ekctl

CLI tool for managing macOS Calendar events and Reminders using EventKit.

Installation

brew tap schappim/ekctl
brew install ekctl

Requires macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later. Grant Calendar and Reminders permissions when prompted.

Quick Reference

# List all calendars and reminder lists
ekctl list calendars

# List events (requires --from and --to in ISO8601)
ekctl list events --calendar <ID|alias> --from 2026-02-01T00:00:00Z --to 2026-02-07T23:59:59Z

# List reminders
ekctl list reminders --list <ID|alias>
ekctl list reminders --list <ID|alias> --completed false

# Add event
ekctl add event --calendar <ID|alias> --title "Meeting" --start 2026-02-03T09:00:00Z --end 2026-02-03T10:00:00Z
ekctl add event --calendar <ID|alias> --title "Vacation" --start 2026-02-10T00:00:00Z --end 2026-02-12T00:00:00Z --all-day

# Add reminder
ekctl add reminder --list <ID|alias> --title "Call mom"
ekctl add reminder --list <ID|alias> --title "Pay bills" --due 2026-02-05T17:00:00Z --priority 1

# Complete a reminder
ekctl complete reminder <reminder-id>

# Delete
ekctl delete event <event-id>
ekctl delete reminder <reminder-id>

# Aliases (use names instead of UUIDs)
ekctl alias set work "CALENDAR-UUID-HERE"
ekctl alias list
ekctl alias remove work

Workflow

1. First run: List calendars to get IDs: ekctl list calendars
2. Set aliases for frequently used calendars: ekctl alias set work <id>
3. Use aliases in commands: ekctl list events --calendar work --from ... --to ...

Quick Reminder Workflow

Adding a reminder requires a list ID. Here's the fastest path:

# 1. Find reminder lists (look for "type": "reminder")
ekctl list calendars

# 2. Add reminder with the list ID
ekctl add reminder --list "<LIST-ID>" --title "Do the thing" --due "2026-02-17T09:00:00Z"

Choosing between multiple lists: Users often have multiple "Reminders" lists from different sources (iCloud, Exchange, etc.). Prefer iCloud for personal reminders as it syncs across Apple devices.

Pro tip: Set an alias for your default reminder list to skip the lookup:

ekctl alias set reminders "YOUR-ICLOUD-REMINDERS-UUID"
# Then use: ekctl add reminder --list reminders --title "..."

Required Parameters

These parameters are mandatory (not optional):

Command	Required
add reminder	--list, --title
add event	--calendar, --title, --start, --end
list events	--calendar, --from, --to
list reminders	--list

ISO8601 Date Format

All dates MUST include the Z suffix: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ

⚠️ Common mistake: Dates without Z will fail silently or error.

# ❌ WRONG - these will fail
--due "2026-02-17"
--due "2026-02-17T09:00:00"

# ✅ CORRECT - always include Z
--due "2026-02-17T09:00:00Z"

Examples:

• 2026-02-03T09:00:00Z - 9 AM UTC on Feb 3, 2026
• 2026-02-03T00:00:00Z - Midnight UTC on Feb 3, 2026

Priority Values (Reminders)

• 0 - None
• 1 - High
• 5 - Medium
• 9 - Low

Output

All commands return JSON with "status": "success" or "status": "error".

Time Management Best Practices

Follow these rules when helping users manage their calendar:

Finding Available Slots

• Check ALL calendars when looking for free time—list calendars first, then query events from each one for the relevant time range
• Look at the full week when suggesting times, not just the requested day
• Avoid fragmented gaps—don't suggest a 30-min slot between two meetings; prefer contiguous free blocks
• Respect working hours—default to 9 AM - 6 PM unless the user specifies otherwise
• Protect lunch—avoid scheduling over 12 PM - 1 PM unless explicitly requested

Scheduling Events

• Add buffer time—leave 10-15 minutes between meetings for context switching
• Default to shorter durations—suggest 30 minutes for meetings unless the user specifies longer
• Group meetings together—when suggesting times, prefer slots adjacent to existing meetings to preserve larger focus blocks
• Morning for focus, afternoon for meetings—when the user has flexibility, suggest meetings in the afternoon to protect morning deep work time

Reminders

• Set appropriate lead times based on task type:
  • Video/phone calls: 5 minutes before
  • In-person meetings: 15-30 minutes before (account for travel)
  • Deadlines/tasks: 1 day before
• Include travel time for in-person meetings—ask about location and add buffer accordingly

Weekly Review

When asked about schedule or availability:

• Summarize the week's commitments
• Highlight unusually busy days
• Note large free blocks available for deep work