name: task-cli description: Task database CLI for creating, updating, querying tasks. Reference for all task operations. allowed-tools: Bash(.claude/skills/task-cli/scripts/task-cli.sh:*)

Task CLI (Type-Safe)

Type-safe CLI for task management using tRPC with end-to-end type safety.

Service: Task Service at http://localhost:3004 Script: .claude/skills/task-cli/scripts/task-cli.sh

Benefits Over Old Scripts

End-to-end type safety — tRPC client shares types with the server
No curl commands — type-safe function calls instead of HTTP
Concise output — optimised for AI parsing
Batch operations — update/complete multiple items at once
Auto-complete — TypeScript knows all valid fields and values

Date Concepts

The system has two ways to surface tasks at the right time:

Concept	Purpose	Use When
Due Date	Hard deadline	Task must be done by this date
Check-ins	Periodic reviews	Long-running task needs regular touch-points

Due Date (`--due`)

A deadline. Task becomes overdue if not completed by this date. Use for:

Tasks with actual deadlines ("Submit report by Friday")
Meeting prep ("Prep agenda before 2pm meeting")

Accepted formats:

2026-01-28 — ISO date (YYYY-MM-DD)
today, tod — today's date
tomorrow, tom — tomorrow's date
monday, tue, etc. — next occurrence of that weekday
+3d — 3 days from today (works with any number)
none — clear due date (update only)

Check-ins

Scheduled dates to review progress on a task. A task can have multiple check-ins. When a check-in date arrives, the task appears in tcli checkins. Completing a check-in doesn't complete the task. Use for:

Long-running projects ("Check vendor status every Tuesday")
Delegated work ("Follow up with James on Friday")
Monitoring items ("Check analytics weekly")
Soft reminders ("Revisit this idea in mid-January")

Key difference: A task has one due date, but can have many check-ins. Use check-ins for soft reminders without deadlines.

Organization-Level Tasks (General Projects)

Each organization has a _general project for tasks not tied to a specific initiative. The underscore prefix sorts it to the top in file listings.

# Create org-level task - must specify org since _general exists in multiple orgs
tcli create task "General admin work" --project acme-corp/_general
tcli create task "ExOrg admin" --project example-org/_general

# Create project-specific task (always use org/slug format)
tcli create task "Update nuclear tracker" --project acme-corp/analytics-dashboard
tcli create task "Website update" --project acme-corp/website

When to use _general:

Administrative tasks for the org
Tasks spanning multiple projects
Quick items not tied to a specific initiative
Inbox-style tasks to triage later

When to use a specific project:

Work on a defined initiative
Tasks with clear project scope

Disambiguating projects: Use org/project syntax when a project slug exists in multiple orgs.

Important Workflows

Creating Tasks from Meetings

ALWAYS use tcli sync meeting <path> to create tasks from meeting actions.

This command:

Automatically links tasks to source meeting
Sets owner from the Actions table
Assigns project from meeting frontmatter

NEVER manually create tasks for meeting actions — they won't be linked to the meeting and will lack source tracking.

# Correct: Sync meeting actions to tasks
tcli sync meeting acme-corp/meetings/2026/01/2026-01-28-standup.md

# Wrong: Creating tasks manually loses meeting link
tcli create task "Review budget"  # ❌ No meeting link

Note: There's no way to retroactively link an existing task to a meeting. If you accidentally created a task manually, delete it and re-sync the meeting.

Before Creating Tasks

Always verify project slug exists before using it:

tcli projects | grep -i <keyword>

The --project flag always requires the fully qualified org/slug format:

✅ --project acme-corp/kw-web (org/slug)
❌ --project kw-web (missing org — will be rejected)
❌ --project knowledge-work-web (display name — won't work)

Quick Reference

# Alias for convenience
alias tcli='.claude/skills/task-cli/scripts/task-cli.sh'

# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
# QUERYING
# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

# List items
tcli list                              # All pending items
tcli list --owner Alice              # Filtered by owner
tcli list --project acme-corp/grid-management  # Filtered by project
tcli list --due today                  # Due today
tcli list --type workstream            # Only workstreams
tcli list --status pending,in_progress # Multiple statuses

