I want an NFC tag to trigger a shortcut. Looks like my iPhone X (iOS 14) will kinda maybe sorta do it but not in background mode – that is, I have to use an app to sense the NFC tag – and I think it has to be in the foreground and I have to tap a Read button? Is there a more effortless way? What I really want is to tap the NFC tag any time and have the Shortcut run.
I bought these tags in case it matters.
TIA…
Did you turn off “Ask before running”?
Update: did the iPhone X support NFC? I do not find the NFC-part (iOS 14.1) in the Autmation-section of Shortcuts.
Update 2: in the Shortcuts field guide David says: “iPhones from 2018 or later” - our iPhone X is from 2017. 
iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max and iPhone XR include a new feature for NFC that Apple didn’t mention on stage. The new models will be able to scan NFC tags in the background. With current iPhones, users must first launch an app to enable NFC Reader mode.
I have successfully used my iPhone X to scan my country’s ID card via NFC (in a banking App).
However, no background scanning on iPhone X.
iPhone XS and later support background tag reading.
As @rob said, scanning NFC tags in the background is a feature that wasn’t introduced until the iPhone XS.
So, time for a new phone next year. 
OK, sounds like I have to fire up an app to read a tag, which means I might as well fire the shortcut I was hoping the tag would trigger. Shrug.
Thank you, all.