Memo — Apple Notes CLI

CLI tool for reading, writing, and managing Apple Notes from the terminal. Used by OpenClaw via the apple-notes skill.

Installation

brew tap antoniorodr/memo
brew install antoniorodr/memo/memo

macOS Permissions

On first run, macOS will prompt for:

• Automation → Allow Terminal to control Notes
• Accessibility (if needed for keyboard input)

Go to: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation → ensure Terminal has Notes access.

Usage

Listing Notes

memo notes                         # List all notes (by folder)
memo notes -f "Folder Name"        # Filter by folder name
memo notes --no-cache              # Force refresh (bypass cache)
memo notes -fl                     # List all folders

Reading Notes

memo notes -v 1                    # View the first note in the list
memo notes -f "Folder" -v 1       # View first note in a specific folder

Creating Notes

memo notes -a                      # Interactive editor (opens $EDITOR)
memo notes -a -f "Folder Name"    # Create in a specific folder

Editing & Deleting

memo notes -e                      # Edit a note (interactive)
memo notes -d                      # Delete a note (interactive)

Searching

memo notes -s                      # Opens interactive fzf search

Exporting

memo notes -ex                     # Export selected note to Desktop

Notes

• Cache: memo caches the notes index for speed. Use --no-cache if notes seem stale.
• Limitations: No direct rich-text formatting via CLI; Apple Notes formatting is preserved when reading.
• Batch operations: Most operations are interactive (fzf picker). For scripted use, pipe note numbers.

OpenClaw Integration

• Skill: apple-notes skill in OpenClaw uses memo for reading/writing Apple Notes
• Max (assistant) uses: notes__searchNotes, notes__readNote, etc. via the apple-notes skill to interact with personal notes