# Query shortcuts
tcli today                             # Items due today
tcli overdue                           # Overdue items (past due date)
tcli checkins                          # Items with check-ins due
tcli waiting                           # Items waiting on others
tcli blocked                           # Blocked items with blocker info
tcli priority                          # High priority items (P1, P2)
tcli stats                             # Summary statistics/dashboard

# Get details
tcli get T-42                          # Full item details
tcli get T-42,T-43,T-44               # Batch get (compact list)
tcli history T-42                      # Activity history for item
tcli subtasks T-42                     # Show subtasks

# Search
tcli search "nuclear"                  # Search by title

# Activity feed
tcli activity                          # Recent activity (last 30)
tcli activity --limit 50               # More activity
tcli activity --since 2026-01-20       # Activity since date

# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
# CREATING & UPDATING
# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

# Create items
tcli create task "Task title" --owner Alice --priority 2
tcli create task "Blocked task" --blocked-by T-100,T-101
tcli create workstream "Workstream name" --project acme-corp/energy
tcli create goal "Q1 Goal" --target 2026-Q1

# Update items
tcli update T-42 --status complete     # Update status
tcli update T-42 --priority 1          # Update priority
tcli update T-42 --due 2026-02-15      # Set due date
tcli update T-42 --due none            # Clear due date
tcli update T-42 --owner James         # Change owner
tcli update T-42 --project acme-corp/nuclear  # Move to project
tcli update T-42,T-43,T-44 --status complete  # Batch update

# Complete items (shorthand)
tcli complete T-42                     # Mark complete
tcli complete T-42,T-43                # Batch complete

# Delete/restore
tcli delete T-42                       # Soft delete
tcli delete T-42,T-43                  # Batch delete
tcli restore T-42                      # Restore deleted item

# Add notes
tcli note T-42 "Made progress on draft"           # Add note
tcli note T-42 "Blocked on approval" --type blocker  # Blocker note

# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
# CHECK-INS (Soft Reminders)
# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
# NOTE: Check-ins are SEPARATE from due dates. Use check-ins for
# soft reminders/review dates. Use --due for hard deadlines.
# The update command does NOT have a --checkin option.

tcli checkin-add T-42 2026-01-25       # Add check-in (date is POSITIONAL)
tcli checkin-add T-42 2026-02-01 --note "Follow up on proposal"
tcli checkin-list T-42                 # List check-ins for task
tcli checkin-list T-42 --include-completed  # Include completed
tcli checkin-complete T-42             # Complete next pending check-in
tcli checkin-complete T-42 --checkin-id 5   # Complete specific one
tcli checkin-complete T-42 --clear     # Complete all pending
tcli checkin-delete 123                # Delete check-in by ID

# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
# BLOCKING & LINKS
# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

tcli update T-101 --blocked-by T-100          # Block by task (sets status + adds blocker)
tcli update T-101 --blocked-by T-100,T-200    # Block by multiple tasks
tcli update T-101 --add-blocker T-200         # Add another blocker
tcli update T-101 --remove-blocker T-100      # Remove blocker
tcli blocked                                  # List all blocked tasks

# General links (not blocking)
tcli link-add T-100 blocks T-101       # Create blocking link
tcli link-add T-100 related T-101      # Create related link
tcli link-remove T-100 blocks T-101    # Remove link
tcli links T-100                       # View all links for task

# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
# PEOPLE
# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

tcli people                            # List all people with task counts
tcli people Alice                    # Show tasks for specific person
tcli people-create "Jane Doe" --org acme-corp --email jane@example.com
tcli people-update "Jane Doe" --new-name "Jane Smith"
tcli people-delete "Jane Doe"

# Item-person roles
tcli person-add T-42 "James" waiting_on    # Add waiting_on role
tcli person-add T-42 "Sarah" reviewer      # Add reviewer
tcli person-remove T-42 "James" waiting_on # Remove role
tcli item-people T-42                      # Show all people on item

# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
# TAGS
# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

tcli tags list                         # List all tags
tcli tags get "urgent"                 # Get tag details with items
tcli tags create "urgent" --color red  # Create tag
tcli tags update 1 --name "critical"   # Update tag
tcli tags delete 1                     # Delete tag

tcli tag-add T-42 "urgent"             # Add tag to item
tcli tag-remove T-42 "urgent"          # Remove tag from item
tcli item-tags T-42                    # Show tags on item

# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
# ROUTINES
# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

tcli routines due                      # Today's routines
tcli routines due --date 2026-01-20    # Routines for specific date
tcli routines overdue                  # Overdue routines
tcli routines list                     # All routine templates
tcli routines get 51                   # Routine details with history
tcli routines complete 51              # Complete routine for today
tcli routines complete 51 --date 2026-01-15  # Complete for specific date
tcli routines skip 51                  # Skip routine for today
tcli routines skip 51 --notes "Holiday"     # Skip with reason
tcli routines skip-all-overdue 51      # Skip all overdue instances
tcli routines uncomplete 51            # Undo completion
tcli routines unskip 51                # Undo skip
tcli routines create "Daily standup" --rule daily --time 09:00
tcli routines update 51 --title "New title"
tcli routines delete 51                # Delete routine

# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
# PROJECTS & ORGANIZATIONS
# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

tcli projects                          # List all projects
tcli projects --org example-org    # Filter by org
tcli projects grid-management          # Get project details
tcli projects-create energy-policy "Energy Policy" --org example-org
tcli projects-update energy-policy --status active
tcli projects-delete old-project       # Delete project

tcli orgs                              # List all organizations
tcli orgs acme-corp                # Get organization details
tcli orgs-create newclient "New Client" --short-name NC
tcli orgs-update newclient --name "Updated Name"
tcli orgs-delete newclient             # Delete (fails if referenced)

# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
# SPECIALIZED QUERIES
# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

tcli goals                             # List all goals
tcli goals --org acme-corp             # Goals for org
tcli workstreams                       # List workstreams
tcli workstreams --status active       # Filter by status

# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
# SYNC OPERATIONS
# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

tcli sync meeting-preview path/to/meeting.md  # Preview meeting sync
tcli sync meeting path/to/meeting.md          # Sync meeting actions to DB
tcli sync meeting path/to/meeting.md --dry-run  # Preview without changes
tcli sync filesystem-preview                  # Preview workstream files
tcli sync filesystem                          # Sync all workstream files
tcli sync file path/to/workstream/README.md   # Sync specific file
tcli sync file path/to/file.md --force        # Force sync
tcli sync item T-42                           # Push DB changes to file
tcli sync conflicts                           # List sync conflicts
tcli sync resolve T-42 file                   # Resolve conflict (file wins)
tcli sync resolve T-42 database               # Resolve conflict (DB wins)

Output Format

The CLI produces concise, tabular output optimised for AI parsing:

$ tcli list --due today
T-1187  pending   p1  Alice   Prepare SV USA stakeholder list    due:today
T-1188  pending   p1  James     Croydon SPD images                 due:today
T-1117  pending   p2  Alice   YA website redesign scoping        due:today
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
3 items | 0 overdue | 2 high priority

Column format:

ID (T-xxxx)
Status (pending, in_prog, complete, blocked)
Priority (p1-p4 or blank)
Owner (first name, 10 chars max)
Title (40 chars max)
Due date indicator

Due indicators:

due:today — due today
due:tmrw — due tomorrow
due:3d — due in 3 days
due:15 Jan — due on specific date
OVERDUE:2d — 2 days overdue

Commands

list

List items with optional filters.

tcli list [options]

Options:
  --type TYPE       Item type (task, workstream, goal, routine)
  --project ORG/SLUG  Project (requires org/slug format, e.g. myorg/website)
  --owner NAME      Owner name (partial match)
  --due DATE        Due date filter (today, tomorrow, this-week, YYYY-MM-DD)
  --status STATUS   Status filter (comma-separated: pending,in_progress,blocked)
  --limit N         Max results

⚠️ COMMON MISTAKES — read carefully:

NO --due-before or --due-after flags. These DO NOT EXIST. Use --due with a single value:
- --due today — due today
- --due this-week — due this week
- --due 2026-02-01 — due on that exact date
- For range queries, use tcli overdue or filter results after fetching
Statuses must be comma-separated in ONE flag, not repeated:
- ✅ --status pending,in_progress,blocked
- ❌ --status pending --status in_progress --status blocked
No range queries. The --due flag is a single-value filter, not a range. To find tasks due in a week, use --due this-week.

