docs/plugin-development.md
This is a comprehensive documentation of the Super Productivity Plugin System. This guide covers everything you need to know about creating plugins for Super Productivity.
These docs might not always be perfectly up to date. You find the latest typescript interfaces here: types.ts
Personally I think the best way to figure out how to write a plugin is to check out the example plugins:
If you want to build a sophisticated UI there is a boilerplate available for solidjs: boilerplate-solid-js
my-plugin/
├── manifest.json # Plugin metadata (required)
├── plugin.js # Host-side plugin code (optional for iframe-only plugins)
├── index.html # UI interface (required when omitting plugin.js; requires iFrame:true in manifest)
└── icon.svg # Plugin icon (optional)
plugin.js is required for plugins that need host-side setup at plugin load time,
shortcuts, header buttons, background behavior, or host-side API handlers. A UI-only
iframe plugin can ship only manifest.json and index.html when the manifest sets
iFrame: true.
manifest.json:
{
"id": "hello-world",
"name": "Hello World Plugin",
"version": "1.0.0",
"description": "My first Super Productivity plugin",
"manifestVersion": 1,
"minSupVersion": "14.0.0"
}
plugin.js:
console.log('Hello World plugin loaded!');
// Show a notification
PluginAPI.showSnack({
msg: 'Hello from my plugin!',
type: 'SUCCESS',
});
// Demo a simple counter
await PluginAPI.setCounter('hello-count', 0);
PluginAPI.registerHeaderButton({
label: 'Hello (Count: 0)',
icon: 'waving_hand',
onClick: async () => {
const newCount = await PluginAPI.incrementCounter('hello-count');
PluginAPI.showSnack({
msg: `Button clicked! Count: ${newCount}`,
type: 'INFO',
});
},
});
The manifest.json file is required for all plugins and defines the plugin's metadata and configuration.
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
id | string | ✓ | Unique identifier for your plugin (use kebab-case) |
name | string | ✓ | Display name shown to users |
version | string | ✓ | Semantic version (e.g., "1.0.0") |
description | string | ✓ | Brief description of what your plugin does |
manifestVersion | number | ✓ | Currently must be 1 |
minSupVersion | string | ✓ | Minimum Super Productivity version required |
author | string | Plugin author name | |
homepage | string | Plugin website or repository URL | |
icon | string | Path to icon file (SVG recommended) | |
iFrame | boolean | Whether plugin uses iframe UI (default: false) | |
sidePanel | boolean | Show plugin in side panel (default: false), requires iFrame:true | |
permissions | string[] | The permissions the plugin needs | |
hooks | string[] | App events to listen to | |
uiKit | boolean | Enable UI Kit CSS reset for iframe plugins (default: true). Set to false to disable. |
{
"id": "my-advanced-plugin",
"name": "My Advanced Plugin",
"version": "2.1.0",
"description": "An advanced plugin with UI and hooks",
"manifestVersion": 1,
"minSupVersion": "14.0.2",
"author": "John Doe",
"homepage": "https://github.com/johndoe/my-plugin",
"icon": "icon.svg",
"iFrame": true,
"sidePanel": false,
"permissions": ["getTasks", "updateTask"],
"hooks": ["taskComplete", "taskUpdate", "currentTaskChange"]
}
plugin.js)Pure JavaScript plugins with full API access. These run in the host app's own
renderer (via new Function), not in a sandbox — plugin code shares the page's
context and can reach privileged host APIs, so only install plugins whose source you
trust (see Security Considerations).
Use when:
Example:
// Register multiple UI elements
PluginAPI.registerHeaderButton({
label: 'My Button',
icon: 'star',
onClick: async () => {
const tasks = await PluginAPI.getTasks();
console.log(`You have ${tasks.length} tasks`);
},
});
PluginAPI.registerHook(PluginAPI.Hooks.TASK_COMPLETE, (taskId) => {
console.log(`Task ${taskId} completed!`);
});
index.html)Plugins that render custom UI in a sandboxed iframe.
Use when:
Iframe-only plugins do not need a plugin.js file if all plugin behavior lives inside
index.html. Super Productivity automatically adds the default menu or side-panel entry
from the manifest when the plugin is loaded.
