What is an Action in PromptDC?

An Action is a one-off instruction that tells PromptDC how to transform the current text. It accepts up to 19,000 characters and is available in the PromptDC Desktop app for macOS and Windows (working across any app, browser, IDE, or terminal CLI like Claude Code and Codex CLI) and in the Chrome extension.

Does an Action change my active profile?

No. An Action applies to that enhancement, then disappears. It does not change, save, or persist the active profile or an app or website profile default.

When should I create a profile instead of using an Action?

Create a profile when you expect to reuse the same instruction. Use an Action for a request tied to the current text, such as extracting decisions from one meeting note or adapting one prompt for a specific terminal CLI command.

Can I use Actions in VS Code or Cursor?

The dedicated VS Code and Cursor extensions do not use Actions. However, if you use the PromptDC Desktop app on macOS or Windows, you can run Actions directly inside VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and terminal CLIs like Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Grok, Agy, and OpenCode simply by selecting text and pressing Cmd+Shift+E (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+E (Windows).

Give PromptDC a one-off Action

An Action is a one-off instruction for the current text. It accepts up to 19,000 characters and does not change or persist the active profile. In the flagship PromptDC Desktop app for macOS and Windows, Actions work everywhere you select text—across every browser (Safari, Chrome, Edge, Firefox), desktop app (Mail, Slack, Notion, Word, Outlook, Teams, Discord, Notes), AI desktop app (ChatGPT desktop, Claude desktop, Grok), IDE (Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Antigravity, Trae, Kiro), and terminal CLI (Terminal, iTerm, Warp, Ghostty, Termius, Windows Terminal, and inside Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Grok, Agy, OpenCode). In the Chrome extension, Actions rewrite editable web fields with custom one-time guidance.

Available in PromptDC Desktop for macOS & Windows and Chrome. Last updated: August 2026

Limit

Up to 19,000 characters.

Desktop & Chrome

Works across any app, browser, IDE, or terminal.

Persistence

Does not change the active profile.

Action compared with a profile

The deciding question is whether you want the instruction again.

Control	Best for	What persists
Action	A specific one-off instruction for the text in front of you across any app, browser, IDE, or terminal CLI.	Nothing from the Action. Your active profile remains active.
Built-in profile	Repeatable work such as Grammar, Email, Social, Summarize, Professional, Image Prompt, Reply, Concise, Explain, or the Code profile for coding tools and terminal CLIs.	The profile remains available and can be selected again.
Custom profile	A reusable instruction for a team, workflow, audience, or repeated task.	The saved profile and its instruction. Custom profile management is subscription-gated.

Apply an Action from selected text

01
Select the source text
In any desktop application (Slack, Notion, Mail, Cursor, VS Code, Terminal, iTerm, Warp, Ghostty) or Chrome page, highlight the passage you want to transform. You should see the normal selection highlight. If the text is not selected, highlight it again before opening PromptDC.
02
Open PromptDC and choose Action
On desktop (macOS or Windows), press Cmd+Shift+E (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+E (Windows) to open the editable review popover, then select the Action control. In Chrome, open the toolbar and select Action. You should see an input labeled for an Action instruction (up to 19,000 characters).
03
Write the instruction
Describe the transformation, important facts to preserve, and any constraint on tone or structure. The field accepts up to 19,000 characters without altering your active profile.
04
Run the Action
Choose Apply action or Enhance. PromptDC enhances your text using your custom instruction while keeping your active profile untouched.
05
Review and commit
Edit the result if needed in the popover. On desktop, choose Replace or Copy (in terminal CLIs, Replace pastes the prompt without executing it). In Chrome, choose Accept for an editable field or Copy for a read-only selection. Your prior profile remains active after the Action finishes.

Control the output language

The Language setting is global. Change it in desktop Settings or the Chrome sidebar. Auto matches the input language when it can, but short, ambiguous, or mixed input falls back to English. A named option requests that output language.

If an Action names an output language, that instruction overrides the global setting for the rewrite. You can request any language the model supports. For example: Translate this into Greek and keep the tone.

This override behavior is available in the PromptDC Desktop app for macOS and Windows and the Chrome extension. PromptDC Desktop brings this capability to all your apps, browsers, IDE chat panels, and terminal CLIs.

Realistic Action instructions

Everyday writing

Rewrite this as a calm reply that confirms the deadline, asks who owns the final review, and keeps every date unchanged.

A focused reply for this situation without creating a reusable profile.

Meeting notes

Extract decisions, open questions, owners, and deadlines. Do not invent an owner when the notes do not name one.

A task-specific summary that leaves the active profile unchanged.

Terminal & coding instructions

Turn this into a precise implementation prompt for Claude Code or Codex CLI. Preserve the named file paths and specify verification steps.

A one-time technical transformation for your CLI or coding tool.

Write a useful instruction

What to include

Name the transformation, such as rewrite, extract, shorten, reorganize, or turn into a prompt for terminal CLIs like Claude Code, Codex CLI, or Gemini CLI.
State what must stay unchanged, such as names, dates, links, quotes, file paths, or decisions.
Describe the audience, context, and tone when they matter.
Say what to do when the source lacks information, such as leaving an owner blank instead of inventing one.

What Action does not change

It does not rename, edit, or replace the active profile.
It does not save a new profile or modify an app or website default.
It does not alter dedicated VS Code or Cursor extension sidebar settings (use the desktop app to run Actions across those IDEs and terminals directly).
It does not remain available as a reusable instruction after the enhancement.

Troubleshoot an Action

The Action control is not present

Use the PromptDC Desktop app (macOS/Windows) or Chrome extension. If you are inside an IDE like VS Code or Cursor, use the desktop shortcut Cmd+Shift+E / Ctrl+Shift+E to run Actions across any text field, chat panel, or terminal CLI.

The run button is disabled

Confirm that both the selected source and the Action instruction contain non-whitespace text.

The result ignored a constraint

Put the required constraint near the beginning, identify the exact facts to preserve, and run the Action again against the original source text.

You need the instruction repeatedly

Move it into a custom profile when your subscription includes custom profile management. See Profiles.

Action FAQs

Need a reusable instruction?
Create a profile

Need the full loop?
Read Enhancing text

Write better with AI

Enhance any text you select on the desktop, on the web, in your editor or terminals.

Download PromptDC