activity

Show recent activity feed (status changes, completions, notes added). Essential for understanding what has happened in the task system.

tcli activity                    # Recent activity (last 30)
tcli activity --limit 50         # Show more
tcli activity --since 2026-01-20 # Activity since date

Output format:

Recent Activity (15 items)
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
22 Jan 14:30  T-1234   pending → complete  Review budget document [Grid Management]
22 Jan 12:15  T-1235   created             Prepare presentation slides [Nuclear]
22 Jan 10:00  T-1200   note: Made progress  Long-running project [YA Management]

Use cases:

Daily summary: See what was accomplished today
End of day: Review progress and changes made
Morning review: Catch up on what happened since last session
Audit trail: Understand when and how tasks changed

today

Show items due today.

tcli today

overdue

Show all overdue items.

tcli overdue

get

Get details for one or more items. Accepts comma-separated IDs for batch queries.

tcli get T-42                  # Full details for single item
tcli get T-42,T-43,T-44       # Compact list view for multiple items

Single ID returns full detail view. Multiple IDs return compact list view (same format as tcli list). Missing IDs are silently skipped in batch mode.

create

Create a new item.

tcli create TYPE "title" [options]

Types: task, workstream, goal

Options:
  --owner NAME       Owner name
  --project ORG/SLUG Project (requires org/slug format, e.g. myorg/website)
  --due DATE         Due date (today, tomorrow, +3d, monday, YYYY-MM-DD)
  --target PERIOD    Target period for goals (e.g., 2026-Q1, 2026-01)
  --priority N       Priority (1-4)
  --description TXT  Description
  --parent ID        Parent item ID (for subtasks)
  --blocked-by IDS   Comma-separated IDs of blocking items (creates task as blocked)

Default owner: Tasks should be assigned to the main user by default (check .claude/context/background.md for their name). Only assign to someone else when explicitly indicated:

"John to do X" → assign to John
"Ask Sarah to X" → assign to Sarah
"Review the document" → assign to main user (default)

Note: To set a soft reminder/review date, create the task first, then use checkin-add.

update

Update one or more items. Supports comma-separated IDs for batch updates.

tcli update ID [options]
tcli update T-42,T-43,T-44 --status complete

Options:
  --status STATUS       New status (pending, in_progress, complete, blocked, cancelled, deferred, active, paused)
  --priority N          New priority (1-4)
  --due DATE            New due date (today, tomorrow, +3d, monday, YYYY-MM-DD, or "none" to clear)
  --target PERIOD       Target period (e.g., 2026-Q1)
  --title TEXT          New title
  --description TEXT    New description
  --owner NAME          New owner
  --project ORG/SLUG    Move to project (requires org/slug format)
  --parent ID           Set parent item (for subtasks)
  --blocked-by IDS      Set blockers (comma-separated, also sets status to blocked)
  --add-blocker IDS     Add blockers without clearing existing ones
  --remove-blocker IDS  Remove specific blockers

Clearing due date: Use --due none to remove a due date:

tcli update T-42 --due none          # Clear due date

Setting soft reminders: The update command does NOT have a --checkin or --attention option. Use checkin-add instead:

tcli checkin-add T-42 2026-02-10     # Add soft reminder for Feb 10

complete

Shorthand for update --status complete.

tcli complete T-42
tcli complete T-42,T-43,T-44

people

List people or show tasks for a specific person.

tcli people                            # List all people with task counts
tcli people Alice                    # Show tasks for Alice
tcli people --org acme-corp        # Filter by organization

people-create / people-update / people-delete

Manage people records.

tcli people-create "Jane Doe" --org acme-corp --email jane@example.com --notes "Board member"
tcli people-update "Jane Doe" --new-name "Jane Smith" --email new@example.com
tcli people-delete "Jane Doe"

person-add / person-remove / item-people

Manage people roles on items (assignee, waiting_on, stakeholder, reviewer, cc).

