Things URL Scheme

Write operations for Things 3 via the things:/// URL scheme.

Arguments

$0 is the command (add, add-project, update, update-project, show, search, json); the rest are its key=value params. Pass both straight to url.ts (see Commands and Quick Start). A command is required; with none, infer the operation from the request. capture routes to inbox.ts instead (see Inbox Capture).

Quick Start

Use url.ts for most operations — it handles auth tokens and URL encoding.

Keep the CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA= prefix on every invocation. Claude Code exports that variable to hooks and MCP servers but not to Bash tool calls, and the x-callback-url bridge needs it to locate its .app bundle. Dropping it costs the callback, so url.ts falls back to a fire-and-forget open and returns no todo id.

CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA=${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA} bun ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/url.ts <command> [key=value ...]

# Bulk update: pass multiple id= params to batch via JSON command
CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA=${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA} bun ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/url.ts update id=X id=Y id=Z when=tomorrow

For raw URL scheme access: open -g "things:///add?title=Buy%20milk&when=today"

Use -g for data commands (add, update, json) to run in background. Omit -g for show/search to foreground Things.

Commands

See examples.md for detailed usage of each command.

Reorder Items

CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA=${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA} bun ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/reorder.ts [--list today|anytime|someday] <id1> <id2> <id3> ...

Items appear at the top of the list in the order specified. Default list is today. Also works for items within a project. Use the --list value matching the items' current scheduling state.

Inbox Capture

For quick captures to the inbox, use inbox.ts. It tags each todo Claude and appends session attribution, so prefer it over url.ts add when delegating a task mid-session.

CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA=${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA} bun ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/inbox.ts --session-id ${CLAUDE_SESSION_ID} title="Buy milk"

title captures one todo. titles (newline-separated) captures several at once. Add tags with --tag (repeatable). Other params: notes (max 10,000 chars), tags (comma-separated), checklist-items (newline-separated, max 100). The script handles URL encoding, session attribution, and the Claude tag.

# Multiple todos, each with the claude-code tag
CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA=${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA} bun ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/inbox.ts --session-id ${CLAUDE_SESSION_ID} --tag claude-code titles="Buy milk
Walk dog"

On success it prints a confirmation. With the x-callback-url plugin, xcall returns the todo ID and the script prints https://things.bendrucker.me/show?id=.... Present that link to the user. Without xcall it prints captured: <title>.

Callback

When the x-callback-url plugin is installed, url.ts uses xcall to get a response from Things on stdout. Present the result as clickable https://things.bendrucker.me/show?id=<id> links:

• Single todo (add, update): returns x-things-id=<id> — present one link
• Batch (json): returns x-things-ids=["id1","id2"] — present a bulleted list with each todo's title and link

Callback is enabled by default. Disable with --callback=false to fall back to fire-and-forget via open -g. If xcall is unavailable, the script falls back silently.

xcall builds into the plugin data directory and needs CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA in the environment. A Bash tool call does not carry that variable, so a model-issued url.ts run takes the fallback path and stderr carries CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA is not set.

Built-in List IDs (URL Scheme)

For show command: inbox, today, anytime, upcoming, someday, logbook, tomorrow, deadlines, repeating, all-projects, logged-projects

Lookup Area IDs

The list parameter only works with project names. For areas, use list-id with the area UUID (query area IDs via the things:jxa skill).

When Values

• today, tomorrow, evening
• anytime, someday
• yyyy-mm-dd (specific date)
• Natural language: "in 3 days", "next week"

Notes Formatting

Things supports Markdown in notes:

• Headings: #, ##, ###
• Bold: **text**
• Highlights: ::text::
• Code: backticks for inline, triple backticks for blocks
• Links: [title](url)
• Lists: - or 1.

Gotchas

Silent Success

url.ts prints only when xcall returns a result. On the fallback path it exits 0 with empty stdout after a successful write, so empty output says nothing about whether the change landed.

Judge failure by a non-zero exit and read stderr for the cause. To confirm a write that printed nothing, query the todo with the things:jxa skill. Never retry blind: a repeated add creates duplicate todos.

inbox.ts and reorder.ts do print on success regardless of xcall, so silence from those is a genuine failure.

Sandbox-blocked URL handoff

If stderr mentions procNotFound, -10810, or LSOpenURLsWithRole, the macOS sandbox blocked the URL handoff to Things. url.ts and inbox.ts carry the claude:dangerouslyDisableSandbox marker so the mac plugin's sandbox hook runs them outside the sandbox. If it still happens, verify the mac plugin is installed so that hook is active.

Documentation

• examples.md — Detailed usage examples for all commands
• url-scheme.md — Complete URL scheme commands and parameters
• 1password.md — Auth token setup and keychain configuration

Tips

• Moving out of inbox: Set when=anytime to move a todo out of inbox without assigning an area
• Moving to area: Use list-id with the area UUID (not area-id)
• Rate limiting: Max 250 operations per 10 seconds. For 3+ items, use multi-ID syntax (id=X id=Y id=Z) to batch into a single JSON command instead of individual calls.
• Repeating todos: Cannot update when or deadline on repeating to-dos