FocusRelayMCP

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Fast native Swift OmniFocus MCP server and CLI for macOS. Let AI assistants safely read, update, complete, and organize tasks and projects through documented Omni Automation APIs.

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# FocusRelay — Fast Swift OmniFocus MCP Server and CLI for macOS

## Plan your day and keep OmniFocus up to date with AI

FocusRelay is a fast, native Swift MCP server and CLI that helps AI assistants
read and safely update OmniFocus using documented OmniFocus APIs.

[Install with Homebrew](#install-the-omnifocus-mcp-server-with-homebrew) ·
[See what it can do](#ask-review-update) ·
[Star FocusRelay](https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP) ·
[Contribute](#help-shape-focusrelay)

![Demo: Ask an AI assistant about your OmniFocus tasks](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP/master/imgs/omnifocusaiquery.gif)

Ask about the work already in OmniFocus, review the answer, and make approved
changes without clicking through long task lists.

## Ask. Review. Update.

FocusRelay is designed for targeted questions and compact answers, so the
assistant does not need your entire OmniFocus database for routine requests.

Try prompts like:

- “Help me process my OmniFocus inbox in a small batch.”
- “How many flagged items do I have?”
- “Show me the first three available tasks in my inbox.”
- “Find my task called [task name], flag it, and verify the change.”
- “Set [task name] due tomorrow at 5 PM in my local timezone and verify the
  change.”

In clients that expose MCP server prompts, select `process_inbox`. In OpenCode,
run `/focusrelay:process_inbox` to start the guided workflow.

These workflows were tested with multiple MCP-capable models in OpenCode.
Updates target stable OmniFocus IDs and can verify the saved result. If names
are duplicated, ask to see the candidates before changing anything.

The current release can:

- guide supported MCP clients through a bounded, approval-first inbox workflow;
- find and count tasks using dates, flags, tags, projects, availability, inbox
  state, completion, estimates, and text search;
- review projects, folders, tags, task counts, and stalled work;
- update names, notes, flags, dates, estimates, tags, project settings, and
  review intervals;
- mark active and on-hold projects reviewed using OmniFocus's native review
  timestamp and next-review semantics;
- drop, restore, complete, reactivate, and move existing tasks;
- complete, reactivate, change status, and move existing projects;
- preview a proposed change and verify the saved result.

The current release updates existing tasks and projects. Creating or
deleting items is not supported; creation is tracked in
[#82](https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP/issues/82) and
[#83](https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP/issues/83).

## Why FocusRelay?

### Keep the assistant focused

FocusRelay exposes nine model-facing tools: seven read tools plus `edit_tasks`
and `edit_projects` for supported changes. Combining seven editing tools into
two reduced the full catalog from 14 tools to 9 and cut context usage by
7–13% in controlled model tests, leaving more room for the user's actual work.
Internal diagnostics stay in the CLI, count commands avoid returning long item
lists, and field selection keeps responses compact.

### Native Swift speed at real-library scale

FocusRelay is compiled as native Swift and installed with Homebrew, with no
Node.js or Python runtime in the request path. Single-pass filtering and
early-stop pagination keep focused inbox reads near one second in testing at
thousands-of-tasks scale. The same core powers a CLI for precise, low-context
queries.

### Run where OmniFocus understands its data

The Swift server dispatches work to a lightweight bridge plug-in that runs
inside OmniFocus’s Omni Automation context. It uses documented APIs and native
statuses, keeping results aligned with OmniFocus without reading its private
database.

### Make changes you can check

Edit tools target stable IDs and support previews, per-item results, compact
return fields, and optional verification. A failed save, update, or verification
is reported as a failure—not success.

FocusRelay handles OmniFocus work in order, tells assistants to wait for each
update, and reports overload clearly instead of letting requests collide.
When an MCP client disconnects, its FocusRelay process exits cleanly rather
than remaining in the background.

See the [latest release notes](docs/release-notes-v0.12.0-beta.md) for the
user-facing changes and upgrade requirements.

## Privacy and security

FocusRelay runs locally on your Mac. Its Swift server communicates on-device
with a bridge plug-in that accesses OmniFocus through documented APIs.
FocusRelay has no hosted cloud service and does not send your OmniFocus data to
a FocusRelay-operated service.

Your MCP client and chosen AI model may transmit tool inputs and results under
their own privacy terms. Review those settings before using FocusRelay with
sensitive data.

## Install the OmniFocus MCP server with Homebrew

Requirements:

- macOS 26 or later on Apple silicon;
- OmniFocus 4;
- Homebrew;
- an MCP-compatible assistant or a shell-capable AI agent.

### 1. Install and trust the formula

Homebrew 6 requires explicit trust for formulae from non-official taps. Trust
only the FocusRelay formula, then install it:

```bash
brew tap deverman/focus-relay
brew trust --formula deverman/focus-relay/focusrelay
brew install focusrelay
```

Formula-specific trust authorizes FocusRelay without trusting every current or
future formula in the tap. See Homebrew’s
[Tap Trust documentation](https://docs.brew.sh/Tap-Trust) for details.

