A powerful automation bridge for OmniFocus on macOS that enables programmatic task, project, and folder management.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install omnifocus-automation
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install omnifocus-automation using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is OmniFocus Automation Skill?
The OmniFocus skill is a specialized tool designed to integrate your OmniFocus database with your automated workflows. By leveraging JavaScript for Automation (JXA) and AppleScript, it allows users to perform complex task management operations directly from a CLI or an AI agent. This skill is essential for anyone looking to scale their productivity by automating repetitive Getting Things Done (GTD) processes within the robust OmniFocus ecosystem.
This implementation ensures that Openclaw Skills can interact seamlessly with your local macOS environment, providing a bridge between advanced AI capabilities and your personal task manager. It handles everything from simple inbox additions to complex recurring task definitions with high reliability, making it a cornerstone for power users who rely on OmniFocus for their daily operations.
OmniFocus Automation Skill Use Cases
- Rapidly adding tasks to the inbox or specific projects via command line.
- Generating automated Today or Overdue task reports for daily standups.
- Mass updating due dates, defer dates, or tags across multiple projects.
- Initializing complex folder structures and project templates for new client onboarding.
- Synchronizing task completion status with external development or project management tools.
How OmniFocus Automation Skill Works
- The user or agent triggers a command via the wrapper script or direct JXA call using Openclaw Skills.
- The skill identifies the appropriate automation interface, utilizing JXA for general tasks or AppleScript for tags and repeat operations.
- A secure connection is established with the local OmniFocus application instance on macOS.
- The command is executed against the OmniFocus database, performing the requested creation, modification, or query.
- The system captures the result and returns a structured JSON object containing task details or success/error flags.
OmniFocus Automation Skill Setup
Ensure you have OmniFocus 3 or 4 installed on your macOS machine.
# Navigate to your skill directory
# Run the inbox command to test connection
./scripts/of inbox
# Or run directly via osascript
osascript -l JavaScript ./scripts/omnifocus.js inbox
Note: On first run, macOS may prompt for automation permissions. Navigate to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Automation to grant access.
OmniFocus Automation Skill Data Schema & Taxonomy
The skill returns data in a structured JSON format to ensure compatibility with Openclaw Skills integrations and easy parsing.
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| id | String | Unique OmniFocus internal identifier |
| name | String | The title of the task or project |
| note | String | Associated task notes |
| flagged | Boolean | Indicates if the task is flagged |
| deferDate | String | ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD) |
| dueDate | String | ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD) |
| project | String | Parent project name |
| tags | Array | List of associated tags |
| repeat | Object | Contains method and RRULE for recurring tasks |
OmniFocus Automation Skill Advanced Features
- Hybrid Automation Engine: Combines JXA and AppleScript to bypass specific API limitations for tags and recurring rules.
- Full GTD Support: Handles folders, projects, tags, and inbox items natively with nested structures.
- Granular Recurring Logic: Define tasks with fixed, due-after-completion, or defer-after-completion rules using standard units.
- Automatic Tag Creation: Adding a task with a non-existent tag automatically generates the new tag in the database.
- Case-Sensitive Filtering: Precise control over project and folder identification to avoid data duplication.
SKILL.md
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