callumalpass_tasknotes/docs/settings/task-defaults.md

Task Defaults

These settings control the default properties for new tasks, as well as the file management and template settings.

Folder and File Management

You can specify a Default Tasks Folder where new tasks will be created. You can also configure the Task Tag that identifies notes as TaskNotes, and you can specify a list of Excluded Folders that will be ignored by the plugin.

TaskNotes also provides a system for Filename Generation. You can choose from a variety of patterns, including title-based, timestamp-based, and Zettelkasten-style, or you can create your own custom filename template.

Store Title Exclusively in Filename

This setting provides an alternative way to manage your task titles. When enabled, the task's title will be used as the filename, and the title property will be removed from the frontmatter. This is a significant data storage change that simplifies frontmatter but disables all other filename templating options.

Important Considerations:

• Backward Compatibility: This feature is designed to be backward-compatible. Existing tasks with the title property in their frontmatter will continue to work as expected. The plugin will always prioritize reading the title from the frontmatter if it exists.
• New Tasks: New tasks created with this setting enabled will have their title stored exclusively in the filename.
• Migration: To migrate an existing task to this new system, you will need to manually rename the file to match the task's title and then remove the title property from the frontmatter.

This feature is recommended for users who prefer a minimalist approach to their frontmatter and want a direct relationship between the filename and the task title.

Default Task Properties

You can set the Default Status and Default Priority for new tasks, as well as the Default Due Date and Default Scheduled Date. You can also specify default Contexts and Tags that will be automatically added to new tasks.

Default Reminders

TaskNotes supports configuring default reminders that automatically apply to new tasks. This eliminates the need to manually add common reminders to every task and ensures consistent notification patterns across your task management workflow.

Configuring Default Reminders

Default reminders are configured in the TaskNotes settings under the "Task Creation Defaults" section:

1. Open TaskNotes settings (Settings → TaskNotes)
2. Navigate to the "Task Defaults" tab
3. Scroll to the "Default Reminders" section
4. Use the provided form to add new default reminders

Default Reminder Types

You can configure both types of reminders as defaults:

Relative Default Reminders

Relative default reminders are triggered relative to a task's due date or scheduled date:

• Anchor Date: Choose between "due date" or "scheduled date"
• Timing: Specify the offset (e.g., 15 minutes, 1 hour, 2 days)
• Direction: Choose "before" or "after" the anchor date
• Description: Optional custom reminder message

Example Configurations:

15 minutes before due date
1 hour before scheduled date  
2 days before due date
30 minutes after scheduled date

Absolute Default Reminders

Absolute default reminders are triggered at specific dates and times:

• Date: Set the specific date for the reminder
• Time: Set the specific time for the reminder
• Description: Optional custom reminder message

Example Configurations:

Every Monday at 9:00 AM (for weekly planning)
October 26, 2025 at 2:30 PM (for project deadline)
Tomorrow at 10:00 AM (for follow-up tasks)

Default Reminder Application

Default reminders automatically apply to new tasks created through:

Manual Task Creation

• Tasks created using the Task Creation Modal
• Default reminders are added automatically based on available anchor dates
• Additional reminders can be added during the creation process

Instant Conversion

• Tasks created by converting existing content (checkboxes, bullet points, etc.)
• Default reminders apply based on the converted task's properties
• Respects existing due and scheduled dates from natural language parsing

Natural Language Task Creation

• Tasks created using the natural language parser
• Default reminders integrate with parsed task properties
• Applied after natural language processing is complete

Managing Default Reminders

Adding Default Reminders

Use the form interface in settings to add new default reminders:

1. Select Reminder Type: Choose between "Relative" or "Absolute"
2. Configure Timing: Set the specific timing parameters
3. Add Description: Optionally add a custom reminder message
4. Save Configuration: Click "Add Default Reminder" to save

Editing Default Reminders

Default reminders can be managed through the settings interface:

• View All Defaults: See a list of all configured default reminders
• Delete Defaults: Remove unwanted default reminders
• Modify Settings: Edit timing, descriptions, and other parameters

