che-ical-mcp

macOS Calendar & Reminders MCP server - Native EventKit integration for complete calendar and task management.

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Why che-ical-mcp?

Feature	Other Calendar MCPs	che-ical-mcp
Calendar Events	Yes	Yes
Reminders/Tasks	No	Yes
Reminder #Tags	No	Yes (MCP-level)
Multi-keyword Search	No	Yes
Duplicate Detection	No	Yes
Conflict Detection	No	Yes
Batch Operations	No	Yes
Local Timezone	No	Yes
Source Disambiguation	No	Yes
Create Calendar	Some	Yes
Delete Calendar	Some	Yes
Event Reminders	Some	Yes
Location & URL	Some	Yes
Language	Python	Swift (Native)

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Quick Start

For Claude Desktop

Option A: MCPB One-Click Install (Recommended)

Download the latest .mcpb file from Releases and double-click to install.

Option B: Manual Configuration

Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "che-ical-mcp": {
      "command": "/usr/local/bin/che-ical-mcp"
    }
  }
}

For Claude Code (CLI)

# Create ~/bin if needed
mkdir -p ~/bin

# Download the latest release
curl -L https://github.com/kiki830621/che-ical-mcp/releases/latest/download/CheICalMCP -o ~/bin/CheICalMCP
chmod +x ~/bin/CheICalMCP

# Add to Claude Code
# --scope user    : available across all projects (stored in ~/.claude.json)
# --transport stdio: local binary execution via stdin/stdout
# --              : separator between claude options and the command
claude mcp add --scope user --transport stdio che-ical-mcp -- ~/bin/CheICalMCP

💡 Tip: Always install the binary to a local directory like ~/bin/. Avoid placing it in cloud-synced folders (Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive) as file sync operations can cause MCP connection timeouts.

Build from Source (Optional)

git clone https://github.com/kiki830621/che-ical-mcp.git
cd che-ical-mcp
swift build -c release

On first use, macOS will prompt for Calendar and Reminders access - click "Allow".

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All 25 Tools

Calendars (4)

Tool	Description
list_calendars	List all calendars and reminder lists (includes source_type)
create_calendar	Create a new calendar
delete_calendar	Delete a calendar
update_calendar	Rename a calendar or change its color (v0.9.0)

Events (4)

Tool	Description
list_events	List events with filter/sort/limit (v1.0.0)
create_event	Create an event (with reminders, location, URL)
update_event	Update an event
delete_event	Delete an event

Reminders (7)

Tool	Description
list_reminders	List reminders with filter/sort/limit, tags extraction (v1.0.0)
create_reminder	Create a reminder with due date, tags (v1.3.0)
update_reminder	Update a reminder (including tags) (v1.3.0)
complete_reminder	Mark as completed/incomplete
delete_reminder	Delete a reminder
search_reminders	Search reminders by keyword(s) or tag (v1.3.0)
list_reminder_tags	List all unique tags with usage counts (v1.3.0)

Advanced Features (10) ✨ New in v0.3.0+

Tool	Description
search_events	Search events by keyword(s) with AND/OR matching
list_events_quick	Quick shortcuts: today, tomorrow, this_week, next_7_days, etc.
create_events_batch	Create multiple events at once
check_conflicts	Check for overlapping events in a time range
copy_event	Copy an event to another calendar (with optional move)
move_events_batch	Move multiple events to another calendar
delete_events_batch	Delete events by IDs or date range, with dry-run preview (v1.0.0)
find_duplicate_events	Find duplicate events across calendars (v0.5.0)
create_reminders_batch	Create multiple reminders at once (v0.9.0)
delete_reminders_batch	Delete multiple reminders at once (v0.9.0)

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Installation

Requirements

• macOS 13.0+
• Xcode Command Line Tools (only if building from source)

For Claude Desktop

Method 1: MCPB One-Click Install (Recommended)

1. Download che-ical-mcp.mcpb from Releases
2. Double-click the .mcpb file to install
3. Restart Claude Desktop

Method 2: Manual Configuration

1. Download the binary:

   curl -L https://github.com/kiki830621/che-ical-mcp/releases/latest/download/CheICalMCP -o /usr/local/bin/che-ical-mcp
   chmod +x /usr/local/bin/che-ical-mcp
   

2. Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "che-ical-mcp": {
         "command": "/usr/local/bin/che-ical-mcp"
       }
     }
   }
   

3. Restart Claude Desktop

For Claude Code (CLI)

# Create ~/bin if needed
mkdir -p ~/bin

# Download the binary
curl -L https://github.com/kiki830621/che-ical-mcp/releases/latest/download/CheICalMCP -o ~/bin/CheICalMCP
chmod +x ~/bin/CheICalMCP

# Register with Claude Code (user scope = available in all projects)
claude mcp add --scope user --transport stdio che-ical-mcp -- ~/bin/CheICalMCP

Build from Source (Optional)

git clone https://github.com/kiki830621/che-ical-mcp.git
cd che-ical-mcp
swift build -c release

# Copy to ~/bin and register
cp .build/release/CheICalMCP ~/bin/
claude mcp add --scope user --transport stdio che-ical-mcp -- ~/bin/CheICalMCP

Grant Permissions

On first use, macOS will prompt for Calendar and Reminders access. Click Allow for both.

⚠️ macOS Sequoia (15.x) Note: The permission dialog is attributed to the parent application that launched the MCP server, not the binary itself. This means:

Environment	Permission Attributed To
Claude Desktop	Claude Desktop.app ✅ (works automatically)
Claude Code in Terminal.app	Terminal.app ✅ (works automatically)
Claude Code in VS Code	VS Code ❌ (may not show dialog)
Claude Code in iTerm2	iTerm2 ✅ (works automatically)

If the permission dialog doesn't appear (common with VS Code), you need to add NSCalendarsFullAccessUsageDescription to VS Code's Info.plist:

# Add calendar usage description to VS Code
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :NSCalendarsFullAccessUsageDescription string 'VS Code needs calendar access for MCP extensions.'" \
  "/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Info.plist"
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :NSRemindersFullAccessUsageDescription string 'VS Code needs reminders access for MCP extensions.'" \
  "/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Info.plist"

# Re-sign VS Code (required after Info.plist modification)
codesign -s - -f --deep "/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app"

# Restart VS Code, then the permission dialog will appear

Note: This modification will be overwritten when VS Code updates. You'll need to re-apply it after each VS Code update.

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v1.0.0 Features

Flexible Date Parsing

All date parameters now accept 4 formats:

Format	Example	Interpretation
Full ISO8601	"2026-02-06T14:00:00+08:00"	Exact date and time
Without timezone	"2026-02-06T14:00:00"	Uses system timezone
Date only	"2026-02-06"	Midnight, system timezone
Time only	"14:00"	Today at that time

Fuzzy Calendar Matching

Calendar names are now matched case-insensitively. If not found, the error message lists all available calendars.

Enhanced list/delete Tools

• list_events: filter (all/past/future/all_day), sort (asc/desc), limit
• list_reminders: filter (all/incomplete/completed/overdue), sort (due_date/creation_date/priority/title), limit
• delete_events_batch: date range mode (before_date/after_date) + dry_run preview

Breaking Change: list_events and list_reminders now return {events/reminders: [...], metadata: {...}} instead of a plain array.

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Usage Examples

Calendar Management

"List all my calendars"
"What's on my schedule next week?"
"Create a meeting tomorrow at 2 PM titled 'Team Sync'"
"Add a dentist appointment on Friday at 10 AM with location '123 Main St'"
"Delete the meeting called 'Cancelled Meeting'"

Reminder Management

"List my incomplete reminders"
"Show all reminders in my Shopping list"
"Add a reminder: Buy milk"
"Create a reminder to call mom tomorrow at 5 PM"
"Mark 'Buy milk' as completed"
"Delete the reminder about groceries"

Advanced Features (v0.3.0+)

"Search for events containing 'meeting'"
"Search for events with both 'project' AND 'review'"
"What do I have today?"
"Show me this week's schedule"
"Are there any conflicts if I schedule a meeting from 2-3 PM?"
"Create 3 weekly team meetings for the next 3 weeks"
"Copy the dentist appointment to my Work calendar"
"Move all events from 'Old Calendar' to 'New Calendar'"
"Delete all the cancelled events"
"Find duplicate events between 'IDOL' and 'Idol' calendars"