Important: Iframe plugins are served from a sandboxed blob document and talk to
the host only through the filtered Plugin API message bridge. Inline CSS, JavaScript,
and small assets directly in index.html; arbitrary extra files from the ZIP are not
served to the iframe. External URLs can work when the app/runtime CSP allows them, but
they are not part of the portable plugin contract.
Example index.html:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
<title>My Plugin UI</title>
<!-- CSS must be inlined. Theme variables and UI Kit are injected automatically. -->
<style>
body {
padding: var(--s3);
}
.task-list {
background: var(--card-bg);
border-radius: var(--card-border-radius);
padding: var(--s2);
box-shadow: var(--whiteframe-shadow-2dp);
}
.task-item {
padding: var(--s);
border-bottom: 1px solid var(--divider-color);
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1>My Plugin</h1>
<div id="content">
<button id="loadTasks">Load Tasks</button>
<div
id="taskList"
class="task-list"
></div>
</div>
<!-- JavaScript must be inlined -->
<script>
document.getElementById('loadTasks').addEventListener('click', async () => {
try {
const tasks = await PluginAPI.getTasks();
const taskList = document.getElementById('taskList');
taskList.innerHTML = '<h3>Your Tasks:</h3>';
tasks.forEach((task) => {
const taskEl = document.createElement('div');
taskEl.className = 'task-item';
taskEl.textContent = task.title;
taskList.appendChild(taskEl);
});
PluginAPI.showSnack({
msg: `Loaded ${tasks.length} tasks`,
type: 'SUCCESS',
});
} catch (error) {
console.error('Error loading tasks:', error);
PluginAPI.showSnack({
msg: 'Failed to load tasks',
type: 'ERROR',
});
}
});
</script>
</body>
</html>
Iframe plugins automatically receive:
CSS variables — All theme variables (colors, spacing, shadows, transitions) are injected as CSS custom properties on :root. Use var(--c-primary), var(--bg), var(--text-color), etc.
UI Kit CSS reset — By default, basic HTML elements (button, input, select, textarea, table, a, h1–h6, p, code, pre, hr, etc.) are styled to match the app's look. This is injected before your plugin's own styles, so your CSS always wins.
To disable the UI Kit, add "uiKit": false to your manifest.
Button variants:
<button> — Neutral card-background button with border<button class="btn-primary"> — Filled primary-color button (white text)<button class="btn-outline"> — Transparent button with primary-color border and text, fills on hoverCard component:
<div class="card"> — Card with background, shadow, rounded corners, and border<div class="card card-clickable"> — Adds hover lift effect and primary border highlightUtility classes:
.text-muted — Muted text color (var(--text-color-muted)).text-primary — Primary theme color (var(--c-primary)).page-fade — Fade-in animation (0.3s ease)Key CSS variables:
--bg, --bg-darker — Background colors--text-color, --text-color-muted — Text colors--c-primary, --c-accent, --c-warn — Theme colors--card-bg, --card-shadow, --card-border-radius — Card styling--divider-color — Border/divider color--s, --s2, --s3, --s4, --s-half, --s-quarter — Spacing scale--transition-standard — Standard transition--font-primary-stack — App font stack--whiteframe-shadow-1dp through --whiteframe-shadow-24dp — Elevation shadows--is-dark-theme — 1 if dark theme, 0 if lightgetTasks() - Get all active tasksgetArchivedTasks() - Get archived tasksgetCurrentContextTasks() - Get tasks in current contextgetSelectedTask() - Get the task selected in the task detail panel, or nullgetFocusedTask() - Get the currently focused task row, or null. Task-row focus is cleared when focus moves elsewhere, including into iframe side panels; use getSelectedTask() for persistent side-panel task context.addTask(task) - Create a new taskupdateTask(taskId, updates) - Update existing taskgetAppState() - Get the current application state (read-only; returns PluginAppState). An overview of the data returned is the JSON file exported via Settings > Sync & Backup > Import/Export > Export data. Example: const state = await PluginAPI.getAppState();getAllProjects() - Get all projectsaddProject(project) - Create new projectupdateProject(projectId, updates) - Update projectgetAllTags() - Get all tagsaddTag(tag) - Create new tagupdateTag(tagId, updates) - Update tagSimple counters let you track lightweight metrics (e.g., daily clicks or habits) that persist and sync with your data. There are two levels: basic (key-value pairs for today's count) and full model (full CRUD on SimpleCounter entities with date-specific values).
