How do I install the Things Mac skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add understudy-ai/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.

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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?

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Who published Things Mac?

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

Things Mac by understudy-ai — Agent Skill

Name: Things Mac
Author: understudy-ai

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 Understudy to add a task to Things, list inbox/today/upcoming, search tasks, or inspect projects/areas/tags.

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; Understudy.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 Understudy 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; `Understudy.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