Natural Language Features
DuckTape's core strength is its ability to understand natural language commands. This guide explains how to use natural language with DuckTape and provides examples of what you can do.
How It Works
DuckTape uses AI language models to parse your natural language commands and convert them into structured actions. This allows you to interact with your Apple Calendar, Reminders, and Notes using everyday language rather than memorizing specific command syntax.
🦆 DuckTape breaks down your natural language command, determines your intent, extracts important entities like dates and names, and then executes the appropriate action.
Command Structure
To use natural language features, simply start DuckTape and type your request as you would speak it:
Tips for Clear Commands
While DuckTape is designed to understand a wide range of expressions, these tips can help ensure your commands are understood correctly:
- Be specific about dates, times, and durations
- Mention the calendar or reminder list name if you're not using the default
- Include key information like attendees, location, and purpose
- Use clear action verbs: "schedule," "create," "add," "remind," etc.
Natural Language Capabilities
DuckTape can understand a wide variety of date and time expressions:
- Relative dates: "tomorrow," "next Tuesday," "in 3 days"
- Specific dates: "January 15th," "11/20/2025"
- Time expressions: "3pm," "15:30," "morning," "noon"
- Duration: "for 1 hour," "30 minutes," "all day"
- Combined: "next Monday at 9am for 2 hours"
Examples:
- "Schedule a dentist appointment next Friday at 2pm"
- "Add a meeting on March 15th from 10am to noon"
- "Remind me about the presentation tomorrow morning"
DuckTape can understand and create recurring events with various patterns:
- Weekly: "every Monday," "weekly"
- Monthly: "first Tuesday of every month," "monthly"
- Yearly: "annually," "every year on March 15th"
- Custom: "every other Friday," "every weekday"
- With end dates: "weekly until December," "every Monday for the next 10 weeks"
Examples:
- "Schedule a team meeting every Tuesday at 10am"
- "Set up a monthly budget review on the first Monday of each month"
- "Add a reminder to pay rent on the 1st of every month"
DuckTape can target specific calendars and reminder lists:
- Calendar selection: "add to my Work calendar," "in my Personal calendar"
- List selection: "add a reminder to my Shopping list," "in my Personal reminders"
- Contextual selection: DuckTape can infer the appropriate calendar based on the event type
Examples:
- "Add a doctor's appointment to my Health calendar for next Tuesday"
- "Schedule a team meeting in my Work calendar every Monday"
- "Add 'buy milk' to my Groceries reminder list"
DuckTape can handle meeting invitations and attendees:
- Adding attendees: "with John and Sarah," "invite the marketing team"
- Email invites: "invite john@example.com and sarah@example.com"
Examples:
- "Schedule a product review tomorrow at 3pm with the design team"
- "Create a meeting for next Monday at 9am inviting john@example.com and mark@example.com"
Example Commands by Category
Calendar Commands
| Action | Example Command | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Create an event | "Schedule a team meeting tomorrow at 3pm" | Basic event creation |
| Create with duration | "Add a dentist appointment next Thursday from 2pm to 3:30pm" | Specifies start and end times |
| Create with location | "Schedule lunch at Mamma Mia Restaurant on Friday at noon" | Includes location information |
| Create recurring event | "Set up a weekly team standup every Monday at 9:30am" | Creates a recurring event |
| Create with attendees | "Schedule a product review with Sarah and John next Tuesday" | Adds attendees to the invitation |
Reminder Commands
| Action | Example Command | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Create a reminder | "Remind me to call Mom tomorrow" | Basic reminder creation |
| Create with time | "Remind me to take my medication at 8pm" | Includes specific time |
| Create with list | "Add milk to my Shopping list" | Specifies the reminder list |
| Create recurring | "Remind me to water plants every Tuesday and Friday" | Creates a recurring reminder |
| Create with priority | "Add high priority reminder to submit report by Friday" | Sets reminder priority |
Note Commands
| Action | Example Command | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Create a note | "Create a note about project ideas" | Basic note creation |
| Take meeting notes | "Take notes for today's team meeting" | Creates a structured meeting note |
| Add to note | "Add to my shopping list note: eggs, milk, bread" | Appends content to an existing note |
| Find notes | "Find my notes about the marketing project" | Searches for specific notes |
Advanced Language Features
Context Retention
DuckTape remembers context from previous commands, allowing for more natural conversations about related tasks.
You: Schedule a meeting with John
DuckTape: When would you like to schedule this meeting?
You: Tomorrow at 2pm
DuckTape: Creating meeting with John for tomorrow at 2:00 PM...
Clarification Questions
When information is missing, DuckTape will ask for clarification to complete your request properly.
You: Create a recurring meeting
DuckTape: What day and time would you like for this recurring meeting?
You: Every Monday at 10am
DuckTape: Creating recurring meeting for every Monday at 10:00 AM...
Calendar Conflicts
DuckTape can detect scheduling conflicts and suggest alternatives based on your calendar.
You: Schedule a meeting tomorrow at 2pm
DuckTape: You already have an event "Budget Review" at that time. Would you like to schedule for 3:00 PM instead?
You: Yes, that works
DuckTape: Creating meeting for tomorrow at 3:00 PM...