These treat counters as a simple { [id: string]: number } map for today's values (auto-upserts via NgRx).
| Method | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
getAllCounters() | Get all counters as { [id: string]: number } | const counters = await PluginAPI.getAllCounters(); console.log(counters['my-key']); |
getCounter(id) | Get today's value for a counter (returns null if unset) | const val = await PluginAPI.getCounter('daily-commits'); |
setCounter(id, value) | Set today's value (non-negative number; validates id regex /^[A-Za-z0-9_-]+$/) | await PluginAPI.setCounter('daily-commits', 5); |
incrementCounter(id, incrementBy = 1) | Increment and return new value (floors at 0) | const newVal = await PluginAPI.incrementCounter('daily-commits', 2); |
decrementCounter(id, decrementBy = 1) | Decrement and return new value (floors at 0) | const newVal = await PluginAPI.decrementCounter('daily-commits'); |
deleteCounter(id) | Delete the counter | await PluginAPI.deleteCounter('daily-commits'); |
Example:
// Track daily commits
let commits = (await PluginAPI.getCounter('daily-commits')) ?? 0;
await PluginAPI.incrementCounter('daily-commits');
PluginAPI.showSnack({
msg: `Commits today: ${await PluginAPI.getCounter('daily-commits')}`,
type: 'INFO',
});
For advanced use: Full CRUD on counters with metadata (title, enabled state, date-specific values via countOnDay: { [date: string]: number }).
| Method | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
getAllSimpleCounters() | Get all as SimpleCounter[] | const all = await PluginAPI.getAllSimpleCounters(); |
getSimpleCounter(id) | Get one by id (returns undefined if not found) | const counter = await PluginAPI.getSimpleCounter('my-id'); |
updateSimpleCounter(id, updates) | Partial update (e.g., { title: 'New Title', countOnDay: { '2025-11-17': 10 } }) | await PluginAPI.updateSimpleCounter('my-id', { isEnabled: false }); |
toggleSimpleCounter(id) | Toggle isOn state (throws if not found) | await PluginAPI.toggleSimpleCounter('my-id'); |
setSimpleCounterEnabled(id, isEnabled) | Set enabled state | await PluginAPI.setSimpleCounterEnabled('my-id', true); |
deleteSimpleCounter(id) | Delete by id | await PluginAPI.deleteSimpleCounter('my-id'); |
setSimpleCounterToday(id, value) | Set today's value (YYYY-MM-DD) | await PluginAPI.setSimpleCounterToday('my-id', 10); |
setSimpleCounterDate(id, date, value) | Set value for specific date (validates YYYY-MM-DD) | await PluginAPI.setSimpleCounterDate('my-id', '2025-11-16', 5); |
Example:
// Create/update a habit counter
await PluginAPI.updateSimpleCounter('habit-streak', {
title: 'Daily Streak',
type: 'ClickCounter',
isEnabled: true,
countOnDay: { '2025-11-17': 1 }, // Today's count
});
await PluginAPI.toggleSimpleCounter('habit-streak');
const counter = await PluginAPI.getSimpleCounter('habit-streak');
console.log(`Streak on: ${counter.isOn}`);
// Show snackbar notification
PluginAPI.showSnack({
msg: 'Operation completed!',
type: 'SUCCESS', // SUCCESS, ERROR, INFO, WARNING
ico: 'check', // Optional Material icon
actionStr: 'Undo', // Optional action button
actionFn: () => console.log('Undo clicked'),
});
// System notification
PluginAPI.notify({
title: 'Task Complete',
body: 'Great job!',
ico: 'done',
});
// Open a dialog
const result = await PluginAPI.openDialog({
title: 'Confirm Action',
htmlContent: '<p>Are you sure?</p>',
buttons: [{ label: 'No' }, { label: 'Yes', color: 'primary', raised: true }],
});
if (result === 'Yes') {
// Continue with the confirmed action
}
openDialog() resolves with the clicked button label. If the user dismisses
the dialog without clicking a button, it resolves with undefined. The legacy
content, okBtnLabel, and cancelBtnLabel fields are still accepted, but new
plugins should use htmlContent and buttons.
