Drain Google Keep into tasks¶

This guide drains Google Keep inbox notes into gkeep_inbox.md as Obsidian tasks. A note is archived in Keep only after its current content is verified in the vault. Keep never deletes the note.

Before you start¶

Install the CLI and point it at your vault. Add a gkeep: block to ~/.config/bob/config.yml (or $BOB_CONFIG_FILE):

gkeep:
  email: user@example.com
  token_command: pass show gkeep/master_token
  token_store_command: pass insert -m -f gkeep/master_token

email must be the Google account that owns the notes. The token commands print and store a master token (aas_et/…); they never put the token on argv. uv must be on PATH so the adapter can run. Tests and this page use synthetic names; do not paste a live cookie into a log or ticket.

1. Store the master token and check the setup¶

bob gkeep login
bob gkeep doctor -b /path/to/vault

login reads a Google sign-in cookie from a hidden TTY prompt (or stdin when stdin is not a TTY), exchanges it for a master token, stores that token, then checks Keep reachability. doctor walks config, account, token, adapter, Keep, the target note, and git. Confirm every check is ok or an explained skip. Exit 2 with a login hint means the stored value is missing or is still a sign-in cookie.

2. Inspect the Keep and vault inboxes¶

bob gkeep -b /path/to/vault

Output

Keep
REF      AGE  KIND  STATE  NOTE
3f9c2e1  2d   note  new    Buy milk
a1b2c3d  5h   note  pinned Weekly plan

Vault · gkeep_inbox.md
AGE  STATUS  TASK
3d   [ ]     Call the bank

1 new · 1 pinned · → bob gkeep pull

Confirm each STATE. new and revised notes are written on pull. pending notes are already in the vault and archive only. pinned and shared stay in Keep unless you pass --include-pinned, --include-shared, or -i REF. bob gkeep list -s vault skips the network.

3. Preview the Markdown, then write without archiving¶

bob gkeep pull -d -b /path/to/vault

The dry run prints the exact Markdown a pull would write and changes nothing. It still snapshots Keep. Confirm the previewed task text.

bob gkeep pull -n -b /path/to/vault

-n writes and verifies tasks, then leaves notes in Keep. Open gkeep_inbox.md and confirm the new checkbox lines.

4. Pull and archive¶

bob gkeep pull -b /path/to/vault

Confirm the command exits 0 and bob gkeep reports ✓ Keep inbox is clear (pinned or shared notes may remain). A Git vault also gets a scoped commit of the target note plus import receipts. A URL-only Keep note clips into the reading queue during this pull instead of becoming a task; see Save a link to your reading queue.

If it goes wrong¶

Exit 2 is setup: missing config, no token, unknown -i, or a missing target note. Run bob gkeep doctor and bob gkeep login. Exit 1 is a runtime failure (auth, network, adapter, lock, verify, or commit). Notes edited in Keep during the pull stay in Keep. Retry after the reported step is fixed; leave any receipts from the failed attempt in place. Pass -i REF from bob gkeep list to pull one note.