How do I install the Things Mac skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add jackychenlu/things-mac in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Things Mac safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Independent scanners report: SkillSpector: PASS, Skill Scanner: PASS. Capability flags: reads secrets. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Things Mac?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Things Mac free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Things Mac?

jackychenlu (@jackychenlu) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Things Mac by jackychenlu — Agent Skill

Name: Things Mac
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: jackychenlu

Things Mac

Manage Things 3 via the `things` CLI on macOS (add/update projects+todos via URL scheme; read/search/list from the local Things database). Use when a user asks OpenClaw to add a task to Things, list inbox/today/upcoming, search tasks, or inspect projects/areas/tags.

jackychenlu Updated Sep 8, 2026 0 repo stars

File contents

Things 3 CLI

Use things to read your local Things database (inbox/today/search/projects/areas/tags) and to add/update todos via the Things URL scheme.

Setup

Install (recommended, Apple Silicon): GOBIN=/opt/homebrew/bin go install github.com/ossianhempel/things3-cli/cmd/things@latest
If DB reads fail: grant Full Disk Access to the calling app (Terminal for manual runs; OpenClaw.app for gateway runs).
Optional: set THINGSDB (or pass --db) to point at your ThingsData-* folder.
Optional: set THINGS_AUTH_TOKEN to avoid passing --auth-token for update ops.

Read-only (DB)

things inbox --limit 50
things today
things upcoming
things search "query"
things projects / things areas / things tags

Write (URL scheme)

Prefer safe preview: things --dry-run add "Title"
Add: things add "Title" --notes "..." --when today --deadline 2026-01-02
Bring Things to front: things --foreground add "Title"

Examples: add a todo

Basic: things add "Buy milk"
With notes: things add "Buy milk" --notes "2% + bananas"
Into a project/area: things add "Book flights" --list "Travel"
Into a project heading: things add "Pack charger" --list "Travel" --heading "Before"
With tags: things add "Call dentist" --tags "health,phone"
Checklist: things add "Trip prep" --checklist-item "Passport" --checklist-item "Tickets"
From STDIN (multi-line => title + notes):
- cat <<'EOF' | things add -
- Title line
- Notes line 1
- Notes line 2
- EOF

Examples: modify a todo (needs auth token)

First: get the ID (UUID column): things search "milk" --limit 5
Auth: set THINGS_AUTH_TOKEN or pass --auth-token <TOKEN>
Title: things update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> "New title"
Notes replace: things update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> --notes "New notes"
Notes append/prepend: things update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> --append-notes "..." / --prepend-notes "..."
Move lists: things update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> --list "Travel" --heading "Before"
Tags replace/add: things update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> --tags "a,b" / things update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> --add-tags "a,b"
Complete/cancel (soft-delete-ish): things update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> --completed / --canceled
Safe preview: things --dry-run update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> --completed

Delete a todo?

Not supported by things3-cli right now (no “delete/move-to-trash” write command; things trash is read-only listing).
Options: use Things UI to delete/trash, or mark as --completed / --canceled via things update.

Notes

macOS-only.
--dry-run prints the URL and does not open Things.

---name: things-macdescription: Manage Things 3 via the `things` CLI on macOS (add/update projects+todos via URL scheme; read/search/list from the local Things database). Use when a user asks OpenClaw to add a task to Things, list inbox/today/upcoming, search tasks, or inspect projects/areas/tags.---# Things 3 CLIUse `things` to read your local Things database (inbox/today/search/projects/areas/tags) and to add/update todos via the Things URL scheme.Setup- Install (recommended, Apple Silicon): `GOBIN=/opt/homebrew/bin go install github.com/ossianhempel/things3-cli/cmd/things@latest`- If DB reads fail: grant **Full Disk Access** to the calling app (Terminal for manual runs; `OpenClaw.app` for gateway runs).- Optional: set `THINGSDB` (or pass `--db`) to point at your `ThingsData-*` folder.- Optional: set `THINGS_AUTH_TOKEN` to avoid passing `--auth-token` for update ops.Read-only (DB)- `things inbox --limit 50`- `things today`- `things upcoming`- `things search "query"`- `things projects` / `things areas` / `things tags`Write (URL scheme)- Prefer safe preview: `things --dry-run add "Title"`- Add: `things add "Title" --notes "..." --when today --deadline 2026-01-02`- Bring Things to front: `things --foreground add "Title"`Examples: add a todo- Basic: `things add "Buy milk"`- With notes: `things add "Buy milk" --notes "2% + bananas"`- Into a project/area: `things add "Book flights" --list "Travel"`- Into a project heading: `things add "Pack charger" --list "Travel" --heading "Before"`- With tags: `things add "Call dentist" --tags "health,phone"`- Checklist: `things add "Trip prep" --checklist-item "Passport" --checklist-item "Tickets"`- From STDIN (multi-line => title + notes): - `cat <<'EOF' | things add -` - `Title line` - `Notes line 1` - `Notes line 2` - `EOF`Examples: modify a todo (needs auth token)- First: get the ID (UUID column): `things search "milk" --limit 5`- Auth: set `THINGS_AUTH_TOKEN` or pass `--auth-token <TOKEN>`- Title: `things update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> "New title"`- Notes replace: `things update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> --notes "New notes"`- Notes append/prepend: `things update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> --append-notes "..."` / `--prepend-notes "..."`- Move lists: `things update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> --list "Travel" --heading "Before"`- Tags replace/add: `things update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> --tags "a,b"` / `things update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> --add-tags "a,b"`- Complete/cancel (soft-delete-ish): `things update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> --completed` / `--canceled`- Safe preview: `things --dry-run update --id <UUID> --auth-token <TOKEN> --completed`Delete a todo?- Not supported by `things3-cli` right now (no “delete/move-to-trash” write command; `things trash` is read-only listing).- Options: use Things UI to delete/trash, or mark as `--completed` / `--canceled` via `things update`.Notes- macOS-only.- `--dry-run` prints the URL and does not open Things.

Frequently asked questions