tcli person-add T-42 "James" waiting_on    # Mark waiting on James
tcli person-add T-42 "Sarah" reviewer      # Add as reviewer
tcli person-remove T-42 "James" waiting_on # Remove the role
tcli item-people T-42                      # Show all people on item

delete / restore

Soft delete and restore items.

tcli delete T-42                       # Soft delete single item
tcli delete T-42,T-43,T-44             # Batch delete
tcli restore T-42                      # Restore deleted item

note

Add notes or updates to items.

tcli note T-42 "Made progress on draft"              # Add a note
tcli note T-42 "Blocked on approval" --type blocker  # Blocker note
tcli note T-42 "50% complete" --type progress        # Progress note

history

Show activity history for an item.

tcli history T-42

Output shows all status changes, notes, and updates with timestamps.

subtasks

Show subtasks for an item.

tcli subtasks T-42

waiting

Show items waiting on others (items with waiting_on person roles).

tcli waiting

priority / high

Show high priority items (P1 and P2).

tcli priority                          # All P1 and P2 items
tcli high                              # Alias for priority
tcli priority --owner Alice          # Filter by owner
tcli priority --limit 10               # Limit results

stats / dashboard

Show summary statistics.

tcli stats                             # Summary dashboard
tcli dashboard                         # Alias for stats
tcli stats --owner Alice             # Filter by owner

Output includes: total active, overdue, due today, high priority, blocked counts.

goals

List goals.

tcli goals                             # All goals
tcli goals --project energy            # Filter by project
tcli goals --target 2026-Q1            # Filter by target period

workstreams

List workstreams.

tcli workstreams                       # All workstreams
tcli workstreams --project energy      # Filter by project
tcli workstreams --status active       # Filter by status

tag-add / tag-remove / item-tags

Manage tags on items.

tcli tag-add T-42 "urgent"             # Add tag to item
tcli tag-remove T-42 "urgent"          # Remove tag from item
tcli item-tags T-42                    # Show all tags on item

search

Search items by title.

tcli search "nuclear"

checkins

Show tasks where a check-in date has arrived. These are tasks you've scheduled to review.

tcli checkins                  # Items with check-ins due today or earlier

Check-in Management

Check-ins are scheduled review dates for tasks. Use them for long-running tasks that need periodic attention.

# Add a check-in
tcli checkin-add T-42 2026-01-25                      # Check on Jan 25
tcli checkin-add T-42 2026-02-01 --note "Follow up"   # With note

# List check-ins for a task
tcli checkin-list T-42                    # Pending check-ins
tcli checkin-list T-42 --include-completed  # All check-ins

# Complete a check-in (marks check-in done, NOT the task)
tcli checkin-complete T-42                # Complete next pending check-in
tcli checkin-complete T-42 --checkin-id 5 # Complete specific check-in
tcli checkin-complete T-42 --clear        # Complete all pending check-ins

# Delete a check-in
tcli checkin-delete 123                   # Delete by check-in ID

Example workflow for delegated task:

# Create task for someone else to do
tcli create task "James to review proposal" --owner James --due 2026-01-31

# Schedule check-ins to follow up
tcli checkin-add T-42 2026-01-22 --note "First follow-up"
tcli checkin-add T-42 2026-01-28 --note "Final check before deadline"

# When check-in date arrives, task appears in:
tcli checkins

# After following up, complete the check-in (task stays open)
tcli checkin-complete T-42

Task Blocking (Many-to-Many)

Tasks can be blocked by multiple other tasks. The blocking system uses ItemLink for many-to-many relationships.

Setting blockers with --blocked-by:

# Mark T-101 as blocked by T-100 (sets status + adds blocker)
tcli update T-101 --blocked-by T-100

# Block by multiple tasks at once (comma-separated)
tcli update T-101 --blocked-by T-100,T-200

This sets the status to blocked AND records all blockers. The task will show in tcli blocked with blocker info.

Adding/removing individual blockers:

# Add another blocker to an already-blocked task
tcli update T-101 --add-blocker T-300

# Remove a specific blocker
tcli update T-101 --remove-blocker T-100

Auto-unblock behavior: When a blocking task is completed, the system checks if the blocked task has remaining blockers:

If no remaining blockers → status automatically changes to pending
If other blockers remain → status stays blocked

Alternative — use link-add for general relationships:

tcli link-add T-100 blocks T-101    # Creates relationship link
tcli link-add T-100 related T-101   # Related but not blocking
tcli link-remove T-100 blocks T-101 # Remove a link
tcli links T-100                    # View all links for a task

Note: link-add creates a relationship but doesn't automatically set status to blocked. Use --blocked-by for actual blocking dependencies.

