# OmniFocus MCP Inbox Task Creation Bug
## Summary
Creating tasks without specifying a `projectName` fails in OmniFocus MCP v1.8.3. The server incorrectly passes the Inbox object as a position parameter to the Task constructor.
## Affected Version
- **MCP Server**: `omnifocus-mcp-enhanced` v1.8.3
- **Node Version**: v23.7.0
- **Platform**: darwin (macOS)
## Error Message
```
Failed to create task: Error adding task: Error: Task constructor argument "position"
at index 1 requires a value of type Project, Task, or Task.ChildInsertionLocation,
but was given a value of type Inbox
```
## Reproduction Steps
1. Call `add_omnifocus_task` without a `projectName`:
```json
{
"name": "Test task",
"deferDate": "2026-01-03T09:00:00",
"dueDate": "2026-01-03T10:00:00"
}
```
2. Same error occurs with `batch_add_items`:
```json
{
"items": [{
"type": "task",
"name": "Test task",
"deferDate": "2026-01-03T09:00:00",
"dueDate": "2026-01-03T10:00:00"
}]
}
```
## Root Cause (Suspected)
The OmniFocus JavaScript API's `Task` constructor accepts these position types:
- `Project`
- `Task` (for subtasks)
- `Task.ChildInsertionLocation`
The `Inbox` object is **not** a valid position type. The MCP server code likely does something like:
```javascript
// Broken - Inbox is not a valid position
new Task(name, inbox)
// Should be - add to inbox differently
inbox.add(new Task(name))
// or
new Task(name, inbox.beginning) // if Inbox supports ChildInsertionLocation
```
## Workaround
Always specify a `projectName` when creating tasks:
```json
{
"name": "Test task",
"projectName": "My Project",
"deferDate": "2026-01-03T09:00:00"
}
```
This works correctly.
## Impact
- Cannot create tasks directly to Inbox via MCP
- Affects both `add_omnifocus_task` and `batch_add_items` tools
- Skills that rely on inbox task creation will fail
## Status
- [ ] Reported to maintainer
- [ ] Fix verified
## Related
- Previous bug: Date parsing issue (fixed in v1.8.3)
- MCP repo: https://github.com/jqlts1/omnifocus-mcp-enhanced
---
*Documented: 2026-01-03*
