notectl_skill

Overview

This skill provides a command-line interface to manage Apple Notes using AppleScript. It exposes simple commands to list folders and notes, view and create notes, search content, and append text, enabling scriptable note workflows on macOS. Use it to automate note organization, backups, and quick capture without opening the Notes app.

How this skill works

The tool talks to the Apple Notes app through AppleScript under the hood and wraps common operations in a CLI. Commands include listing folders with counts, enumerating notes in a folder, showing note content by title, creating new notes with optional body and folder, searching titles and bodies, and appending text to existing notes. It operates locally on macOS and relies on Notes being available and permitted for scripting.

When to use it

• Capture quick ideas or meeting notes from scripts or terminal sessions
• Automate nightly or periodic backups of note lists and contents
• Search and extract note contents for integration into other tools or reports
• Append daily logs or changelogs to a running note from CI or scripts
• Manage multiple project folders and count notes for audits or housekeeping

Best practices

• Use clear, unique note titles to avoid ambiguity when showing or appending
• Prefer folder argument when creating notes to keep projects organized (default folder is Notes)
• Run search and list commands before add/append to confirm target note exists
• Script idempotent operations: check for note existence before creating to avoid duplicates
• Grant Notes permission for scripting in System Preferences and test AppleScript connectivity before production use

Example use cases

• List all folders and note counts for a weekly audit: notectl folders
• Create a project kickoff note with initial body in the research folder: notectl add "Project Plan" --folder research --body "Initial thoughts..."
• Append a line to a daily journal from a cron job: notectl append "Daily Log" --text "- Completed feature X"
• Search for API-related notes to compile documentation snippets: notectl search "API"
• Show meeting notes by title during a standup: notectl show "Meeting Notes"