things3-manager
Manage tasks, projects, areas, headings, and tags in the Things 3 macOS app via a local CLI (list Inbox/Today/Upcoming/Anytime/Someday/Logbook, search, create/update/complete/cancel items, open items in Things). Use when Codex needs to manage Things 3 on macOS.
Best use case
things3-manager is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Manage tasks, projects, areas, headings, and tags in the Things 3 macOS app via a local CLI (list Inbox/Today/Upcoming/Anytime/Someday/Logbook, search, create/update/complete/cancel items, open items in Things). Use when Codex needs to manage Things 3 on macOS.
Teams using things3-manager should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
How things3-manager Compares
| Feature / Agent | things3-manager | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Manage tasks, projects, areas, headings, and tags in the Things 3 macOS app via a local CLI (list Inbox/Today/Upcoming/Anytime/Someday/Logbook, search, create/update/complete/cancel items, open items in Things). Use when Codex needs to manage Things 3 on macOS.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# Things 3 Manager (CLI) ## Quick start - Ensure Things 3 is installed and opened at least once. - In Things → Settings → General: enable “Enable Things URLs”. - Run the CLI (auto-bootstraps `.skills-data/things3-manager/venv` and installs deps on first run): - `bash .codex/skills/things3-manager/scripts/things --help` - `bash .codex/skills/things3-manager/scripts/things inbox` - `bash .codex/skills/things3-manager/scripts/things search "weekly review"` - `bash .codex/skills/things3-manager/scripts/things add-todo --title "Book flights" --when today --tag travel --checklist "passport" --checklist "charger"` ## Operating rules (for Codex) - Prefer read-only commands first (`inbox`, `today`, `search`, `projects`, `areas`, `tags`) to discover UUIDs and current state. - Before any write command (`add-todo`, `add-project`, `update-todo`, `update-project`), summarize the exact changes and confirm with the user. - If the user provides a project/area/heading by name, resolve it by listing (`projects`/`areas`/`headings`) before writing. ## Local data and env - Store all mutable state under <project_root>/.skills-data/<skill-name>/. - Keep config and registries in .skills-data/<skill-name>/ (for example: config.json, <feature>.json). - Use .skills-data/<skill-name>/.env for SKILL_ROOT, SKILL_DATA_DIR, and any per-skill env keys. - Install local tools into .skills-data/<skill-name>/bin and prepend it to PATH when needed. - Install dependencies under .skills-data/<skill-name>/venv: - Python: .skills-data/<skill-name>/venv/python - Node: .skills-data/<skill-name>/venv/node_modules - Go: .skills-data/<skill-name>/venv/go (modcache, gocache) - PHP: .skills-data/<skill-name>/venv/php (cache, vendor) - Write logs/cache/tmp under .skills-data/<skill-name>/logs, .skills-data/<skill-name>/cache, .skills-data/<skill-name>/tmp. - Keep automation in <skill-root>/scripts and read SKILL_DATA_DIR (default to <project_root>/.skills-data/<skill-name>/). - Do not write outside <skill-root> and <project_root>/.skills-data/<skill-name>/ unless the user requests it. ## Commands (CLI) - Lists: - `inbox`, `today`, `upcoming`, `anytime`, `someday`, `logbook`, `trash`, `recent` - Browsing: - `projects`, `areas`, `tags`, `headings`, `todos`, `tagged-items` - Search: - `search`, `search-advanced` - Writes (via Things URL scheme): - `add-todo`, `add-project`, `update-todo`, `update-project` - Open in Things: - `show`, `search-items` ## Attribution - CLI implementation is based on `things_server.py`, `url_scheme.py`, and `formatters.py` from `https://github.com/hald/things-mcp`.