# Apple Contacts

> Search, list, create, update, and delete Apple Contacts via the `contactbook` CLI on macOS. Look up contacts by name, phone, email, or organization. Manage contact groups.

- Skill: `danmestas/apple-contacts` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add danmestas/apple-contacts`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/danmestas/apple-contacts/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: danmestas (https://skillmd.com/u/danmestas)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/danmestas/apple-contacts

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# Apple Contacts CLI (contactbook)

Use `contactbook` to manage Apple Contacts from the terminal. Supports searching, creating, updating, deleting contacts, managing groups, and phone number lookups.

Setup
- Build from source: `git clone https://github.com/RyanLisse/Contactbook && cd Contactbook && swift build -c release`
- Copy binary: `cp .build/release/contactbook /opt/homebrew/bin/contactbook`
- macOS-only; grant Contacts permission when prompted on first run.

Permissions
- On first run, macOS will prompt for Contacts access — click "Allow".
- Or manually enable in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Contacts.

List Contacts
- List all: `contactbook contacts list`
- With limit: `contactbook contacts list --limit 10`
- JSON output: `contactbook contacts list --limit 10 --json`

Search Contacts
- By name/email/phone/org: `contactbook contacts search "John" --json`

Get Contact by ID
- `contactbook contacts get <contact-id> --json`

Create Contact
- `contactbook contacts create --firstName "John" --lastName "Doe" --email "john@example.com" --phone "+1234567890"`

Update Contact
- `contactbook contacts update <contact-id> --jobTitle "Engineer"`

Delete Contact
- `contactbook contacts delete <contact-id> --force`

Groups
- List groups: `contactbook groups list --json`
- Group members: `contactbook groups members <group-id>`

Phone Lookup
- `contactbook lookup "+15551234567" --json`

Output Formats
- JSON (scripting): add `--json` to most commands
- Default: human-readable text

MCP Server
- Start MCP server: `contactbook mcp serve`
- Exposes all contact operations as MCP tools for AI agents.

Notes
- macOS-only (uses Apple Contacts framework).
- Requires Contacts permission — grant via System Settings if denied.
- Built with Swift 6.0+ / Swift Argument Parser.