The Things 3 MCP server connects an agent to Cultured Code’s task manager on macOS. It is a small, local integration with no account and no cloud component, which makes it one of the more privacy-comfortable servers to run.
What it actually does
The server talks to the Things app on your Mac, typically through its URL scheme and AppleScript support. The agent can create todos with notes, dates, tags and project assignment, and depending on the implementation read or complete existing items. Everything happens locally on your machine.
Practical patterns:
- ‘Turn each action point in these notes into a todo in my Work project, due Friday.’
- ‘Add a todo to follow up on this thread next Tuesday with the context in the note field.’
- ‘What is in my Today list?‘
Why use it
Capture is the part of any task system that has to be frictionless or it does not happen. The moment you decide something needs doing is usually mid-conversation about something else, and switching apps to write it down is exactly the friction that loses it. An agent that is already in that conversation can capture the task with proper context in the note, which is more than you would have typed yourself.
Gotchas
It is macOS only and needs the app present, so it is no use on a Windows machine or in a headless setup. Read and complete support is less consistent than create support across implementations, so verify what yours does before building a review habit on it. AppleScript-based integrations also tend to need accessibility or automation permissions granted in System Settings, which is the usual reason a fresh install silently does nothing.
