Creating email tasks in omnifocus

[abhishek]

What is the best way to create a task in omnifocus which links back to the email thread.

Can this be done automatically ?

[JKoopmans]

I would look at this:

iPad OS → drag-drop

MacOS → use keyboard maestro:

Mac Power Users 484: Unlocking Keyboard Maestro

I wanted to share a couple of my favorite KM macros. Some I’ve migrated over from Alfred for consolidation, others are ones that were just generally easier to do through KM. Copy link from Mail.app I have mapped ⌘ ⇧ C to “Copy link to message” in Mail.app. This way I can have a link going directly to an email in apps like Omnifocus [image] Switch to different audio output when USB device is detected I use an audio DAC at work so that I don’t have to hook up my headphones each time I dock…

[anon85228692]

Apple Mail on Mac has a service for that. Spark and Airmail do it as well, albeit with their own URL schemes. On iOS, you also have Dispatch which hasn’t been updated in ages but still (kinda) works.

[iPersuade]

On Mac: If @abhishek does not use Keyboard Maestro, OmniFocus has a service that allows you to do this. You can even set your preferred keyboard shortcut in OF’s options. It copies any selected text and attachments and includes a link back to the message. Check the preferences dialog and you’ll see.

[anon41602260]

On macOS:

In Mail, you can select the message and use Mail > Services > Omnifocus 3: Send to Inbox, which brings up the OF Quick Entry dialog. The dialog is pre-populated with message subject and message:// URL. (You might need to first activate that service in System Preferences.)

In Airmail there is an action available that operates with the select message, also bringing up the OF Quick Entry dialog pre-populated with the data and airmail:// link.

[Sander]

Do not forget the excellent Mailmate integration, which also creates message:// urls.

[anon41602260]

Thanks. Good to know. I’m not familiar with MailMate or Spark.

[JKoopmans]

I’ve actually never been able to get that to work since OS X Sierra.
(at least not work reliably)
That’s one of the reasons why I prefer the Keyboard Maestro option (apart from the sync to other machines option)

Also I just have a palette for mail that I use anyway, so it’s not really something extra

[iPersuade]

This is probably irrelevant to you b/c you have your KM palette set up the way you want it. So, I add this just for the general discussion surrounding OF’s built-in methodologies for accomplishing this.

Sometime since OF3, OmniFocus eliminated that old mailclipper (clip-o-tron?) and replaced it with a new system service. Maybe that’s where you were having the trouble. I had discovered this the hard way b/c the mail clipper stopped working for me.

The service has been working great for me. But the shortcut key has to be set up through system settings. From the OF manual:

Setting Up a Clippings Shortcut

At the bottom of [General preferences] in OmniFocus you’ll find a setting for the Clippings Shortcut. Click Set Shortcut to open these instructions as well as a window for the Keyboard section of macOS System Preferences.

Due to the macOS sandboxing security protocol, apps aren’t allowed to customize the keyboard shortcuts for their own services—such as the OmniFocus “Send to Inbox” service—which is why you need to do the rest of this on your own.

In that window, you’ll see two panes: on the left is a list of shortcut categories, and on the right is an outline of items within that category. In the left pane, click on Services , and on the right scroll down until you see the group of Text services . In there, you should see an item for the OmniFocus Send to Inbox service. Click that service, and an* add shortcut** button appears which you can use to assign a keyboard shortcut.

[JKoopmans]

Strange, this works on my iMac, but not on my macbook.
Will have to look at this in more detail
Thanks for the tip.

[abhishek]

This way we can do this manually one by one while checking the emails. Is there any ways to automate this ?