Productivity Task Management
Simple task management using a shared TASKS.md file. Reference this when the user asks about their tasks, wants to add/complete tasks, or needs help tracking commitments.
What this skill does
Keep your workflow organized by using your AI to track tasks and deadlines without complex software. You can instantly add new to-dos, mark projects as complete, or get a clear summary of what is currently on your plate. Use this whenever you need to capture action items from conversations or ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
name: task-management description: Simple task management using a shared TASKS.md file. Reference this when the user asks about their tasks, wants to add/complete tasks, or needs help tracking commitments. user-invocable: false
Task Management
Tasks are tracked in a simple TASKS.md file that both you and the user can edit.
File Location
Always use TASKS.md in the current working directory.
- If it exists, read/write to it
- If it doesn’t exist, create it with the template below
Dashboard Setup (First Run)
A visual dashboard is available for managing tasks and memory. On first interaction with tasks:
- Check if
dashboard.htmlexists in the current working directory - If not, copy it from
${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/dashboard.htmlto the current working directory - Inform the user: “I’ve added the dashboard. Run
/productivity:startto set up the full system.”
The task board:
- Reads and writes to the same
TASKS.mdfile - Auto-saves changes
- Watches for external changes (syncs when you edit via CLI)
- Supports drag-and-drop reordering of tasks and sections
Format & Template
When creating a new TASKS.md, use this exact template (without example tasks):
# Tasks
## Active
## Waiting On
## Someday
## Done
Task format:
- [ ] **Task title** - context, for whom, due date- Sub-bullets for additional details
- Completed:
- [x] ~~Task~~ (date)
How to Interact
When user asks “what’s on my plate” / “my tasks”:
- Read TASKS.md
- Summarize Active and Waiting On sections
- Highlight anything overdue or urgent
When user says “add a task” / “remind me to”:
- Add to Active section with
- [ ] **Task**format - Include context if provided (who it’s for, due date)
When user says “done with X” / “finished X”:
- Find the task
- Change
[ ]to[x] - Add strikethrough:
~~task~~ - Add completion date
- Move to Done section
When user asks “what am I waiting on”:
- Read the Waiting On section
- Note how long each item has been waiting
Conventions
- Bold the task title for scannability
- Include “for [person]” when it’s a commitment to someone
- Include “due [date]” for deadlines
- Include “since [date]” for waiting items
- Sub-bullets for additional context
- Keep Done section for ~1 week, then clear old items
Extracting Tasks
When summarizing meetings or conversations, offer to add extracted tasks:
- Commitments the user made (“I’ll send that over”)
- Action items assigned to them
- Follow-ups mentioned
Ask before adding - don’t auto-add without confirmation.
Install this Skill
Skills give your AI agent a consistent, structured approach to this task — better output than a one-off prompt.
npx skills add anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins --skill productivity Official Anthropic skill. Need a walkthrough? See the install guide →
Works with
No terminal needed — Claude.ai works by pasting the skill into custom instructions.
Details
- Category
- Productivity
- License
- Apache 2.0
- Author
- @anthropics
- Source
- GitHub →
- Source file
-
show path
productivity/skills/task-management/SKILL.md