Things3 MCP Server

What is Things3 MCP Server?

An MCP server that provides comprehensive integration with Things3 on macOS. It enables AI assistants and other MCP clients to interact with Things3 through 25 specialized tools, offering complete task management capabilities with intelligent error correction and automatic tag creation.

How to use Things3 MCP Server?

Install via npx (no installation required), global npm, or from source. Configure in your MCP client (e.g., Claude Desktop) by adding a things3 server entry with the command and a THINGS3_AUTH_TOKEN environment variable for update operations. The auth token is found in Things3 Settings > General > Enable Things URLs > Manage.

Key features of Things3 MCP Server

• 25 tools covering all aspects of Things3.
• TODO management: create, read, update, delete, complete, uncomplete.
• Project & area management with full lifecycle support.
• Hierarchical tag system with automatic tag creation.
• Bulk operations to move or update multiple items.
• Logbook search with date range filtering.
• Automatic error correction for common issues.

Use cases of Things3 MCP Server

• A user asks Claude to create a project with tasks via natural language.
• List today’s tasks and filter by search text.
• Move multiple TODOs to a project or area in one operation.
• Search completed items in the logbook by date range.
• Automatically create tags when referenced during TODO or project creation.

FAQ from Things3 MCP Server

What are the system requirements?

macOS (Things3 is macOS-only), Node.js >= 16.0.0, Things3 app installed, and AppleScript access enabled in System Settings.

How do I find my Things3 authorization token?

Open Things3, go to Settings > General, click "Enable Things URLs", then "Manage", and copy the authorization token value.

Does the server automatically create tags?

Yes, tags are automatically created when referenced in TODO or project operations if they do not already exist.

What error correction does the server perform?

It automatically fixes date conflicts (swaps when/deadline if deadline is before scheduled date), generates a title from notes if missing, moves items to Inbox if project/area doesn't exist, and cleans unsupported special characters in tag names.

What transports or authentication are required?

The server communicates locally via MCP with the Things3 app using AppleScript and Things3 URL scheme. Update operations require the THINGS3_AUTH_TOKEN environment variable.