Action items
Action item operations work with the four kinds of item TalkBar tracks: tasks, follow-ups, questions and decisions. An item belongs to a session, a project or General, and can point at the moment in a session it came from. Every operation also takes an optional workspaceId. See How to read this reference for the conventions.
| Operation | Kind | Tool | On | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
action_items.list | Read | talkbar_read | On | content |
action_items.get | Read | talkbar_read | On | content |
action_items.create | Write | talkbar_change | Off | contentChanges |
action_items.update | Write | talkbar_change | Off | contentChanges |
action_items.set_status | Write | talkbar_change | Off | contentChanges |
action_items.remove | Write | talkbar_delete | Off | contentChanges |
Statuses by type
| Type | Statuses |
|---|---|
task | open, done |
follow_up | open, done |
question | open, answered |
decision | active, superseded |
action_items.list
Lists action items: tasks, follow-ups, questions and decisions. Filter by session, project, series, General, type, status, assignee or text.
Read · runs with talkbar_read · MCP switch On by default · policy group content
Arguments
Only the items of this session. With it, projectId, seriesId, generalOnly and includeStopped are ignored.
Only items of this project.
Only items of this series.
Only items in General (not tied to a project). Cannot be combined with projectId or seriesId.
Only these types: task, follow_up, question, decision.
Only these statuses: open, done, answered, active, superseded.
Only items assigned to these people.
Text to find in titles and details.
Also list carried-over items that were stopped.
How many to return. From 1 to 200. Default 50.
Returns: {items: [{itemId, itemType, label, title, status, dueAtMs, sessionId, sessionTitle, projectId, assignees, anchor, updatedAt}]}. anchor ({turnId, pointId, atMs} or null) is the moment an item is tied to.
- Resolved items (done, answered, superseded) sort last. Type and status values outside the lists above match nothing.
{"tool": "action_items.list", "args": {"projectId": "proj_456", "statuses": ["open"]}}
action_items.get
Reads one action item with its details, assignees, status and sources.
Read · runs with talkbar_read · MCP switch On by default · policy group content
Arguments
The action item, from action_items.list.
Returns: {itemId, itemType, labelId, label, title, details, status, dueAtMs, answer, sessionId, sessionTitle, projectId, assignees: [{name, contactId}], origin, sources, resolvedAtMs, createdAt, updatedAt}. sources lists the quotes and moments the item comes from.
action_items.create
Adds an action item to a session, a project or General. Works while the session records, and shows live.
Write · runs with talkbar_change · MCP switch Off by default · policy group contentChanges
Arguments
What needs doing. Must not be empty.
Add it to this session. Without projectId, it takes the session's project.
Add it to this project. With neither sessionId nor projectId, it goes to General.
One of task, follow_up, question, decision. Default task.
A label (such as Idea or Blocker) for the item, by id; action_items.get shows an item's labelId. Each label belongs to one item type.
More detail.
One of open, done, answered, active, superseded, as allowed for the type. Default open (active for a decision).
Due date in epoch ms (tasks and follow-ups only). null for none.
The answer (questions only).
Who it is for: names, or {name, contactId} objects with a non-empty name.
A transcript turn (sessions.transcript with format: "json"). Ties the item to a moment in its session. Needs sessionId.
A live transcript chunk (sessions.transcript with format: "json"). Ties the item to a moment in its session. Needs sessionId.
A timeline point (sessions.timeline). Cannot be combined with turnId or chunkId. Ties the item to a moment in its session. Needs sessionId.
A moment in ms from the session start. With a turn, chunk or point it must fall inside it; while recording it cannot be later than now. Ties the item to a moment in its session. Needs sessionId.
The words the item is about. On its own, it finds the one turn holding those words. Ties the item to a moment in its session. Needs sessionId.
Returns: The item, as action_items.get returns it; in a session, also sessionStatus (and a warning when the session was interrupted or TalkBar is not running).
- An id the session does not have is refused with
invalid_arguments. - A due date on a question or decision, or an answer on anything but a question, is refused.
- The item keeps its moment as well as the ids, so the app still places it after the transcript is enhanced.
{"tool": "action_items.create", "args": {"sessionId": "ses_123", "title": "Send revised quote", "itemType": "follow_up", "assignees": ["Dana Lee"], "quote": "send you a revised quote"}}
action_items.update
Changes an action item's title, details, type, label, status, due date, answer or assignees.
Write · runs with talkbar_change · MCP switch Off by default · policy group contentChanges
Arguments
The action item, from action_items.list.
The new title. Must not be empty.
More detail. null clears it.
One of task, follow_up, question, decision.
A label (such as Idea or Blocker) for the item, by id; action_items.get shows an item's labelId. Each label belongs to one item type.
One of open, done, answered, active, superseded, as allowed for the type.
Due date in epoch ms. null clears it.
The answer (questions only). null clears it.
Replaces the assignees: names, or {name, contactId} objects.
Returns: The item, as action_items.get returns it.
- Give at least one field.
action_items.set_status
Completes or reopens an action item, with an optional answer.
Write · runs with talkbar_change · MCP switch Off by default · policy group contentChanges
Arguments
The action item, from action_items.list.
The new status. Tasks and follow-ups: open or done. Questions: open or answered. Decisions: active or superseded.
An answer to record (questions).
Returns: The item, as action_items.get returns it.
- A status the type does not allow is refused with
invalid_arguments, listing the allowed ones.
{"tool": "action_items.set_status", "args": {"itemId": "ai_42", "status": "done"}}
action_items.remove
Removes an action item from its board, as the app does: an item you added is deleted, an item from a summary is dismissed.
Write · runs with talkbar_delete · MCP switch Off by default · policy group contentChanges
Arguments
The action item, from action_items.list.
Returns: {removed: true, itemId, sessionId, projectId}, plus sessionStatus for a session item.
- There is no Trash for action items: a second remove is
not_found. - Runs with
talkbar_delete: confirmed with you when your AI app can ask; apps that cannot ask are refused unless Allow deletes without confirmation is on.
Related
Examples
Practical TalkBar MCP and CLI walkthroughs with real requests and responses, from asking about last week's sessions to bookmarking a live recording.
Calendar and series
MCP and CLI operations to list, schedule, prepare, move, snooze, skip and cancel planned meetings, and to manage session series and their schedules.