iOS & macOS

Promptbook

script markup

Script markup software for Stage Managers and Technicians. Flexible, powerful and shareable.

Free on the App Store — upgrade to Pro for the full toolkit.

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What Is It?

A Complete Markup and Paperwork Solution.

PromptBook is designed for Stage Managers and Technicians. Import and markup scripts digitally, synced to the cloud and shareable with others. Built for digital and paper use.

Each script can have multiple colour-coded cue lists. Drag to select the line where a cue fires, add a cue number and label, and optionally add operator notes or a standby. PromptBook automatically generates standby calls from your GO cues.

When you're ready, export a full prompt book PDF in binder or single-page layout, a spreadsheet cue sheet, or a CSV for direct import into an ETC EOS lighting console.

Highlights

Features

Import any Script

Import your script PDF or Word document directly into the app. Add margins and adjustments, cut text as needed.

Cues in Multiple Lists

Drag and select text to create underlined cues across a range of lists. Each cue stores the list, number, label, notes and the selected cue text — all exportable as a formatted spreadsheet.

Automatic Numbering & Renumbering

Define numbering rules for new cues — increase in 2s or 5s, renumber quickly, and make use of automatic numbering logic when adding cues between existing points.

Add Notes

Add notes layers to the script with typed annotations. Or use iPad with Apple Pencil to annotate by hand, with ink synced to Mac.

DSM Mode

DSM Mode enables Standby cues, generated from a list of cues after the selected point. Toggle visibility of standbys and 'GO' appended to cue points. Visual indicators when stood by.

Show Mode

A digital scrollable view with a reader line, highlighting the next cue and tracking the last cue called in each list.

Adjust Layouts

Annotate once, then change the layout to suit your preferences or those of whoever you hand the show to. Different layouts for print and digital. Shift text and define margins for single-page use.

Update Scripts

Upload a revised script version and the app will transfer cues based on cue text and position. Where there is no direct match it will suggest semantically similar lines or ask for manual review.

Dark Mode

Invert all script text and application colours for low-light use.

Export Documents

Export formatted PDF prompt books, cue list spreadsheets, or CSV files for direct import into ETC EOS.

Sharing & Sync

Scripts and cue marks sync automatically across devices via iCloud. Or export a .promptbook file to share with others.

Stage Blocking

Add blocking diagrams directly to the script. Draw movements and positions on a configurable stage layout, tied to the cue or line.

EOS & QLab Cue Trackers

Track ETC EOS and QLab cue states live during the show. Consoles on the network are discovered automatically — tap to connect, no IP addresses or desk-side OSC setup required.

Screenshots

Features Under Development

What's coming next.

In Progress

Collaborative Scripts

Planned

ChamSys Cue Export

Planned

Avolites Cue Export

Changelog

Recent updates.

Version 3 · July 2026

–Promptbook is now free: all the core features, free of charge. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited scripts, unlimited and renamable cue lists, QLab & EOS tracking, cue transfer to updated scripts, cue lights, and all future features. Already bought Promptbook? You're on Pro automatically — nothing to pay again
–Console auto-discovery: QLab machines and ETC EOS consoles on your network now appear in settings automatically — tap one to connect, no IP addresses needed
–EOS TCP connection: connect to the console's always-on TCP port with zero desk-side OSC configuration, with live cue labels during the show
–Insert pages: splice extra PDF pages into an existing script as a new version, with cues carried across
–Compact Margin layout: a slim on-screen annotation margin for smaller displays — printed output keeps the full spread

Version 1 · June 2026

–iPhone read-only viewer: view scripts, cues, and notes on iPhone, with cue list, floating zoom, visibility filter, and compact locked notes
–Mixed score/text pages: scripts that combine sheet music and text pages are now fully supported
–Improved robustness of sheet music stave detection for scanned and OCR'd scores
–Tester edition: a free trial version of PromptBook for new users to evaluate before purchasing
–Cue stacking improvements: refined layout when multiple cues are close together on the same line
–Renumber panel: new From Cue mode for renumbering from a selected cue onwards
–Cue sheet: combined view now ordered by script position; single-list view ordered by cue number
–Fixed inline PDF export cue duplication
–Text notes now lock to the settings font size

Version 1 · Late May 2026

–Vertical cue separation: staggered layout with L-shaped leaders when multiple cues share the same line
–Multi-select cue sheet export
–Configurable combined-cue rendering style
–Pinch zoom now anchors under the cursor and is smoother
–Replace individual script pages via the thumbnail context menu
–Co-located same-list cues now collapse into a range on the script

Version 1 · May 2026

–Stage Blocking: add blocking diagrams tied to cues and script lines on a configurable stage layout
–EOS & QLab Cue Trackers: follow live cue states from ETC EOS and QLab alongside your prompt book
–Sheet music script support: import and mark up orchestral and musical theatre scores

Version 1 · Builds 19–21 · April 2026

–New cue list selection positioning options
–Improvements to freely placed (hold shift) cues
–(Beta) OCR script import for scanned scripts
–Additional toolbar bug fixes
–Added scene markers for page overview

Version 1 · 11 April 2026

–Multi-cue dialog: per-list label and notes fields, applied to the first cue in each list
–Renumber dialog: cues now load asynchronously, eliminating the delay on first open
–Renumber click mode: tapping a collapsed group now assigns multiple numbers at once
–Expanded the Renumber toolbar button hit area to the full toolbar height
–Cue range condensing now collapses decimal sequences (e.g. 1.1–1.3) as well as integers
–Margin tick height now scales with the cue label font size setting
–Fixed a macOS layout recursion crash by caching sheet height and deferring state writes
–Fixed enlarged toolbar appearing on some devices

Version 1 · 3–10 April 2026

–Fixed DSM GO cues missing in inline layout mode
–Improved toolbar responsiveness on macOS
–Improved cue placement accuracy and snapping
–Rewrote cue placement to use raw page coordinates — fixes cues not placing on styled headings and character labels
–Removed PDFKit text-detection dependency for more reliable placement across all PDF types
–Consolidated Export menu

Version 1 · 27–30 March 2026

–Added ETC EOS lighting console CSV export
–Added 8 layout modes — choose cue side, notes panel side, and cross-page or inline rendering
–Added Show Mode next-cue highlighting
–Added live preview for content shift and margin sliders
–Added script versioning: import a new PDF version and PromptBook auto-retargets your existing cues
–Added soft-delete: scripts moved to a Recently Deleted section and permanently removed after 30 days
–Improved inline layout cue rendering: labels and notes display correctly with proper baseline alignment

Thank You

A huge thank you to Sam Osborne and all the beta testers who gave their time, feedback, and patience during development. PromptBook is better because of you.

Privacy

PromptBook collects no personal data. Scripts, cue marks, and annotations are stored locally and synced privately via your own iCloud account — nothing is transmitted to us.

Read the full Privacy Policy

by Appleby Technical