Widgets

Curio includes macOS Desktop and Notification Center widgets so you can keep an eye on your projects and tasks without switching to Curio.

Adding Widgets

To add a Curio widget:

  1. Right-click on the Desktop or open Notification Center.
  2. Click Edit Widgets.
  3. Search for Curio in the widget gallery.
  4. Choose a widget kind and size, then drag it onto your Desktop or Notification Center.

Curio offers two widget kinds: Query and Status.

Query Widget

The Query widget displays results from a specific Curio project query. Each widget instance is independently configured with a project and query string, so you can have multiple Query widgets showing different views of different projects.

Configuring a Query Widget

After adding a Query widget, right-click on it and choose Edit Query to configure:

  • Project: Choose from your open or recent Curio projects.
  • Query: Enter a Curio query string using the same query language used by Search and Quick Find.

Example queries:

#active due soon sort:priority
kind=image #reference
priority>3 group:priority sort:due_date

Widget Sizes

Size What it shows
Small Project name, query, and total item count. If grouped, shows counts per group.
Medium A few item rows with title, priority indicator, and sort-relevant detail.
Large More item rows with full detail lines showing progress, due dates, priority, and rating.

How It Works

When you configure a Query widget, it tells the running Curio app what project and query to execute. Curio runs the query, writes the results to a shared location, and the widget reads and displays them.

  • Results refresh automatically every 15 minutes and whenever you save the project.
  • If the project is not currently open in Curio, the widget shows the last known results. A timestamp appears when data is older than 15 minutes to communicate staleness.
  • Tapping an item in the widget opens Curio and navigates directly to that item.

Display Details

The Query widget adapts its display based on the query:

  • Grouped queries (e.g., group:priority) show section headers with item counts, just like the Status shelf.
  • Sort field (e.g., sort:due_date) determines what trailing detail appears next to each item in medium-size widgets.
  • Large widgets show a second detail line per item with a summary of progress, relative due date, priority, and rating — skipping fields that are already shown as the grouping.
  • Priority is shown as a color-coded dot: red (urgent), orange (high), yellow (medium), blue (low), gray (very low).
  • Empty results show a checkmark with “No matching items.”

Status Widget

The Status widget mirrors Curio’s Status shelf, showing tasks aggregated across all your projects in a single view. It is a zero-configuration widget — it automatically displays whatever the Status shelf is currently showing.

Important

The Status widget requires Curio Pro. Non-Pro users will see a “Curio Pro Feature” placeholder.

How It Works

Every time the Status shelf refreshes its task list, Curio writes the current results to a shared location that the Status widget reads. This means:

  • The widget reflects the same grouping and sorting you have selected in the Status shelf.
  • Changing the group or sort in the Status shelf updates the widget on its next refresh.
  • The category name (e.g., “All Projects” or a custom category) is shown in the widget header.
  • Tapping a task in the widget opens Curio and navigates directly to that item.

Widget Sizes

Size What it shows
Medium A compact view with up to 4 task rows and group headers.
Large An expanded view with up to 10 task rows and full detail lines showing progress, due dates, priority, and rating.

Note

The Status widget does not have a small size because task details need more room to be useful.

Getting Started

  1. Open Curio with one or more projects.
  2. Click the Status toolbar button to open the Status shelf.
  3. Choose your desired grouping and sorting from the Group By and Sort By popups.
  4. Add a Status widget from the widget gallery — it will show your current Status shelf view.

If Curio is not running or the Status shelf has not been opened yet, the widget shows “Waiting for Curio…” until data becomes available.

Tips

  • Multiple Query widgets: You can add several Query widgets with different projects and queries to build a personalized dashboard.
  • Staleness indicator: If a widget’s data is older than 15 minutes, a timestamp appears. If older than an hour, the timestamp turns orange.
  • Deep links: Every item row in both widget kinds is tappable and navigates directly to that item in Curio.
  • License changes: If you upgrade to Curio Pro, the Status widget will automatically update to show your tasks.

See Also