inotes — Apple Notes CLI (+ MCP)

Package brand: inotes-mcp · CLI: inotes · PyPI today: pip install mac-inotes (renaming to inotes-mcp when PyPI new-project limit clears).

imsg-style local Notes tool. Name family: imsg · imail · inotes · wa.

Surface	Binary	When
CLI (prefer)	inotes	list/search/show/create — saves tokens
MCP	apple-notes-mcp	rich CRUD in agents

Install

pip (editable dev):

git clone https://github.com/ml-lubich/inotes.git
cd inotes
python3 -m pip install -e ".[dev]"

Homebrew (when published):

brew install ml-lubich/tap/inotes

Requires macOS with Notes.app. Grant Automation → Notes when prompted.

Usage

inotes doctor
inotes list --limit 20
inotes list --json
inotes search "standup" --limit 10 --json
inotes show "My Note"
inotes create --title "Idea" --body "…"
inotes create --title "Work" --body "…" --folder "Projects"
inotes version
inotes -h

Agents

CLI-first — use MCP only when you need operations beyond this surface.

inotes agent schema   # JSON command contract (version, tool, params)
inotes agent guide    # markdown playbook

Pair with sweetrb/apple-notes-mcp for full MCP tooling.

Development

python3 -m pip install -e ".[dev]"
pytest -q
inotes -h

Legacy bash implementation preserved as inotes.bash.bak.