notes-cli

name	notes-cli
description	Read, create, update, search, and delete Apple Notes using Markdown from the command line.

Apple Notes CLI

A command-line interface for Apple Notes with full Markdown support. Converts between Markdown and Apple Notes' HTML format, preserving headings, lists, links, checkboxes, and more.

Installation

npm install
npm run build

Commands

List resources

notes list accounts              # List all accounts
notes list folders               # List all folders
notes list notes                 # List all notes
notes list notes --folder Notes  # List notes in specific folder
notes list notes --account iCloud --folder Notes

Read a note (outputs Markdown)

notes get "Note Title"                           # By title
notes get "iCloud/Notes/My Note"                 # By path (account/folder/title)
notes get "x-coredata://..."                     # By ID

Create a note (reads Markdown from stdin)

echo "# Hello World" | notes create Notes --title "My Note"
cat document.md | notes create Notes --title "Imported Doc" --account iCloud

Update a note (replaces content with Markdown from stdin)

echo "# Updated Content" | notes set "Note Title"
cat updated.md | notes set "iCloud/Notes/My Note"

Append to a note

echo "\n## New Section" | notes append "Note Title"

Find and replace text

notes replace "Note Title" "old text" "new text"

Delete a note

notes delete "Note Title"
notes delete "iCloud/Notes/My Note"

Search notes

notes search "query"    # Searches titles and content

Markdown Features

Supported conversions (both directions)

• Headings (#, ##, etc.) ↔ Apple Notes Title/Heading/Subheading
• Bold, italic, strikethrough
• Bullet lists, numbered lists
• Task lists (- [ ], - [x]) ↔ Apple Notes checklists
• Links (preserved with underscores intact)
• Code blocks and inline code
• Blockquotes
• Tables (via GFM)

URL handling

• URLs in notes are output as autolinks: <https://example.com>
• Underscores in URLs are preserved (no escaping)

Tips

• Use paths (account/folder/title) for precise note targeting
• Pipe markdown files directly: cat file.md | notes create Folder --title "Title"
• Combine with other tools: notes get "My Note" | grep pattern
• JSON output coming soon for scripting

Troubleshooting

• Note not found: Check exact title spelling, or use path format
• Permission denied: Grant Terminal/app access to Notes in System Settings > Privacy
• Headings not styled: Delete and recreate the note (Apple Notes quirk with updates)