Content
# OmniFocus MCP Server
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/omnifocus-mcp)
[](https://github.com/themotionmachine/OmniFocus-MCP/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects OmniFocus to Claude and other MCP-compatible AI assistants.
## Overview
This server bridges AI assistants and your OmniFocus database. Through natural conversation, an assistant can query, create, edit, and remove tasks and projects — including bulk operations. Some things you can do with it:
- Translate a syllabus PDF into a fully specified project with tasks, tags, defer dates, and due dates
- Turn a meeting transcript into a list of actions
- Audit and reorganize your tags, projects, and folders conversationally
- Create visualizations of your tasks, projects, and tags
- Process dozens of items in a single batch operation
## Quick Start
### Prerequisites
- macOS with [OmniFocus](https://www.omnigroup.com/omnifocus) installed
- Node.js 20 or later (for `npx`)
The first time the server talks to OmniFocus, macOS will ask you to allow automation access. Grant it once and you're set.
### Claude Desktop
Add the server to `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"omnifocus": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "omnifocus-mcp"]
}
}
}
```
Then restart Claude Desktop.
### Claude Code
```bash
claude mcp add omnifocus -- npx -y omnifocus-mcp
```
Other MCP clients work the same way: launch `npx -y omnifocus-mcp` over stdio.
## Example Conversations
**Targeted queries:**
> "Show me all my flagged tasks due this week"
>
> "What are my next actions in the Work folder?"
>
> "Count how many tasks are in each project"
**Reorganizing:**
> "I want every task to have an energy level tag. Show me a list of all the tasks that don't have one and your suggestions for what tag to add. I'll make any changes I think are appropriate. Then make the changes in OmniFocus."
**Capturing from anywhere:**
> "Ok, thanks for the detailed explanation of why the rule of law is important. Add a recurring task to my activism project that reminds me to call my representative weekly. Include a summary of this conversation in the notes field."
**Working with perspectives:**
> "What perspectives do I have available?"
>
> "Show me what's in my Inbox perspective"
**Processing transcripts or PDFs:**
> "I'm pasting in the transcript from today's meeting. Please analyze it and create tasks in OmniFocus for any action items assigned to me. Put them in my 'Product Development' project."
## Tools
The server provides 12 tools. Optional parameters are marked.
### `query_omnifocus`
Query tasks, projects, or folders with targeted filters — much faster and lighter than dumping the whole database. See [QUERY_TOOL_REFERENCE.md](QUERY_TOOL_REFERENCE.md) for the full reference and [QUERY_TOOL_EXAMPLES.md](QUERY_TOOL_EXAMPLES.md) for worked examples.
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| `entity` | What to query: `tasks`, `projects`, or `folders` |
| `filters` *(optional)* | Combine with AND logic; array filters (`tags`, `status`) use OR within the array |
| `fields` *(optional)* | Only return the listed fields — keeps responses small |
| `limit`, `sortBy`, `sortOrder` *(optional)* | Shape the result list |
| `includeCompleted` *(optional)* | Include completed/dropped items (default: false) |
| `summary` *(optional)* | Return only the match count |
Available filters:
- **Containers**: `projectName` (case-insensitive partial match; `"inbox"` targets the inbox), `projectId`, `folderId` (includes subfolders)
- **Names**: `taskName` (case-insensitive partial match)
- **Tags**: `tags` (exact match, case-sensitive)
- **Status**: `status` — tasks: `Next`, `Available`, `Blocked`, `DueSoon`, `Overdue`, `Completed`, `Dropped`; projects: `Active`, `OnHold`, `Done`, `Dropped`
- **Dates, forward-looking**: `dueWithin`, `deferredUntil`, `plannedWithin` (ranges), `dueOn`, `deferOn`, `plannedOn` (exact day). Accept a number of days, `"today"`, `"tomorrow"`, `"this week"`, `"next week"`, or an ISO date
- **Dates, backward-looking**: `addedWithin`, `addedOn`, `completedWithin`, `completedOn`, `droppedWithin`, `droppedOn` (completed/dropped filters require `includeCompleted: true`)
- **Flags & misc**: `flagged`, `inbox`, `hasNote`, `isRepeating`, `reviewDue` (projects only)
### `dump_database`
Get the complete state of your database. Use for comprehensive analysis; prefer `query_omnifocus` for anything targeted.
- `hideCompleted` *(optional)*: hide completed/dropped tasks (default: true)
- `hideRecurringDuplicates` *(optional)*: hide duplicate instances of recurring tasks (default: true)
### `add_omnifocus_task`
Create a new task.
- `name`
- `projectName` *(optional)*: project to add the task to (defaults to inbox)
- `parentTaskId` / `parentTaskName` *(optional)*: nest under an existing task
- `note`, `dueDate`, `deferDate`, `plannedDate`, `flagged`, `estimatedMinutes`, `tags` *(all optional)*
### `add_project`
Create a new project.
- `name`
- `folderName` *(optional)*: folder to place the project in
- `sequential` *(optional)*: whether tasks must be completed in order
- `note`, `dueDate`, `deferDate`, `flagged`, `estimatedMinutes`, `tags` *(all optional)*
### `edit_item`
Edit an existing task or project. Also the way to **move** items — set `newProjectName` to move a task into a project, or to `""`/`"inbox"` to send it to the inbox.