When to use blocking:

Sequential tasks from a meeting (research → draft → review)
Prerequisites (proposal must be approved before implementation)
Dependencies (API change blocks frontend work)
Multiple prerequisites: task requires 2+ things to complete first

Important: Don't write "(blocked by X)" in task titles — use --blocked-by to create proper relationships that the system can track.

routines

Manage recurring routines (daily reviews, weekly updates, etc).

tcli routines due                      # Today's routines (pending + completed)
tcli routines due --date 2026-01-20    # Routines for specific date
tcli routines overdue                  # Overdue routines with missed dates
tcli routines list                     # All routine templates
tcli routines complete 51              # Complete routine #51 for today
tcli routines complete 51 --date 2026-01-15  # Complete for specific date
tcli routines skip 51                  # Skip routine for today
tcli routines skip 51 --notes "Holiday"      # Skip with reason
tcli routines skip-all-overdue 51      # Skip all overdue instances

Routines output:

Routines for 2026-01-16
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Pending (2):
    51  p1  Morning Review [Personal]
    52      Weekly Grid Update [Grid Management]

Completed (1):
    53  ✓   End of Day Summary

projects

List projects or get project details.

tcli projects                          # List all projects
tcli projects --org example-org    # Filter by org
tcli projects grid-management          # Get project details

organizations

Manage organizations (workstreams/clients like Acme Corp, ExOrg, etc.).

Organizations are now stored in the database rather than as a fixed enum, allowing new organizations to be added dynamically.

# List all organizations
tcli orgs

# Get organization details (includes project/people counts)
tcli orgs acme-corp

# Create a new organization
tcli orgs-create newclient "New Client Name" --short-name NC --description "Description"

# Update an organization
tcli orgs-update newclient --name "Updated Name"
tcli orgs-update newclient --short-name ""  # Clear short name

# Delete an organization (fails if projects/people reference it)
tcli orgs-delete newclient

Output example:

$ tcli orgs
6 organizations
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
example-org      Centre for Example Org (ExOrg)
consulting           Consulting
external             External
other                Other
personal             Personal
acme-corp        Acme Corp (YA)

$ tcli orgs acme-corp
Acme Corp (acme-corp)
────────────────────────────────────────
Short name:  YA
Projects:    7
People:      4
Created:     2026-01-19

sync

Sync operations for meetings and workstream files.

Meeting Sync

Sync actions from meeting markdown files to the task database.

# Preview what would be synced
tcli sync meeting-preview acme-corp/meetings/2026/01/2026-01-15-meeting.md

# Actually sync the actions (creates tasks)
tcli sync meeting acme-corp/meetings/2026/01/2026-01-15-meeting.md

# Dry run (preview without making changes)
tcli sync meeting path/to/meeting.md --dry-run

Meeting preview output:

Meeting: YA Strategy Meeting
Path: acme-corp/meetings/2026/01/2026-01-15-meeting.md
Date: 2026-01-15
Attendees: Alice, John, Julia
Primary Project: ya-management
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

4 actions found
  Would create: 3
  Would skip: 1

Actions:
  + CREATE: Schedule 6-month check-in
          Owner: Alice, Due: 2026-01-20, Status: Pending
  + CREATE: Finalise goals document
          Owner: James, Due: -, Status: Pending
  ○ SKIP: Review budget (T-1234)
          Owner: Julia, Due: -, Status: Complete

Filesystem Sync

Bidirectional sync between workstream markdown files and the database.

# Preview workstream files found in filesystem
tcli sync filesystem-preview

# Sync all workstream files to database
tcli sync filesystem

# Sync a specific file to database
tcli sync file example-org/projects/energy/nuclear.md

# Force sync (overrides conflict detection)
tcli sync file path/to/file.md --force

# Push database changes to a workstream file
tcli sync item T-42

# Force push (overrides conflict detection)
tcli sync item T-42 --force

Conflict Management

When both file and database have changed since the last sync, a conflict is detected.