PluginAPI.registerHeaderButton({
id: 'my-header-btn', // Optional unique ID
label: 'Click Me',
icon: 'star', // Material icon name
onClick: () => {
console.log('Header button clicked');
},
});
PluginAPI.registerMenuEntry({
label: 'My Plugin Action',
icon: 'extension',
onClick: () => {
console.log('Menu item clicked');
},
});
PluginAPI.registerSidePanelButton({
label: 'My Panel',
icon: 'dashboard',
onClick: () => {
PluginAPI.showIndexHtmlAsView();
},
});
PluginAPI.registerShortcut({
keys: 'ctrl+shift+p',
label: 'My Plugin Shortcut',
action: () => {
console.log('Shortcut triggered');
},
});
// Available hooks
const hooks = {
TASK_COMPLETE: 'taskComplete',
TASK_UPDATE: 'taskUpdate',
TASK_DELETE: 'taskDelete',
CURRENT_TASK_CHANGE: 'currentTaskChange',
FINISH_DAY: 'finishDay',
LANGUAGE_CHANGE: 'languageChange',
PERSISTED_DATA_CHANGED: 'persistedDataChanged',
ACTION: 'action',
};
PERSISTED_DATA_CHANGED fires whenever this plugin's persisted data
changes — local writes, remote sync deliveries, and bulk imports —
after the host has finished its initial boot load. The handler
receives no payload; re-call loadSyncedData(key?) for any key your
plugin tracks to get fresh data. There is no replay-on-register and no
guaranteed ordering across rapid changes, so handlers must be
idempotent. The typical pattern is: call loadSyncedData() once on
plugin init, then subscribe to this hook for subsequent updates.
// Register hook listener
PluginAPI.registerHook(PluginAPI.Hooks.TASK_COMPLETE, (taskId) => {
console.log(`Task ${taskId} completed!`);
});
// Listen to Redux actions
PluginAPI.registerHook(PluginAPI.Hooks.ACTION, (action) => {
if (action.type === 'ADD_TASK_SUCCESS') {
console.log('New task added:', action.payload);
// Bonus: Increment a counter on task add
PluginAPI.incrementCounter('tasks-added-today');
}
});
You can persist data that will also be synced via the persistDataSynced and
loadSyncedData APIs. Host-side plugin.js code can use localStorage for
data that should stay local. Iframe plugins should prefer the synced
persistence APIs because sandboxed iframe origins may not have reliable access
to browser storage.
// Save plugin data
await PluginAPI.persistDataSynced(JSON.stringify({ count: 42 }));
// Load saved data
const data = await PluginAPI.loadSyncedData();
console.log(data); // '{ count: 42 }'
For credentials — IMAP/SMTP passwords, API tokens, app passwords — use
setSecret / getSecret / deleteSecret. Secrets are stored local-only:
they are never synced, exported, or included in backups, and each plugin can
only read its own keys.
// Store a credential (key must be a non-empty string)
await PluginAPI.setSecret('imapPassword', 'app-password-123');
// Read it back when you need to connect
const pw = await PluginAPI.getSecret('imapPassword'); // string | null
// Remove it (e.g. when the user disconnects)
await PluginAPI.deleteSecret('imapPassword');
Rules of thumb:
persistDataSynced or in issue-provider
config — those sync to the server and land in exports/backups. Keep only
non-secret connection details there (host, port, username, filters) and put
the password/token in secret storage.Issue-provider plugins get the same secret API (an issue provider is a normal
plugin that also calls registerIssueProvider). Your definition callbacks
(getHeaders, getById, searchIssues, …) run in your plugin's context, so
they can read secrets directly:
PluginAPI.registerIssueProvider({
// Declare only NON-secret fields here — their values are stored in the
// synced issue-provider config:
configFields: [
{ key: 'host', type: 'text', label: 'Host' },
{ key: 'username', type: 'text', label: 'Username' },
],
// getHeaders may return a Promise, so read the credential from secret
// storage instead of from `config`:
async getHeaders(config) {
const token = await PluginAPI.getSecret('apiToken');
return token ? { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` } : {};
},
async getById(issueId, config, http) {
/* ... http call uses the headers above ... */
},
// ...
