Project Tasks

Project Tasks

Manage persistent, user-visible project tasks that the main agent or a task agent can execute. Only task agents run in isolated environments. Use these to track high-level deliverables and milestones that the user cares about.

Project Tasks vs Internal Task List

When to Use

• Tracking user-requested features or deliverables
• Breaking a project into visible milestones
• Communicating progress to the user
• Managing tasks that persist across sessions

When NOT to Use

• Internal agent work breakdown (use the internal task list)
• Temporary implementation steps
• Sub-tasks that only matter to the agent

Task Identifiers

Tasks are identified by taskRef — a short string like "#1", "#2", "#3". Use it in all API calls and when referring to tasks in conversation: "Task #1 (Add authentication)".

Available Functions

getProjectTask(taskRef)

Get a project task by task ref.

Parameters:

Returns: Dict with taskRef, title, description, state, createdAt, updatedAt

Example:

const task = await getProjectTask({ taskRef: "#1" });
// "Task #1 (Add authentication)"

updateProjectTask(taskRef, title=None, description=None, filePath=None, dependsOn=None, artifactKinds=None)

Update an existing project task's content. Only provided fields are updated. Editing a plan file alone does NOT update the task — you must call updateProjectTask to persist changes.

Parameters:

Returns: Dict with taskRef, title, description, state, createdAt, updatedAt

Examples:

// Edited plan file → push its content as the new description.
await updateProjectTask({
  taskRef: "#1",
  title: "Agentic canvas prototype (tldraw)",
  filePath: ".local/tasks/agentic-canvas-prototype.md",
});

// No plan file → pass the new description inline.
await updateProjectTask({
  taskRef: "#1",
  description: "Add a Canvas toggle button to the preview pane.",
});

markTaskInProgress(taskRef)

Resume work on an IMPLEMENTED task. Call this before making further changes to a task that was already marked complete.

Parameters:

Returns: Dict with taskRef, title, description, state, createdAt, updatedAt

Example:

await markTaskInProgress({ taskRef: "#1" });

searchProjectTasks(query, locale=None, limit=None)

Search project tasks by text query, ordered by relevance.

Parameters:

Returns: List of dicts, each with taskRef, title, description, state, score, matchType, createdAt, updatedAt

Example:

// Simple keyword search
const results = await searchProjectTasks({ query: "authentication" });

// Boolean syntax: find auth tasks that aren't about login
const results = await searchProjectTasks({ query: "authentication -login", limit: 5 });

// Exact phrase
const results = await searchProjectTasks({ query: '"payment integration"' });

// Non-English query — pass locale for better stemming
const results = await searchProjectTasks({ query: "autenticación", locale: "es" });

for (const r of results) {
    console.log(`${r.taskRef} (${r.title}) — score: ${r.score}`);
}

listProjectTasks(state=None, taskRefs=None, includeDescription=False)

List project tasks, optionally filtered by state or specific task refs.

Parameters:

Returns: List of dicts, each with taskRef, title, state, dependsOn, createdAt, updatedAt (plus description if includeDescription is true). dependsOn lists dependency task refs also in the result set; dependencies pointing outside the taskRefs filter are omitted.

Example:

const allTasks = await listProjectTasks();
for (const task of allTasks) {
    console.log(`  - Task ${task.taskRef} (${task.title})`);
}

bulkCreateProjectTasks(tasks)

Create multiple tasks at once with dependency relationships. Each task is created in PROPOSED state. The plan file content becomes the task description.

Parameters:

Each task object:

Returns: List of created task dicts with taskRef, title, description, state, dependsOn, createdAt, updatedAt

Examples:

// Single task (no dependencies)
const created = await bulkCreateProjectTasks({
    tasks: [
        {
            title: "Launch microsite",
            filePath: ".local/tasks/launch-microsite.md",
            artifactKinds: ["web"],
        },
    ]
});

// Multiple tasks with dependencies using id aliases
const created = await bulkCreateProjectTasks({
    tasks: [
        {
            id: "auth",
            title: "Add authentication",
            filePath: ".local/tasks/auth.md",
        },
        {
            id: "payments",
            title: "Payment integration",
            filePath: ".local/tasks/payments.md",
            dependsOn: ["auth"],
        },
    ]
});

Plan File Format

Write each project-task plan as a plain markdown document in .local/tasks/. The file content becomes the task description. Do not run mkdir; the write tool creates parent dirs.

