TaskNotes Documentation
TaskNotes turns Obsidian notes into a task management system. Each task is a Markdown file with structured metadata in YAML frontmatter, so your data stays portable, searchable, and entirely yours. Obsidian Base views act as workspaces for TaskNotes: filter, sort, group, and take action on your tasks without leaving Obsidian.
Your tasks live next to your notes, not in a separate app. That closeness is what makes TaskNotes powerful.
Requirements
TaskNotes requires Obsidian 1.10.1 or later and depends on the Bases core plugin. Before you begin, open Settings > Core Plugins and confirm that Bases is enabled.
Getting Started
1. Install and Enable
Install TaskNotes from Community Plugins in Obsidian settings, then enable it. If Bases is not enabled yet, turn it on now so TaskNotes views work correctly.
2. Pick a Workflow
TaskNotes supports four fundamental modes of knowledge work, and most people blend them:
- Records & Registers. Maintain a body of knowledge — compliance controls, document libraries, asset inventories — and let views surface what needs attention.
- Capture & Execute. Quickly capture tasks from meetings, notes, or ideas, then triage and execute from focused views.
- Orchestration. Coordinate projects with subtasks, dependencies, and team assignments across Kanban and Calendar views.
- Rhythm & Habits. Build habits and routines with recurring tasks, completion tracking, and review cycles.
These are starting points. TaskNotes is flexible enough to combine modes or invent your own workflows as your vault grows.
The Workflows page includes expandable use case examples for each mode — from content calendars and compliance registers to meeting triage and habit tracking — plus step-by-step walkthroughs.
3. Create Your First Task
Press Ctrl/Cmd + P, run TaskNotes: Create new task, fill in the modal, and save. TaskNotes creates a Markdown file with your task details in the frontmatter. You can also convert an existing checkbox like - [ ] Buy groceries into a full task using the inline task command.
4. See It in a View
Click the TaskNotes ribbon icon or run TaskNotes: Open tasks view from the command palette. This opens the default Task List, a .base file inside TaskNotes/Views/.
Views are the main way you interact with tasks. TaskNotes comes with several:
- Task List for a filterable, sortable table of everything
- Kanban for a board grouped by status, priority, or any property
- Calendar for month, week, and day scheduling
- Upcoming for a time-grouped overview (Overdue, Today, This Week, and beyond)
- Agenda for short-horizon daily planning
Each view is a .base file you can duplicate, customize, or create from scratch. Beyond filtering and display, views can trigger notifications, run bulk operations, and carry per-view property mappings. See Views for the full list and configuration options.
For the full data model, read Core Concepts.
Features
TaskNotes covers the full task lifecycle -- create tasks from a modal or natural language, organize them in views, set reminders, track time, and collaborate in shared vaults. Here are the highlights.
Viewing and Filtering
Add filters, change grouping, write formulas. Views are stored in YAML, a standard format readable by any text editor, so you can open and tweak them directly.
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Views | Task List, Kanban, Calendar, Agenda, and more |
| Custom Properties | Add any frontmatter field to your tasks and use it in filters, views, and templates |
Creating and Managing Tasks
Schedule tasks, set reminders, convert checkboxes into full task notes, or create tasks in batch from any view. Right-click files or folders in the file explorer to bulk-task them. Views double as editable tables for managing many tasks at once.
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Task Management | Status, priority, dates, reminders, recurring tasks |
| Inline Tasks | Widgets, natural language parsing, checkbox conversion |
| Bulk Tasking | Create, convert, or edit tasks in batch from any view |
Dates, Reminders, and Notifications
Reminders alert you before or after a task is due. You can also enable notifications on any view to get alerted when items arrive in the view. Sync dates with Google Calendar or Outlook.
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Reminders | Per-task date reminders with configurable lead times |
| Calendar Integration | Google Calendar, Outlook, ICS subscriptions |
| Recurring Tasks | Repeating task patterns and recurrence rules |
Collaboration
In a shared vault, TaskNotes automatically detects who is on each device and maps them to a person note. Tasks are attributed to people or groups, notifications filter to show only your assignments, and each person can override settings on their own device without affecting anyone else.
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Team & Attribution | Device identity, person notes, team attribution in shared vaults |
Automation and API
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| HTTP API | REST API for external tools and automation |
| Webhooks | Event-driven integrations with external services |
| Obsidian CLI | Query views, reload plugins, and run commands from the terminal |
Settings and Configuration
Use your own property names instead of the defaults, set values so new tasks start the way you want, choose which fields appear in task modals, and tune nearly every behavior to match your workflow.
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Settings | Configure TaskNotes for your vault |
| Migration Guide | Upgrading from TaskNotes v3 |
| Troubleshooting | Common issues and solutions |
Why TaskNotes?
TaskNotes takes Obsidian and filesystem primitives and moves task management as close as possible to the actual work, without locking you into a system. Every task is a Markdown file. Every view is a configurable query. Every property is standard YAML frontmatter. Nothing is locked away in a database or proprietary format.
This approach scales. One person tracking personal projects and a team coordinating complex projects can use the same system. Add more views, more properties, more people. Your tasks grow with your vault, not against it.
Roadmap and Feedback
TaskNotes is actively developed. See what is planned and what shipped recently:
For Developers
TaskNotes exposes an HTTP API and webhook system for automation and external integrations. To contribute or explore the codebase, see the contributing guide and the source on GitHub: callumalpass/tasknotes.