});
The host passes only the synced config into these callbacks — there is no
secret parameter, and the declarative configFields form always writes to the
synced config. So collect the secret through your own UI (a config dialog
registered via registerConfigHandler, or a side panel) and store it with
setSecret there; do not add the credential as a configFields entry.
Plugins with "permissions": ["nodeExecution"] can run Node.js scripts in the Electron
desktop app after the user allows the desktop permission prompt.
Both built-in and uploaded (community) plugins may request nodeExecution. The grant is
issued by the Electron main process after a native consent dialog and is bound to the
plugin id. For uploaded plugins the app cannot verify the manifest, so the dialog flags
the plugin as unverified third-party code with full machine access that Super Productivity
cannot sandbox, and defaults to Deny — only allow plugins whose source you trust. If
the user denies, the plugin stays enabled but its node calls fail until it is re-enabled.
Consent handling differs by plugin type:
Allow is not asked again on the next launch). The
consent is never synced — granting on one device does not auto-grant on another;
the other device prompts afresh on first node use. Consent is automatically cleared
(forcing a fresh prompt) when you disable, uninstall, or re-upload the
plugin, so replacing a plugin's code under the same id always re-asks. To revoke access
without removing the plugin, simply disable it.sync-md) keep the per-session prompt and are not persisted.Plugin id constraints (for
nodeExecution): the consent grant keys on your manifestid, so it must be a single safe token — no whitespace, control/bidi characters,:, path separators (/,\), and at most 100 characters. Lowercase kebab-case is recommended; dots and uppercase are accepted.
Security note: a granted
nodeExecutionplugin can run any program with full access to your files and system. The file/IPC channel a plugin uses to talk to a companion process is an open local channel — treat any data it reads as untrusted input (nevereval/requireits contents).
const result = await plugin.executeNodeScript({
script: `
const os = require('os');
return os.hostname();
`,
timeout: 5000,
});
if (result.success) {
console.log('Hostname:', result.result);
}
Important — use plugin.onReady() for startup calls:
executeNodeScript requires the Electron IPC bridge to be available. On cold boot this
bridge may not be ready when plugin.js first runs. Always put executeNodeScript calls
(and any other startup init code) inside plugin.onReady():
// ❌ May fail on cold boot
const result = await plugin.executeNodeScript({ script: 'return true' });
// ✅ Correct — fires after the bridge is confirmed available
plugin.onReady(async () => {
const result = await plugin.executeNodeScript({ script: 'return true' });
});
plugin.onReady(fn) fires after plugin.js has fully evaluated and the app has
confirmed the Node.js IPC bridge is responding (with automatic retry). If the bridge is
unavailable after retries, an error is shown in the plugin management UI and onReady does
not fire.
You can also use onReady for any other startup work that should run after the plugin
script has finished setting up its hooks and registrations — not just for nodeExecution.
Iframe plugins: PluginAPI.onReady() is available inside index.html. It fires on
the next microtask after the callback is registered — without an IPC bridge ping. This is
fine in practice because iframe plugins are rendered on user navigation (well after host
startup). Iframe API calls still go through the host bridge when they are made;
cold-boot bridge pings are only performed for host-side plugin code.
Clean up with plugin.onUnload():
Code-based plugins (plugin.js) run directly in the app's renderer, so timers and
listeners they create are not cleaned up automatically when the plugin is disabled,
reloaded, or uninstalled — a setInterval started by your plugin keeps firing until the
app is fully reloaded. Register a teardown callback to clear them yourself:
const intervalId = setInterval(doWork, 60000);
plugin.onUnload(() => {
clearInterval(intervalId);
// also: removeEventListener, speechSynthesis.cancel(), close connections, …
});
The host invokes the callback at the start of plugin teardown, while the Plugin API is
still usable for calls like persisting data — but don't register new hooks or listeners
from inside it (the plugin is going away; re-registering onUnload there is ignored).
