Things

You can run a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lets Claude Desktop interact with your Things app data. This server enables natural language task creation, project analysis, and productivity workflows by communicating with Things through a robust local server setup. It supports reliable retries, caching, logging, and careful error handling to keep your task data in sync with Claude’s guidance.

How to use

Start the Things MCP server and connect it to Claude Desktop. You will interact with your Things data through Claude by sending natural language requests like creating tasks, analyzing projects, and organizing priorities. The server exposes a set of commands that let Claude fetch lists, read details, search, and modify tasks and projects. Use the default installation flow to run the server locally, and configure the Things authentication token so URL-scheme operations can be executed securely.

How to install

Prerequisites before you begin: you need Python 3.12 or newer, Claude Desktop installed, and Things 3 with URL schemes enabled (Settings → General). You also need a Things Authentication Token for URL scheme operations.

Step 1 – Install the MCP server (recommended)

pip install things-mcp

Step 2 – Run the MCP server (recommended)

things-mcp

Step 3 – Verify installation with uvx (alternative run method)

If you prefer running with uvx, you can execute the same package via uvx as shown in the installation steps.

Step 4 – Manual installation (if you choose the repository flow)

If you are setting this up manually, follow these steps to prepare the environment, install dependencies, and configure tokens.

Step 5 – Configure Claude Desktop to run the MCP server

Add the MCP server to Claude Desktop’s configuration so the app can talk to Things through the local server. Use the included JSON configuration snippet to register the server under the key "things".

Sample Claude Desktop configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "things": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/PARENT/FOLDER/things-mcp",
        "run",
        "things_server.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Step 6 – Configure Things authentication token

The Things URL scheme requires an authentication token. You can set it via the included configuration tool or by exporting an environment variable. The token is used to authorize URL scheme commands.

Step 7 – Restart Claude Desktop

Restart Claude Desktop to apply the changes and establish the MCP connection to Things.

Usage patterns with Claude Desktop

• Ask Claude to list items due today, upcoming tasks, or recent activity. - Create a new todo with full details, including a checklist. - Analyze your projects and apply GTD or other productivity workflows. - Retrieve detailed information about a project or a specific task, including checklists and nested data.

Available tools

get-todos

Retrieve todos with optional filters such as project, status, due date, and tags. Includes an option to fetch checklist items.

get-projects

Fetch all projects with optional inclusion of nested items and related areas.

get-areas

Fetch all areas and optionally include contained items.

get-inbox

Return tasks in the Inbox view for quick access.

get-today

Return tasks due today for daily planning.

get-upcoming

Return upcoming tasks and projects to plan ahead.

get-logbook

Retrieve completed items for review and reflection.

get-tags

List all tags used across items for tagging guidance.

get-tagged-items

Return items that match a specific tag to analyze tagging usage.

search-todos

Simple search by title or notes to quickly locate items.

search-advanced

Advanced search with multiple filters like status, date range, tags, and area.

add-todo

Create a new todo with full parameter support, including title, notes, scheduling, deadlines, tags, and checklist items.

add-project

Create a new project with optional area, tags, and initial todos.

update-todo

Update an existing todo with new details, scheduling, tags, and status.

update-project

Update an existing project with new details, scheduling, tags, and status.

delete-todo

Delete a todo by ID (moves to trash).

delete-project

Delete a project by ID (moves to trash).

show-item

Show a specific item or a predefined list like inbox, today, upcoming, etc.

search-items

Search for items within Things using a broader query.