### 2. Install the OmniFocus plugin

OmniFocus reads plug-ins from more than one folder, and **if you have OmniFocus
plug-in sync turned on it prefers the iCloud folder**. Install into every folder
that exists on your Mac, so OmniFocus cannot load a stale copy:

```bash
SRC="$(brew --prefix focusrelay)/share/focusrelay/Plugin/FocusRelayBridge.omnijs"

# Sandbox container (always present)
DEST="$HOME/Library/Containers/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus4/Data/Library/Application Support/Plug-Ins"
mkdir -p "$DEST" && cp -R "$SRC" "$DEST/"

# iCloud plug-in folder (only when plug-in sync is enabled)
ICLOUD="$HOME/Library/Mobile Documents/iCloud~com~omnigroup~OmniFocus/Documents/Plug-Ins"
[ -d "$ICLOUD" ] && cp -R "$SRC" "$ICLOUD/" && echo "also installed to iCloud"
```

The plugin and binary must stay on the same version. Repeat this step after
upgrading FocusRelay — a skipped reinstall leaves OmniFocus running the old
plug-in with no visible error.

Building from source? Use `./scripts/install-plugin.sh` instead; it detects and
updates every plug-in folder for you, including custom ones.

### 3. Restart OmniFocus

Quit OmniFocus completely and reopen it so the updated plugin is loaded:

```bash
osascript -e 'tell application "OmniFocus" to quit'
sleep 2
open -a "OmniFocus"
```

### 4. Add FocusRelay to your AI assistant

FocusRelay currently supports terminal-based MCP clients: Claude Code,
OpenCode, Codex CLI, and other clients launched from a terminal. Desktop
applications such as Claude Desktop and ChatGPT's desktop app are not yet
supported: macOS restricts their access to the OmniFocus data FocusRelay
relies on. Desktop-app support is tracked in
[#196](https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP/issues/196).

Configure a local stdio MCP server with:

- command: `/opt/homebrew/bin/focusrelay`
- arguments: `serve`

<details>
<summary>Claude Code configuration</summary>

Claude Code registers MCP servers from the command line, so no file editing is
required:

```bash
claude mcp add --scope user focusrelay /opt/homebrew/bin/focusrelay serve
```

`--scope user` makes FocusRelay available in every project on your Mac. Use
`--scope project` instead to share the server with collaborators through a
checked-in `.mcp.json`, or omit the flag to enable it only in the current
directory.

Confirm the server is registered and reachable:

```bash
claude mcp list
```

FocusRelay should report `✔ Connected`. Remove it later with
`claude mcp remove --scope user focusrelay`.

</details>

<details>
<summary>OpenCode configuration example</summary>

```json
{
  "mcp": {
    "focusrelay": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": ["/opt/homebrew/bin/focusrelay", "serve"],
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

</details>

On the first query, OmniFocus asks whether to allow the automation. Choose
**Run Script**. If the prompt is hidden, bring OmniFocus to the front.

### 5. Check the connection

```bash
focusrelay --version
focusrelay bridge-health-check
focusrelay list-tasks --fields id,name --limit 1
```

Then ask:

> How many flagged items do I have in OmniFocus?

<details>
<summary>Manual download or source build</summary>

Download the latest binary and `FocusRelayBridge.omnijs` from
[GitHub Releases](https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP/releases), or build
on macOS 26 or later with the Swift 6.3.3 toolchain selected by the checked-in
`.swift-version`:

```bash
git clone https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP.git
cd FocusRelayMCP
swift build -c release
./scripts/install-plugin.sh
```

After installing the plugin, restart OmniFocus completely.

</details>

## Use FocusRelay as an OmniFocus MCP server or CLI

MCP lets compatible assistants discover FocusRelay and choose the right action.
The CLI is useful for scripts, debugging, and agents that already have shell
access.

The examples below target the current Homebrew release and source build.

```bash
# Count without returning every matching task
focusrelay task-counts --flagged true

# Return only three task names
focusrelay list-tasks \
  --inbox-only true \
  --available-only true \
  --limit 3 \
  --fields name