The returned promise is not awaited — do synchronous cleanup (clearInterval etc.)
before any await, since teardown continues immediately. Registering again replaces the
previous callback, so register once and do all cleanup there. Errors thrown by the
callback are logged and do not block teardown.
Plugins distributed independently of the app should feature-detect it
(if (plugin.onUnload) { ... }) — hosts predating the hook don't provide it.
Iframe plugins: onUnload exists but is a no-op — the host unmounts the iframe on
unload, which takes its timers and listeners with it. Don't rely on it for unload-time
persistence in iframes; persist when the data changes instead.
console.logs should be kept to a minimum.
<!-- Portable: Everything needed by the iframe is in index.html -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
/* All styles here */
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div id="app"></div>
<script>
// All JavaScript here
</script>
</body>
</html>
Plugins are not strongly sandboxed from the host — installing a plugin means trusting its code with your data:
plugin.js) plugins run in the host app's renderer via new Function,
in the same context as the app. They can reach privileged host APIs (including, on
desktop, window.ea).allow-same-origin sandbox flag (required so the UI
paints on the packaged file:// desktop build). Being same-origin, they can read
window.parent.ea directly, so the postMessage bridge is a convenience, not a hard
security boundary.executeNodeScript(), which stays
gated by an explicit main-process consent prompt (nodeExecution permission). This is
the only sanctioned way for a plugin to run native code.window.ea.exec(): the old IPC that ran arbitrary shell commands via
child_process.exec (reachable by any plugin/iframe/XSS, bypassing the nodeExecution
consent) was removed. Legacy COMMAND task attachments no longer execute.Only install plugins from sources you trust, and read the code first.
Iframe plugins receive a filtered window.PluginAPI object injected into index.html.
The iframe can use the injected task/project/tag APIs, dialog and notification APIs,
navigation helpers, persistence helpers, counters, action dispatch, registerHook(),
and registerWorkContextHeaderButton(). Callback-heavy registration methods such as
registerHeaderButton(), registerMenuEntry(), registerSidePanelButton(),
registerShortcut(), and registerConfigHandler() must be registered from
host-side plugin.js code. APIs not injected into the iframe are unavailable, even if
they exist on the host-side plugin bridge.
executeNodeScript() is proxied through the host bridge for iframe plugins when
the desktop app grants the plugin nodeExecution permission.
allow-same-origin (required so the UI paints on the
packaged file:// desktop build; an opaque-origin iframe stays blank — see #8467)window.parent.ea directly;
the filtered postMessage bridge is the intended API, not an enforced boundaryapp:// scheme) is
tracked separately// Add debug logging
const DEBUG = true;
function log(...args) {
if (DEBUG) {
console.log('[MyPlugin]', ...args);
}
}
// Test API methods
async function testAPI() {
log('Testing getTasks...');
const tasks = await PluginAPI.getTasks();
log('Tasks:', tasks);
log('Testing showSnack...');
PluginAPI.showSnack({
msg: 'API test successful!',
type: 'SUCCESS',
});
}
Plugin not loading:
API methods failing:
executeNodeScript fails on startup or cold boot, wrap your init code in
plugin.onReady(async () => { ... }) — this ensures the Node.js bridge is ready before
your code runsIframe not displaying:
If you create a useful plugin, consider:
Happy plugin development! 🚀
Ctrl+Shift+i opens the console) and iterate until it works. Don't expect that everything works on your first try.Can you you write me a plugin for Super Productivity that plays a beep sound every time i click on a header button (You need to add a header button via PluginAPI.registerHeaderButton).
Here are the docs: https://github.com/super-productivity/super-productivity/blob/master/docs/plugin-development.md
Don't use any PluginAPI methods that are not listed in the guide.
Please give me the output as flat zip file to download.