DX Improvements (v1.0.0)

"Show my next 5 upcoming events"
→ list_events(start_date: "2026-02-06", end_date: "2026-12-31", filter: "future", sort: "asc", limit: 5)

"Show my overdue reminders"
→ list_reminders(filter: "overdue")

"Preview which events would be deleted from 'Old Calendar' before 2025"
→ delete_events_batch(calendar_name: "Old Calendar", before_date: "2025-01-01", dry_run: true)

"Create an event at 2 PM" (no need for full ISO8601!)
→ create_event(start_time: "14:00", end_time: "15:00", ...)

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Supported Calendar Sources

Works with any calendar synced to macOS Calendar app:

• iCloud Calendar
• Google Calendar
• Microsoft Outlook/Exchange
• CalDAV calendars
• Local calendars

Same-Name Calendar Disambiguation (v0.6.0+)

If you have calendars with the same name from different sources (e.g., "Work" in both iCloud and Google), use the calendar_source parameter:

"Create an event in my iCloud Work calendar"
→ create_event(calendar_name: "Work", calendar_source: "iCloud", ...)

"Show events from my Google Work calendar"
→ list_events(calendar_name: "Work", calendar_source: "Google", ...)

If ambiguity is detected, the error message will list all available sources.

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Server disconnected	Rebuild with swift build -c release
Permission denied	Grant Calendar/Reminders access in System Settings > Privacy & Security
Permission dialog never appears	See Grant Permissions for macOS Sequoia workaround
Calendar not found	Ensure the calendar is visible in macOS Calendar app
Reminders not syncing	Check iCloud sync in System Settings

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Technical Details

• Current Version: v1.3.1
• Framework: MCP Swift SDK v0.11.0
• Calendar API: EventKit (native macOS framework)
• Transport: stdio
• Platform: macOS 13.0+ (Ventura and later)
• Tools: 25 tools for calendars, events, reminders, tags, and advanced operations

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Version History

Version	Changes
v1.3.1	Docs fix: Clarified that tags are MCP-level (not native Reminders.app tags); Apple provides no public API for native tags
v1.3.0	Reminder tags (MCP-level): #hashtag text stored in notes for create_reminder/update_reminder/create_reminders_batch, tag-based filtering in search_reminders, new list_reminder_tags tool; MCP SDK 0.11.0. Note: tags are searchable via MCP but do not appear as native Reminders.app tags (Apple provides no public API for this)
v1.2.0	Idempotent writes: create_event, create_events_batch, create_reminder, create_reminders_batch, create_calendar now check-before-write to prevent duplicates on retry; responses include skipped count
v1.1.0	Recurrence + Location: recurring events/reminders (daily/weekly/monthly/yearly), structured locations with coordinates, location-based reminder triggers (geofence enter/leave), rich recurrence output
v1.0.0	DX improvements: flexible date parsing (4 formats), fuzzy calendar matching, list_events/list_reminders filter/sort/limit, delete_events_batch dry-run + date range mode
v0.9.0	4 new tools (20→24): update_calendar, search_reminders, create_reminders_batch, delete_reminders_batch
v0.8.2	i18n week support: week_starts_on parameter for list_events_quick (monday/sunday/saturday/system)
v0.8.1	Fix: update_event time validation bug, duration preservation when moving events
v0.8.0	BREAKING: calendar_name now required for create operations (no more implicit defaults)
v0.7.0	Tool annotations for Anthropic Connectors Directory, auto-refresh mechanism, improved batch tool descriptions
v0.6.0	Source disambiguation: calendar_source parameter for same-name calendars
v0.5.0	Batch delete, duplicate detection, multi-keyword search, improved permission errors, PRIVACY.md
v0.4.0	Copy/move events: copy_event, move_events_batch
v0.3.0	Advanced features: search, quick range, batch create, conflict check, timezone display
v0.2.0	Swift rewrite with full Reminders support
v0.1.x	Python version (deprecated)

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

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License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

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Author

Created by Che Cheng (@kiki830621)

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