# Todo

> Create and manage TODO.md task tracking files for complex multi-step work. Use when starting a larger task that benefits from progress tracking, when the user asks to create a todo list, checklist, or task breakdown, or when planning work across multiple sessions. Creates YAML frontmatter with metadata and checkable markdown items.

- Skill: `devskale/todo` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add devskale/todo`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/devskale/todo/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Docs & Writing
- Author: devskale (https://skillmd.com/u/devskale)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/devskale/todo

---


# TODO Task Tracker

Create structured TODO.md files to track progress on complex tasks. Essential for multi-session work where context may be lost.

## Status Values

| Status | When to Use |
|--------|-------------|
| `planning` | Defining scope, creating checklist, not yet ready to start |
| `ready` | Fully defined, cleared to begin work |
| `in-progress` | Actively working on the task |
| `blocked` | Cannot proceed due to dependency, external factor, or issue |
| `review` | Work complete, awaiting verification/approval |
| `completed` | All items done and verified |
| `on-hold` | Paused temporarily, will resume later |
| `cancelled` | No longer needed, abandoned |

**Status transitions:**
```
planning → ready → in-progress → review → completed
                   ↓
                 blocked → in-progress
                   ↓
                 on-hold → in-progress
                   ↓
                 cancelled
```

## When to Create a TODO.md

- Task has 3+ distinct steps or phases
- Work spans multiple sessions
- Complex debugging with multiple hypotheses to test
- Feature development with components
- Refactoring with validation checkpoints
- User explicitly requests a todo/checklist

## TODO.md Structure

```markdown
---
task: "[Brief task description]"
created: "[YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM]"
updated: "[YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM]"
status: "[see status options below]"
priority: "[high|medium|low]"
tags: "[comma-separated tags]"
blocker: "[Optional: reason when status is blocked]"
context: |
  [Background context - why this task matters, constraints, dependencies]
---

# [Task Name]

## Overview

[1-2 sentence description of what we're accomplishing]

## Checklist

- [ ] [ ] First task item
  - [ ] Subtask if needed
  - [ ] Another subtask
- [ ] Second task item
- [ ] Third task item

## Progress Log

### [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM]
- What was done
- What's next
- Any blockers

## Notes

- Important decisions made
- Things to remember
- Gotchas discovered
```

## Workflow

### 1. Initialize

When starting a complex task:

```bash
# Create TODO.md in the relevant directory
# Use current timestamp
```

Ask the user (or infer from context):
- Task description and name
- Priority level
- Any known constraints or dependencies

### 2. Generate Checklist

Break down the task into actionable items:

**Good items:**
- [ ] Implement user authentication endpoint
- [ ] Add input validation for email field
- [ ] Write unit tests for password hashing

**Bad items:**
- [ ] Work on auth (too vague)
- [ ] Code stuff (not actionable)
- [ ] Fix things (no specificity)

**Guidelines:**
- Each item should be completable in one session
- Use subtasks for complex items (indent with 2 spaces)
- Group related items together
- Order by dependency (what needs to happen first)

### 3. Track Progress

Update TODO.md as work progresses:

```markdown
- [x] Completed task
- [ ] Remaining task
- [ ] ~Cancelled task~  (strikethrough for cancelled)
```

Always update the `updated:` timestamp when modifying.

### 4. Log Progress

Add entries to the Progress Log section:

```markdown
### 2024-01-15 14:30
- Completed authentication endpoint
- Discovered API rate limit issue
- Next: Implement caching layer
```

### 5. Update Status

Update the `status` field as the task progresses:
- `planning` → `ready` when checklist is complete
- `ready` → `in-progress` when work begins
- `in-progress` → `blocked` if you hit a blocker (document in Notes)
- `blocked` → `in-progress` when blocker resolved
- `in-progress` → `review` when work done but needs verification
- `review` → `completed` when verified

Always update the `updated:` timestamp when changing status.

