TaskNotes for Obsidian

A task management plugin where each task is stored as an individual note using YAML frontmatter with calendar, kanban and pomodoro integration.

Documentation

📖 Complete Documentation

Quick Links

• Getting Started - Core concepts and setup
• Features Overview - Complete feature list
• Views Guide - All available view types
• Settings - Configuration options
• HTTP API - External integrations
• Troubleshooting - Common issues

Overview

TaskNotes treats each task as an individual Markdown file with YAML frontmatter containing the task's metadata (due date, status, priority, etc.) and the note body for additional context, descriptions, or progress notes. This creates a flexible system where tasks can be as simple or detailed as needed.

The plugin includes several views: calendar, kanban boards, filtered task lists, and a daily agenda. Tasks can link to projects using Obsidian's note linking. Recurring tasks track completion per instance.

You can track time on tasks with start/stop buttons and view session history. There's also a pomodoro timer that connects to tasks, with configurable work/break periods and stats.

Rationale

Using YAML frontmatter for task storage has multiple benefits. YAML is a standard data format that works with many tools, so you can easily extract and transform your task data into other formats. This keeps your data portable and aligns with Obsidian's file-over-app philosophy.

The frontmatter is also extensible—you can add custom fields like "assigned-to" or "attachments" and use other tools like Obsidian Bases to work with that data. This flexibility made it easy to add features like time-tracking, which is tricky in other task formats where there's no obvious place to store timing information.

Since each task is a full note, you can write detailed descriptions, jot down thoughts as you work, and connect tasks to other notes through Obsidian's linking and graph features. The frontmatter compatibility with Bases also means you can use that plugin for different views and bulk operations if you want.

Core Features

Task Management

• Individual Markdown files with YAML frontmatter
• Properties: title, status, priority, due date, scheduled date, contexts, projects, tags, time estimates, completion date
• Project organization using note-based linking
• Recurring tasks with per-date completion tracking
• Time tracking with multiple sessions per task
• Archive function using tags
• Filtering and grouping options

Calendar Integration

• Month view displaying tasks and notes
• Mini calendar view for compact layouts
• ICS/iCal feed subscriptions
• Direct navigation to daily notes

Time Management

• Time tracking with start/stop functionality
• Pomodoro timer with task integration
• Session history and statistics

Editor Integration

• Interactive task previews for wikilinks
• Universal line-to-task conversion
• Template support with parent note context

Views

• Calendar: Month view with agenda
• Task List: Filtering and grouping options
• Kanban: Drag-and-drop task management
• Agenda: Daily task and note overview
• Notes: Date-based note browser
• Pomodoro: Timer with statistics

Create tasks with natural language parsing for due dates, recurrence, and contexts

Built-in pomodoro timer with task integration and daily completion tracking

Kanban boards with drag-and-drop functionality and customizable columns

Project management with subtasks and hierarchical organization

Configuration

Customization

• Field Mapping: Customize YAML property names to match existing workflows
• Custom Statuses: Define task statuses with colors and completion behavior
• Custom Priorities: Create priority levels with weight-based sorting
• Templates: Configure daily note templates with Obsidian variables

YAML Structure

Task Example

title: "Complete documentation"
status: "in-progress"
due: "2024-01-20"
priority: "high"
contexts: ["work"]
projects: ["[[Website Redesign]]"]
timeEstimate: 120
timeEntries:
  - startTime: "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
    endTime: "2024-01-15T11:15:00Z"

Recurring Task

title: "Weekly meeting"
recurrence: "FREQ=WEEKLY;BYDAY=MO"
complete_instances: ["2024-01-08"]

HTTP API

TaskNotes includes an optional HTTP API server for external integrations. This enables creating tasks from browsers, automation tools, mobile apps, and custom scripts.

Quick Start

1. Enable the HTTP API in Settings → HTTP API tab (desktop only)
2. Configure port (default: 8080) and optional auth token
3. Restart Obsidian to start the server

Basic Usage

# Health check
curl http://localhost:8080/api/health

# List all tasks
curl http://localhost:8080/api/tasks

# Create a task
curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/api/tasks \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title": "New task", "priority": "High"}'

# Get task statistics
curl http://localhost:8080/api/stats

Browser Integration

The API enables powerful browser integrations:

• Bookmarklets for one-click task creation from any webpage
• Browser extensions for Gmail, Outlook, and other email providers
• Automation with Zapier, IFTTT, and similar services

Documentation

See HTTP API Documentation for complete endpoint reference and integration examples.

Credits

This plugin uses FullCalendar.io for its calendar components.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.