Default Reminder Examples

Common Workflow Patterns

Getting Things Done (GTD) Setup:

15 minutes before due date (quick review)
1 day before due date (preparation time)

Time-blocking Setup:

30 minutes before scheduled date (preparation)
5 minutes before scheduled date (start notification)

Project Management Setup:

1 week before due date (progress check)
2 days before due date (final review)
4 hours before due date (completion deadline)

Task Type Specific Defaults

Meeting Tasks:

30 minutes before scheduled date (preparation)
5 minutes before scheduled date (join notification)

Deadline Tasks:

1 week before due date (progress milestone)
2 days before due date (completion buffer)
4 hours before due date (final submission)

Follow-up Tasks:

Absolute reminder: Next Monday at 9:00 AM
Relative reminder: 1 day after due date (if not completed)

Integration with Existing Settings

Field Mapping Compatibility

Default reminders integrate with the Field Mapping system:

• Custom Property Names: Map reminders to custom frontmatter property names
• Vault Compatibility: Adapt to existing vault structures
• Migration Support: Maintain compatibility when changing field mappings

Template Integration

Default reminders work alongside template systems:

• Applied After Templates: Default reminders are added after template processing
• Template Variables: Templates can reference reminder-related variables
• Combined Workflows: Templates and default reminders complement each other

Data Storage and Format

Default reminders are stored in your TaskNotes settings and converted to task reminders when new tasks are created. They maintain the same data structure as task reminders:

Settings Storage Format

{
  "defaultReminders": [
    {
      "id": "def_rem_1678886400000",
      "type": "relative",
      "relatedTo": "due",
      "offset": 15,
      "unit": "minutes", 
      "direction": "before",
      "description": "Task review reminder"
    },
    {
      "id": "def_rem_1678886400001", 
      "type": "absolute",
      "absoluteDate": "2025-10-26",
      "absoluteTime": "09:00",
      "description": "Weekly planning session"
    }
  ]
}

Task Application Format

When applied to tasks, default reminders are converted to the standard reminder format:

reminders:
  - id: "rem_1678886400000_abc123xyz"
    type: "relative"
    relatedTo: "due" 
    offset: "-PT15M"
    description: "Task review reminder"
  - id: "rem_1678886400001_def456uvw"
    type: "absolute"
    absoluteTime: "2025-10-26T09:00:00"
    description: "Weekly planning session"

Best Practices

Reminder Strategy

Start Simple: Begin with one or two common default reminders and add more as needed.

Consider Context: Different types of tasks may benefit from different reminder patterns.

Avoid Overloading: Too many default reminders can become overwhelming and reduce their effectiveness.

Timing Considerations

Buffer Time: Include enough lead time for preparation and action.

Multiple Alerts: Use multiple reminders for important deadlines (e.g., 1 week, 2 days, 4 hours before).

Personal Patterns: Align reminder timing with your personal work patterns and schedule.

Maintenance

Regular Review: Periodically review and adjust default reminders based on effectiveness.

Seasonal Adjustments: Consider adjusting reminder patterns for different seasons or project types.

Feedback Integration: Use your experience with reminders to refine default configurations.

Template System

TaskNotes supports Templates for both the YAML frontmatter and the body of your task notes. You can use templates to pre-fill common values, add boilerplate text, and create a consistent structure for your tasks. Templates can also include variables, such as {{title}}, {{date}}, and {{parentNote}}, which will be automatically replaced with the appropriate values when a new task is created.

The {{parentNote}} variable is particularly useful for project organization. It inserts the parent note as a properly formatted markdown link.

Basic Usage

When used in a template like:

parent: {{parentNote}}

It will resolve to:

parent: "[[Project Name]]"

Recommended Usage for Projects

For better alignment with the projects system behavior, it's recommended to use {{parentNote}} as a list item in YAML frontmatter:

project:
  - {{parentNote}}

This will resolve to:

project:
  - "[[Project Name]]"

This formatting ensures consistency with how the projects system handles multiple project assignments and makes it easy to automatically assign tasks to the project note they were created from during instant conversion.