## Example: Debugging Session

```markdown
---
task: "Fix memory leak in image processor"
created: "2024-01-15 09:00"
updated: "2024-01-15 11:30"
status: "in-progress"
priority: "high"
tags: "bug, memory, performance"
context: |
  Users reporting OOM errors after processing 50+ images.
  Started after v2.3.0 release. Likely related to new caching.
---

# Fix Memory Leak in Image Processor

## Overview

Investigate and fix memory leak causing OOM errors during batch image processing.

## Checklist

- [x] Reproduce the issue locally
  - [x] Create test dataset with 50 images
  - [x] Confirm memory growth with `top`
- [x] Profile memory usage
  - [x] Add logging for allocations
  - [x] Identify leak source in cache layer
- [ ] Fix the leak
  - [ ] Implement proper cache eviction
  - [ ] Add memory limits
- [ ] Validate fix
  - [ ] Run test dataset without OOM
  - [ ] Check memory stays stable
- [ ] Add regression test

## Progress Log

### 2024-01-15 09:00
- Started investigation
- Reproduced issue with 60-image batch
- Memory grows from 200MB to 2GB+

### 2024-01-15 10:15
- Added memory profiling
- Found: ImageCache holds references indefinitely
- No eviction policy implemented

### 2024-01-15 11:30
- Implementing LRU cache eviction
- Next: Test with memory limits

## Notes

- Cache was added in v2.3.0 commit abc123
- Consider using WeakRefs for large objects
- May need to limit batch size as additional safeguard
```

## Example: Feature Development

```markdown
---
task: "Add dark mode support"
created: "2024-01-15 09:00"
updated: "2024-01-15 09:15"
status: "planning"
priority: "medium"
tags: "feature, ui, css"
context: |
  Users requesting dark mode. Should use CSS custom properties
  and respect prefers-color-scheme. Store preference in localStorage.
---

# Add Dark Mode Support

## Overview

Implement system-aware dark mode with manual toggle and persistent preference.

## Checklist

- [ ] Design phase
  - [ ] Define color palette (dark/light)
  - [ ] Create CSS custom properties
- [ ] Implementation
  - [ ] Add theme toggle component
  - [ ] Implement localStorage persistence
  - [ ] Add system preference detection
- [ ] Testing
  - [ ] Test toggle in all browsers
  - [ ] Verify persistence across sessions
  - [ ] Check system preference sync
- [ ] Documentation
  - [ ] Update user guide
  - [ ] Add to changelog

## Progress Log

### 2024-01-15 09:00
- Task initialized
- Gathering requirements

### 2024-01-15 09:15
- Checklist drafted
- Status: planning → ready (pending design review)

## Notes

- Use `prefers-color-scheme` media query
- Fallback to light mode if no preference
- Consider adding transition animation
- Need design sign-off before implementation
```

## Quick Commands

Check current progress:
```bash
grep -E "^\s*-\s*\[" TODO.md | head -20
```

Count completed vs remaining:
```bash
echo "Completed: $(grep -c '^\s*- \[x\]' TODO.md)"
echo "Remaining: $(grep -c '^\s*- \[ \]' TODO.md)"
```

Find all TODOs by status:
```bash
# Find blocked tasks
grep -l "^status:.*blocked" */TODO.md

# Find in-progress tasks
grep -l "^status:.*in-progress" */TODO.md
```

## Blocked Task Example

When blocked, clearly document the blocker:

```markdown
---
task: "Migrate database to PostgreSQL"
created: "2024-01-10 14:00"
updated: "2024-01-12 09:30"
status: "blocked"
priority: "high"
tags: "migration, database, infra"
blocker: "Waiting for DBA team to provision production instance"
context: |
  Current MySQL instance hitting capacity. Migration planned for Q1.
---

# Migrate Database to PostgreSQL

## Overview
Migrate from MySQL 5.7 to PostgreSQL 15 for better performance.

## Checklist

- [x] Create migration scripts
- [x] Test on staging environment
- [ ] Provision production PostgreSQL
  - BLOCKED: DBA team ticket #1234, ETA: 2024-01-15
- [ ] Run migration during maintenance window
- [ ] Verify data integrity
- [ ] Update application configs

## Progress Log

### 2024-01-12 09:30
- Status: in-progress → blocked
- DBA team delayed, new ETA 2024-01-15
- Using time to improve migration scripts

## Notes

- Migration scripts tested and ready
- Estimated downtime: 2 hours
- Rollback plan documented in wiki
```

## Best Practices

1. **Be specific**: "Fix login bug on mobile" not "Fix bugs"
2. **Right granularity**: Tasks completable in one session
3. **Update frequently**: Log progress and update status as you go
4. **Include context**: Future-you will thank present-you
5. **Use subtasks**: Break complex items into steps
6. **Document blockers**: Add `blocker:` field when status is blocked
7. **Archive when done**: Keep completed TODOs for reference
8. **Timestamp changes**: Always update `updated:` field on modifications