modbender Apple Notes Skill
Extract and monitor Apple Notes content for workflow integration with support for bulk extraction, real-time monitoring, and export to various formats.
Prerequisites
- macOS with Apple Notes app
- Python 3.8+ (for coordination scripts)
- osascript (built-in macOS)
- Proper macOS permissions for Notes access
Installation
# Run the installation script
./scripts/setup.sh
# Or manual setup
chmod +x scripts/*.py
pip3 install -r requirements.txt
Commands
Extract Notes
# Basic extraction (all notes)
python3 scripts/extract-notes.py --method simple
# Full extraction with attachments
python3 scripts/extract-notes.py --method full
# Extract specific folder
python3 scripts/extract-notes.py --folder "Work Notes"
# Output to specific format
python3 scripts/extract-notes.py --format markdown --output ~/notes
Monitor Notes
# Start monitoring daemon
python3 scripts/monitor-notes.py --daemon
# Single check for changes
python3 scripts/monitor-notes.py --check-once
# Monitor with custom interval (seconds)
python3 scripts/monitor-notes.py --interval 30
Processing and Export
# Process extracted notes
python3 scripts/notes-processor.py output/raw -o output/processed
# Export to Obsidian
python3 scripts/export-obsidian.py --vault ~/MyVault
# Generate knowledge graph
python3 scripts/knowledge-graph.py --input output/processed
Configuration
Edit configs/extractor.json for:
- Output formats (JSON, Markdown, HTML)
- Privacy filters
- Folder selection
- Processing options
Edit configs/monitor.json for:
- Monitoring intervals
- Change detection settings
- Auto-processing rules
Features
- ✅ Extract text content from all notes
- ✅ Handle embedded images and attachments
- ✅ Process note metadata (dates, folders)
- ✅ Multiple output formats (JSON, Markdown, SQLite)
- ✅ Real-time monitoring for changes
- ✅ Privacy-first design with local processing
- ✅ Integration with knowledge management tools
- ✅ Automatic deduplication
- ✅ Incremental updates
Output Formats
| Format | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
json |
Structured data with metadata | API integration |
markdown |
Human-readable text files | Documentation |
sqlite |
Database format | Searchable archive |
obsidian |
Obsidian vault format | Knowledge management |
Examples
# Quick start - extract all notes to Markdown
python3 scripts/extract-notes.py --format markdown --output ~/extracted-notes
# Monitor and auto-export to Obsidian
python3 scripts/monitor-notes.py --daemon --auto-export obsidian
# Extract work notes with full content
python3 scripts/extract-notes.py --method full --folder "Work Notes" --format json
# Process and create knowledge graph
python3 scripts/extract-notes.py --method full
python3 scripts/notes-processor.py output/raw -o output/processed
python3 scripts/knowledge-graph.py --input output/processed --output knowledge-graph.json
Security & Privacy
- All processing happens locally on your machine
- No data sent to external services
- Respects macOS security permissions
- Configurable privacy filters for sensitive content
- Optional encryption for exported data
Integration
Compatible with:
- Obsidian (direct vault export)
- Logseq (Markdown export)
- Notion (JSON import)
- Custom workflows (JSON/CSV output)
- AI processing pipelines
- Search engines (full-text indexing)
Troubleshooting
Common issues:
- Permission denied: Grant Notes access in System Preferences → Security & Privacy
- Import errors: Ensure Python 3.8+ and required packages installed
- AppleScript errors: Check if Notes app is running and accessible
- Empty output: Verify folder names and note permissions
See README.md for detailed troubleshooting guide.