unnecessary. And then make sure the file variable in that request is using the converted image.

@jarrod

> is using the ‘uploaded-url’ variable as input (under “Show More@)

This worked! It wasn’t using that.

@pratik Huzzah! 🙌 I’ve found Shortcuts has a hard time hanging onto those variables, so it might have been my fault or maybe a bug. But I’m glad we figured it out. I’ll update the library entry tonight with at least one other goodie — hopefully that won’t break anything!

@jarrod Awesome! Thanks for helping me figure it out. Love troubleshooting.

BTW, your Bulk Image Uploader shortcut flow is better (processes all images one after another before giving you the markdown code) than the Multimedia Uploader one, which does it one at a time. Just wondering if you have them separate for any specific reason.

@jarrod Kinda. Honestly, I’ve removed the previewing part of the shortcut and rely completely on the AI for Alt Text. Also, I’ve decided what images to use even before I click the shortcut because I always edit photos that I share. That’s also the reason I also use the Bulk one even if I have one image.

@pratik Cool! That’s what I love about shortcuts as opposed to apps: they’re open-source by nature and anyone can edit them to fit their needs. 😁

@jarrod Now I’ve to figure out how to get the Bulk Media Uploader to work via a Drafts action.

@pratik Give this a shot. Edit your Drafts action to use the steps below. But in the run shortcut step, change the text passed to “Bulk MB”. Then install this helper shortcut. The action should run helper shortcut which will kick off the Bulk shortcut without any input and (fingers crossed) send everything back to Drafts in the end.

@jarrod Thanks. That worked. Except it didn’t paste the URL code in the Drafts note. It was in the clipboard so had to manually paste it.

@pratik Does your Bulk shortcut end with a Stop and Output Result action set to output the clipboard? And does your Drafts action use that Insert Text step with [[shortcut_result]] as the text?

@jarrod Yup. First thing I checked.

@pratik Ugh. Another mystery. I just checked on my own phone by setting it to run the Bulk shortcut and it inserted automatically as expected.

@jarrod I’ll try later on my Mac. at least this mystery is something that I can work with. But still, frustrating.

@jarrod please slap me. Just realized, the Action was set to default which is ‘archive the post’ after running. Found all my test posts.

@pratik Hahaha that’ll getcha. You must tend to put all these into a blank draft? I usually add them last, so I definitely would have noticed it archiving my in-progress draft. 😂

So glad the mystery is solved!

@jarrod I usually do that too but was testing this out this way.

@pratik Ah that makes sense.