By default, create one project task per user request. Combine related work into a single plan rather than splitting into many tasks. Only create multiple tasks if the user explicitly asks for them or the request contains clearly independent, unrelated goals.

Dependencies and artifact tags are not declared in the plan file — pass them via dependsOn and artifactKinds when creating or updating tasks.

Plan body

First line: a short, descriptive title (3-6 words) prefixed with #. Then include these sections:

• What & Why — Brief description of the feature/change and its purpose.
• Done looks like — Observable outcomes when complete (what the user sees, not code-level details).
• Out of scope — What is explicitly NOT included.
• Steps — Numbered implementation steps for the executor agent, not separate project tasks.
• Relevant files — Existing files discovered during investigation that the executor should start from. Use backtick-wrapped paths only, no trailing descriptions. Only list files you verified exist.
  • Whole file: src/api/billing.ts
  • Specific lines: src/api/billing.ts:12-85
  • Multiple ranges: src/api/billing.ts:12-85,200-250
  • WRONG: src/api/billing.ts — Billing API handlers (lines 12-85)

Assume features build on each other. If a new task depends on another task, declare that dependency via dependsOn rather than in the plan body. You may depend on existing tasks that are PENDING or later — never on existing PROPOSED tasks. Tasks within the same batch may depend on each other freely.

Rules for the ## Steps section:

• Each step should be describable in 1-2 sentences.
• Focus on what to build, not how to build it.
• Do not include file paths, code snippets, CSS classes, or line-level edits in step bullets. Put file references in ## Relevant files instead.
• Draw clean boundaries so parallel executors won't conflict. Combine same-area steps into one project task.
• Add a short note for critical architectural constraints.

Example

# Payment Integration

## What & Why
Add Stripe payment processing so users can upgrade to paid plans.

## Done looks like
- Users can enter payment info and subscribe to a plan
- Successful payments activate the paid tier immediately
- Failed payments show a clear error message

## Out of scope
- Invoicing and receipts (future work)
- Multiple payment methods (Stripe only for now)

## Steps
1. **Stripe backend integration** — Set up Stripe SDK, create endpoints for creating checkout sessions and handling webhooks
2. **Payment UI** — Build the checkout page with plan selection and Stripe Elements for card input
3. **Tier activation** — On successful payment, upgrade the user's account to the paid tier and reflect it in the UI

## Relevant files
- `src/api/billing.ts:12-85`
- `src/config/stripe.ts`

proposeProjectTasks(taskRefs)

Propose existing tasks for user review. Pauses the agent until the user approves.

Parameters:

Returns: Dict with proposed list of { taskRef, title } summaries

Example:

await proposeProjectTasks({ taskRefs: created.map(t => t.taskRef) });

Task States

User Communication Rules

Follow these rules strictly when discussing tasks with the user:

1. Always describe tasks by ref and title: e.g. "Task #1 (Add authentication button)"
2. Never use internal state names: use these display names instead:
   • PROPOSED → "Drafts"
   • PENDING → "Active"
   • IN_PROGRESS → "Active"
   • IMPLEMENTED → "Ready"
   • MERGING → "Merging"
   • MERGED → "Merged"
   • CANCELLED → "Archived"
   • BLOCKED_BY_DRIFT → "Affected by another task that changed"
3. Never expose implementation details: Do not reveal function names (bulkCreateProjectTasks, updateProjectTask, etc.), API surface, or internal task system mechanics to the user

Best Practices

1. Prefer fewer tasks: Default to one task per request unless the user explicitly asks for more
2. Create tasks early: Create the project task when you understand the user's goals
3. Keep titles short: Titles should be concise and descriptive
4. Use descriptions for detail: Put implementation details in the description field

Example Workflow

// 1. Write the plan file directly with the write tool — it creates `.local/tasks/` for you.

// 2. Create the task — file content becomes the description
const created = await bulkCreateProjectTasks({
    tasks: [
        {
            title: "Launch microsite",
            filePath: ".local/tasks/launch-microsite.md",
            artifactKinds: ["web"],
        },
    ]
});

// 3. Propose for user approval (pauses agent loop)
await proposeProjectTasks({
    taskRefs: created.map(t => t.taskRef),
});

// --- After user approves, the system handles scheduling ---

// 4. Check progress
const tasks = await listProjectTasks();
for (const task of tasks) {
    console.log(`Task ${task.taskRef} (${task.title}): ${task.state}`);
}