# Preview a change without touching OmniFocus
focusrelay edit-tasks <task-id> \
  --operation update \
  --flagged true \
  --preview-only \
  --return-fields id,name,flagged
```

Run `focusrelay --help` for the command list. For write examples and safety
rules, see [Safe Update Workflows for CLI and MCP](docs/mutation-workflows.md).

## Compare FocusRelay with other OmniFocus MCP servers

FocusRelay combines a native Swift server with a bridge plug-in that executes
inside OmniFocus. Swift keeps MCP fast and compact; the bridge gets fresh data
and applies changes through documented OmniFocus APIs.

✅ Available · 🟡 Coming next · 🟠 Backlog · ◇ Project roadmap · — Not currently documented

| Capability | **FocusRelay** | [OmniFocus-MCP](https://github.com/themotionmachine/OmniFocus-MCP) | [Enhanced](https://github.com/jqlts1/omnifocus-mcp-enhanced) | [OmnifocusMCP](https://github.com/vitalyrodnenko/OmnifocusMCP) | [Operator](https://github.com/HelloThisIsFlo/omnifocus-operator) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Runtime | **Native Swift · Homebrew** | TypeScript · npx | TypeScript · npx | Native Rust · Homebrew; Python and TypeScript available | Python · uvx |
| OmniFocus access | **Bridge plug-in inside Omni Automation; documented APIs** | JXA and Omni Automation through `osascript` | Omni Automation through `osascript` | Omni Automation through `osascript` | Internal SQLite read cache; OmniJS fallback |
| Public MCP tools | **9, with seven read tools plus `edit_tasks` and `edit_projects`; 11 after planned creation tools [#82](https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP/issues/82) and [#83](https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP/issues/83)** | 12 | 18 | 45 | 11 |
| Find, filter, and count tasks | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Update existing tasks | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Update existing projects | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ◇ v1.5 roadmap |
| Preview and post-save verification | ✅ Every write tool; per-target results | — | — | — | — |
| Drop projects without deleting them | ✅ | ✅ | — | ✅ | — |
| Create tasks and subtasks | 🟡 [#82](https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP/issues/82) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Create projects | 🟡 [#83, including inbox-task conversion](https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP/issues/83) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ◇ v1.5 roadmap |
| Planned-date updates | 🟠 [#16](https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP/issues/16) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — |
| Repeating tasks | 🟠 [#93](https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP/issues/93) | ✅ | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom perspective contents | 🟠 [#10](https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP/issues/10) | ✅ | ✅ | — | — |
| Permanently delete tasks and projects | — | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — |

This comparison reflects each project’s public documentation on July 15, 2026;
“Not documented” is not a claim that a feature is impossible. The other public
READMEs do not describe an equivalent per-target preview and post-save
verification contract.

Preview resolves IDs and validates the change without saving it. Verification
runs after OmniFocus saves, reads the affected values back, and reports a
mismatch as a failure. These are MCP tool arguments, so Codex, Claude Code,
OpenCode, and other standard stdio MCP clients can use them; whether a model
chooses them without being asked depends on the model and client. For important
changes, ask it to “preview first, then apply with verification.”

## Help shape FocusRelay

See [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP/issues) for planned
work. If FocusRelay earns a place in your workflow,
[star the repository](https://github.com/deverman/FocusRelayMCP) so more
OmniFocus users can find it.

Want to help? Pick an issue, propose a use case, or open a focused pull request.
See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) to get started.

## Troubleshooting

### The bridge times out

1. Bring OmniFocus to the front and accept the first **Run Script** prompt.
2. Confirm FocusRelay Bridge is enabled under **Automation → Configure
   Plug-ins…**.
3. Recopy the plugin, quit OmniFocus completely, and reopen it.
4. Run `focusrelay bridge-health-check`.

### Results look stale after an upgrade

The plugin JavaScript is cached by OmniFocus. Reinstall the plugin and restart
OmniFocus completely. Project and tag catalogs cache for five minutes; task
queries are always fresh.

### The plugin and binary versions do not match

Upgrading the Homebrew formula replaces the binary but leaves the copies of the
plugin already installed for OmniFocus untouched, so a skipped step 2 can
strand the plugin many releases behind.

Ask the bridge what it is actually running, and compare it against the binary:

```bash
focusrelay --version
focusrelay bridge-health-check
```

A healthy bridge returns `"ok":true` with the same version as
`focusrelay --version`. If the versions differ, repeat step 2 and step 3.

**If the reported version still does not change**, OmniFocus is loading a
different copy of the plug-in than the one you updated. List every copy on your
Mac and check each one:

```bash
find ~/Library -name "FocusRelayBridge.omnijs" -maxdepth 8 2>/dev/null | while read -r p; do
  printf '%s\n    %s\n' "$p" "$(grep -m1 -o 'FOCUSRELAY_VERSION = "[^"]*"' "$p/Resources/BridgeLibrary.js")"
done
```

Every copy must report the same version as the binary. The iCloud folder
(`~/Library/Mobile Documents/iCloud~com~omnigroup~OmniFocus/Documents/Plug-Ins`)
takes priority when OmniFocus plug-in sync is enabled, so a current copy in the
sandbox container is not enough on its own. Update the stale copies, then quit
and reopen OmniFocus completely.

### A time-based result looks wrong after travel

Restart the MCP client and OmniFocus so FocusRelay picks up the current macOS
timezone.

## Development

```bash
swift build
swift test
```

FocusRelay uses Swift Testing from the Swift toolchain. Production query changes
must follow the documented
[Omni Automation contract](docs/omni-automation-contract.md).

## License

FocusRelay is available under the [MIT License](LICENSE).

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