# List all conflicts
tcli sync conflicts

# Resolve a conflict (choose winner)
tcli sync resolve T-42 file      # File version wins
tcli sync resolve T-42 database  # Database version wins

Conflict output:

3 conflicts
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

T-1234: example-org/projects/energy/nuclear.md
  Reason: Both file and database modified since last sync
  File hash: abc12345...
  DB hash: def67890...

AI Confirmation Workflow

When processing batch updates (from quick notes, meeting processing, or user context), the AI proposes changes and asks for confirmation before executing.

How It Works

AI processes input (quick note / context)
    ↓
AI identifies proposed changes
    ↓
AI uses AskUserQuestion to present proposals
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User approves/rejects via tool options
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AI executes only approved actions

Smart Task Detection

Many phrases indicate follow-ups on existing work rather than new tasks. These should add check-ins to existing tasks instead of creating duplicates.

What is a check-in? A check-in is a soft reminder date attached to a task. Unlike due dates (hard deadlines), check-ins are "revisit this around X" prompts. A task can have multiple check-ins. When the check-in date arrives, the task appears in tcli checkins. Completing a check-in marks the reminder done but keeps the task open.

Check-ins are for the main user. Check-ins are reminders for YOU to follow up - they don't need an owner specified. The task itself may be owned by someone else (e.g., "John to review document"), but the check-in is your reminder to chase John.

Common use cases for check-ins:

Delegated work: "Check in with John next week" → add check-in to John's task (reminder for you to chase him)
Long-running projects: Weekly review dates
Waiting on others: Reminder to chase

Detection patterns:

Pattern	Action
"Check in with Y"	Search for task owned by Y, propose check-in
"Discuss X with Y"	Search for task about X, propose check-in
"Follow up on X"	Search for task about X, propose check-in
"Waiting on Y for X"	Search for task about X, add waiting_on
"Chase Y about X"	Search for task, propose check-in
"Call scheduled with Y"	NOT a new task — add check-in to existing project task for the call date
"Meeting booked for X"	NOT a new task — it's a calendar event. Add check-in if follow-up needed

Calendar events are NOT tasks. A scheduled call or meeting is a calendar event, not an actionable task. Do not create tasks like "Call with X" or "Meeting with Y". Instead, add a check-in to the relevant existing project task for that date, so you're reminded to prepare or follow up.

Workflow for "Check in with John":

Search: tcli list --owner John
Present John's pending tasks to user
User selects which task to add check-in to
Execute: tcli checkin-add T-XX YYYY-MM-DD --note "Check in with John"

Confirmation Prompt Format

The AI presents proposals in a structured format:

{
  "questions": [{
    "question": "Confirm these task changes?",
    "header": "Task updates",
    "options": [
      {"label": "Create: Review Q1 budget", "description": "New task, P2, due Friday"},
      {"label": "Check-in on T-42", "description": "Add check-in to existing task"},
      {"label": "Skip all", "description": "Don't make any changes"}
    ],
    "multiSelect": true
  }]
}

Prompt Templates

All AI prompts for quick notes and batch updates are defined in: packages/web/src/prompts/

These templates include confirmation instructions, task pattern detection, and type-specific processing rules.

Focus Tracking

Track daily focus ratings and view trends.

# Record focus rating for today
tcli focus --user 4 --ai 3 --notes "Productive morning, distracted afternoon"

# Record with date
tcli focus --date 2026-01-27 --user 3 --ai 3

# View today's focus entry
tcli focus

# View specific date
tcli focus --date 2026-01-25

# List recent focus entries
tcli focus-list                    # Last 30 entries
tcli focus-list --week             # Last 7 days
tcli focus-list --month 2026-01    # Specific month
tcli focus-list --limit 10         # Limit results

# View summary and trends
tcli focus-summary                 # Last month
tcli focus-summary --period week   # Last week
tcli focus-summary --period all    # All time

Rating scale:

1: Very distracted, little progress
2: Struggled to focus, some progress
3: Mixed focus, moderate progress
4: Good focus, solid progress
5: Excellent focus, highly productive