Things 3 MCP Server

Best-in-class MCP server for Things 3 — token-efficient, full CRUD, AppleScript + URL scheme.

Built to be the most capable and efficient Things integration for Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and any MCP-compatible client.

Features

• Token-efficient output — concise one-line-per-item by default, detailed on demand
• 30+ tools — full coverage of every Things 3 view and operation
• Smart Someday filtering — correctly handles inherited Someday status (matches Things UI exactly)
• Random sampling — get_random_inbox(5) for manageable LLM context instead of dumping hundreds of items
• Summary mode — full GTD overview (get_summary) in ~20 lines
• AppleScript + URL scheme — reliable writes with UUID feedback; automatic fallback
• Bulk JSON import/export — Things URL scheme JSON format
• HTTP transport — optional remote access with API key authentication
• SKILL.md — self-teaching instructions so Claude uses tools optimally

Requirements

• macOS (Things 3 is macOS/iOS only)
• Things 3 installed and running
• Python 3.12+
• uv (recommended) or pip

Quick Start

Install and run

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/Groupthink-dev/things3-blade-mcp.git
cd things3-blade-mcp
uv sync

# Run (stdio transport — for Claude Desktop)
uv run things3-blade-mcp

Claude Desktop configuration

Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "things3": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/things3-blade-mcp", "things3-blade-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

# Add as MCP server
claude mcp add things3 -- uv run --directory /path/to/things3-blade-mcp things3-blade-mcp

Token-Saving Tips

The server is designed to minimize LLM context consumption:

1. Start with get_summary() — 20-line GTD overview, not hundreds of tasks
2. Use random sampling — get_random_inbox(5) before get_inbox(limit=100)
3. Defaults are efficient — concise=True, limit=10 on all tools
4. One-line format: □ Buy groceries [3F8A2B1C] | today | deadline:2026-03-01 | #errands
5. Null fields omitted — no "Notes: None" or "Tags: []" clutter
6. Batch lookups — no N+1 queries; project/area names resolved in bulk

All Tools (30)

List Views (9)

Tool	Description
get_inbox	Unprocessed tasks
get_today	Today's schedule (Someday-filtered)
get_upcoming	Future scheduled tasks
get_anytime	Available tasks
get_someday	Deferred tasks (includes inherited)
get_logbook	Completed tasks (configurable period)
get_trash	Trashed tasks
get_deadlines	All tasks with deadlines, sorted
get_summary	Full GTD overview in ~20 lines

Random Sampling (4) — recommended entry points

Tool	Description
get_random_inbox	Random sample from inbox
get_random_today	Random sample from today
get_random_anytime	Random sample from anytime
get_random_todos	Random sample, optional project filter

Entity Views (5)

Tool	Description
get_todos	All open todos (optional project filter)
get_projects	Projects with open/done counts
get_areas	High-level categories
get_tags	All tags
get_tagged_items	Todos with a specific tag

Search & Detail (4)

Tool	Description
search_todos	Search by title/notes
search_advanced	Multi-filter search (status, date, tag, area)
get_recent	Recently created items
show_item	Single item by UUID with full details

Write (4) — AppleScript primary, URL scheme fallback

Tool	Description
add_todo	Create a todo (returns UUID)
add_project	Create a project with optional todos
update_todo	Update any todo field
update_project	Update any project field

Bulk & Navigation (4)

Tool	Description
json_import	Bulk create via Things JSON format
json_export	Export todos as compact JSON
show_in_things	Reveal item in Things app
search_in_things	Open Things search UI

HTTP Transport

For remote access (e.g., from a different machine or mobile):

# Set environment variables
export THINGS_MCP_TRANSPORT=http
export THINGS_MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1
export THINGS_MCP_PORT=8765
export THINGS_MCP_API_KEY=your-secret-key-here  # auto-generated if empty

# Run
uv run things3-blade-mcp

Bearer Token Authentication

When exposing the server through a tunnel or reverse proxy, set THINGS_MCP_API_TOKEN to require a bearer token on every request:

export THINGS_MCP_API_TOKEN=your-secret-token-here

All HTTP requests must then include the header:

Authorization: Bearer your-secret-token-here

Requests without a valid token receive 401 Unauthorized. If the env var is unset or empty, bearer auth is disabled and the server behaves as before (suitable for localhost-only access).

Security Warning

Never expose the HTTP port directly to the internet. Use a reverse proxy with TLS:

• Cloudflare Tunnel (recommended — free, zero-config TLS)
• Caddy (automatic HTTPS)
• Nginx with Let's Encrypt

Cloudflare Tunnel example

# Install cloudflared
brew install cloudflare/cloudflare/cloudflared

# Create tunnel
cloudflared tunnel create things-mcp
cloudflared tunnel route dns things-mcp things-mcp.yourdomain.com

# Run tunnel
cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:8765 run things-mcp

Testing the HTTP endpoint

# Health check
curl http://localhost:8765/

# Call a tool (via MCP protocol)
curl -X POST http://localhost:8765/mcp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-API-Key: your-secret-key-here" \
  -d '{"method": "tools/call", "params": {"name": "get_summary", "arguments": {}}}'

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
THINGS_MCP_TRANSPORT	stdio	stdio or http
THINGS_MCP_HOST	127.0.0.1	HTTP bind address
THINGS_MCP_PORT	8765	HTTP port
THINGS_MCP_API_TOKEN	(none)	Bearer token for HTTP auth — if set, requires Authorization: Bearer <token>
THINGS_MCP_API_KEY	(auto)	API key for HTTP auth (X-API-Key header)
THINGS_AUTH_TOKEN	(auto)	Things URL scheme auth token

Architecture

src/things3_blade_mcp/
├── server.py       # FastMCP instance + all 30 @mcp.tool definitions
├── formatters.py   # Two-tier output: concise (1-line) + detailed
├── someday.py      # Someday filtering (matches Things UI behavior)
├── applescript.py   # AppleScript bridge for writes (temp-file approach)
├── url_scheme.py   # URL scheme builder (fallback writes + checklist items)
├── sampling.py     # Random sampling helpers
├── auth.py         # API key auth for HTTP transport
└── models.py       # Shared constants

Design principles:

• Reads via things.py (direct SQLite — fast, no app needed)
• Writes via AppleScript (reliable, returns UUIDs, no auth token needed)
• Fallback writes via URL scheme (for checklist items or when AppleScript fails)
• Batch lookups eliminate N+1 queries in formatters
• Someday filtering handles the Things 3 project-inheritance edge case

Development

# Install with dev/test dependencies
uv sync --all-extras

# Run tests
uv run pytest tests/ -v

# Lint
uv run ruff check src/ tests/

License

MIT