taskstxt.app

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# tasks.txt

> tasks.txt is a free native macOS task manager for people who manage tasks in plain text files.

## What it does

tasks.txt is a keyboard-driven task manager that reads and writes standard todo.txt format files. Built in native Swift (no Electron, no web wrapper). Targets macOS 13 Ventura and later.

## Key features

- Reads and writes `~/Documents/tasks-txt/tasks.txt` in plain text (one task per line)
- Keyboard shortcuts replace manual file editing: ⌘↩ toggle done, ⌘↑/⌘↓ move tasks between sections, ⌘F search, ⌘⇧↓ send to backlog
- Three views: Tasks (Done · Upcoming · Backlog sections), Scratch (plain text scratchpad at `scratch.txt`)
- Tasks use `upcoming:true` to surface in the Upcoming section, `done:YYYY-MM-DD` when completed, `+project` tags for label filtering, `note:"..."` for inline notes
- Drag and drop task reordering
- Daily archive: completed tasks clear each morning and move to an archive file
- No cloud sync, no account required — you own the file

## File format

Plain text, one task per line, inspired by todo.txt:

```
x Buy groceries +personal created:2026-06-12 done:2026-06-18
x Send out marketing emails +marketing created:2026-06-24 done:2026-06-24

Send business proposal to lead investor created:2026-06-04 upcoming:true
Call design lead +freelance created:2026-06-15 upcoming:true
Finish landing page note:"update colors and links" upcoming:true

Daily marketing distribution posts +marketing created:2026-05-28
Set up automated portfolio limits created:2026-06-05
```

Attributes:
- `x` prefix — marks a task as completed
- `done:YYYY-MM-DD` — the date the task was completed; the app sets this automatically
- `upcoming:true` — surfaces the task in the Upcoming section (top of the active list)
- `created:YYYY-MM-DD` — creation date, set automatically when adding a task
- `+project` — label tag; multiple tags supported; enables click-to-filter in the app
- `note:"..."` — inline note attached to the task

The app organizes tasks into three sections based on these attributes: **Done** (has `done:`), **Upcoming** (has `upcoming:true`), **Backlog** (everything else). There are no section headers written to the file itself — the grouping is computed by the app at load time.

## How it differs from alternatives

**vs Things 3 / OmniFocus:** tasks.txt stores data in a plain text file readable in any editor, grep-able in Terminal, and version-controllable in Git. No proprietary database, no vendor lock-in.

**vs TaskPaper:** Uses the open todo.txt format (not TaskPaper's custom syntax) and ships as a native macOS app with keyboard shortcuts, label filtering, and a built-in scratchpad.

**vs Notion / Linear / Jira:** No web wrapper, no account, no loading spinners. Opens instantly, scrolls at 120fps.

## Pricing

Free download on the Mac App Store. No subscription, no in-app purchases.

## Links

- Homepage: https://taskstxt.app/
- Privacy policy: https://taskstxt.app/privacy
- Feedback: https://tally.so/r/WOQJpe
- todo.txt format spec: https://todotxt.org