- `id` or `name`: which item to edit (id takes precedence)
- `itemType`: `task` or `project`
- Common: `newName`, `newNote`, `newDueDate`, `newDeferDate`, `newFlagged`, `newEstimatedMinutes` (dates in ISO format; empty string clears)
- Tasks: `newStatus` (`incomplete`, `completed`, `dropped`, `skipped` — skipped only for repeating tasks), `addTags`, `removeTags`, `replaceTags`, `newProjectName`, `newPlannedDate`
- Projects: `newProjectStatus` (`active`, `completed`, `dropped`, `onHold`), `newFolderName`, `newSequential`, `markReviewed` (sets the next review date based on the project's review interval)
### `remove_item`
Remove a task or project.
- `id` or `name`: which item to remove
- `itemType`: `task` or `project`
### `batch_add_items`
Create multiple tasks and projects in one operation. Each item accepts the same fields as `add_omnifocus_task` / `add_project`, plus `type` (`task` or `project`) and optional hierarchy helpers:
- `tempId`: a temporary ID other items in the same batch can reference
- `parentTempId`: nest this item under another batch item's `tempId`
```json
{
"items": [
{ "type": "project", "name": "My Project", "tempId": "proj1" },
{ "type": "task", "name": "First task", "parentTempId": "proj1" },
{ "type": "task", "name": "Parent task", "parentTempId": "proj1", "tempId": "t1" },
{ "type": "task", "name": "Subtask", "parentTempId": "t1" }
]
}
```
### `batch_remove_items`
Remove multiple tasks or projects in one operation. Each item takes `id` or `name`, plus `itemType`.
### `list_perspectives`
List available perspectives, both built-in and custom (custom perspectives are an OmniFocus Pro feature).
- `includeBuiltIn`, `includeCustom` *(optional, default: true)*
### `get_perspective_view`
Get the items visible in a named perspective.
- `perspectiveName`: e.g. `Inbox`, `Flagged`, or a custom perspective name
- `limit` *(optional, default: 100)*, `includeMetadata` *(optional)*, `fields` *(optional)*
### `list_tags`
List all tags with their hierarchy, active status, and task counts.
- `includeDropped` *(optional, default: false)*
### `create_tag`
Create a tag, optionally nested under an existing parent.
- `name`
- `parentTagName` / `parentTagID` *(optional; ID takes precedence)*
## Resources
Resources let MCP clients attach OmniFocus data to a conversation as context, without tool calls. In Claude Code, type `@` to browse them; Claude Desktop and other resource-aware clients can attach them directly. All resources return JSON.
| URI | Description |
|---|---|
| `omnifocus://inbox` | Current inbox items |
| `omnifocus://today` | Today's agenda — due today, planned for today, and overdue |
| `omnifocus://flagged` | All flagged items |
| `omnifocus://stats` | Database statistics (task counts, overdue, flagged, etc.) |
| `omnifocus://project/{name}` | Tasks in a specific project |
| `omnifocus://perspective/{name}` | Items visible in a named perspective |
The two template resources support listing all available values and autocompleting the `{name}` parameter.
## Server Instructions & Logging
**Instructions:** during the MCP handshake the server sends usage guidance to the client — tool-selection advice (prefer `query_omnifocus` over `dump_database`), filter tips, and the resource catalog. No configuration needed.
**Logging:** the server emits structured logs via the MCP logging protocol. Clients can adjust verbosity with `logging/setLevel` (`debug`, `info`, `warning`, `error`, ...). Script execution timing and errors are logged automatically.
## How It Works
The server communicates with OmniFocus through `osascript`, using JXA (JavaScript for Automation) and OmniFocus's embedded Omni Automation (OmniJS) where appropriate. It's built on the official [MCP TypeScript SDK](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk) and talks to clients over stdio.
### Shared daemon
Launching `omnifocus-mcp` starts a small shim that connects to a **shared background daemon**, starting one if it isn't already running. Every client on the machine gets its own independent MCP session, but they all run inside that single process.
This matters when several agents use OmniFocus at once. OmniFocus is a single-threaded application driven over AppleEvents, and the server caps how many `osascript` calls it will run concurrently. When each client ran its own server, that cap was per-process — ten clients meant ten independent budgets aimed at one app, causing AppleEvent timeouts. Sharing one process makes the cap global.
The daemon listens on a Unix domain socket in a `0700` directory (`~/.omnifocus-mcp/daemon.sock` by default), so access is enforced by the filesystem — no network port and no token. It exits on its own once no client has been connected for the idle window, and logs to `daemon.log` beside the socket.
Nothing about client configuration changes. If the daemon can't be started — an unusual sandbox, a read-only home directory — the shim falls back to running a standalone server in-process, exactly as earlier versions did.
### Environment variables
| Variable | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| `OMNIFOCUS_MCP_NO_DAEMON` | unset | Set to `1` to skip the daemon entirely and run a dedicated server per client (the pre-daemon behavior). First thing to try if you suspect the daemon. |
| `OMNIFOCUS_MCP_SOCKET` | `~/.omnifocus-mcp/daemon.sock` | Override the socket path, e.g. to run an isolated instance. |
| `OMNIFOCUS_MCP_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MINUTES` | `30` | Exit after this long with no client traffic. `0` disables the timeout. |
| `OMNIFOCUS_MCP_MAX_CONCURRENT_OSASCRIPT` | `4` | Maximum concurrent `osascript` calls. Lower it if you still see AppleEvent timeouts. |
## Roadmap
- MCP `prompt` support
- Manipulating notifications for projects and tasks
- See the [GitHub issues](https://github.com/themotionmachine/OmniFocus-MCP/issues) for feature requests and known issues
## Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a pull request. CI runs type checking, unit tests, and a build on every PR.
```bash
npm install
npm test # unit tests
npm run build # compile to dist/
npm run test:integration # requires OmniFocus; creates and removes TEST:-prefixed items
```
## License
MIT
