| name | routines |
| description | Help the user set up recurring tasks and routines in OmniFocus correctly. Use when the user mentions "every week", "monthly", "every Tuesday", "recurring", "habit", "routine", "every N days".
|
OmniFocus 4.7+ has rich repeat semantics. The defaults are usually wrong for habits — pick deliberately.
Repeat method (passed to omnifocus_set_task_repetition as rule.method):
fixed — next occurrence is computed from the previous one's anchor date, regardless of when it was completed. Use for true schedules (rent, billing, weekly meeting).start-after-completion — defer/start date moves N units after completion. Use for "every N days after I last did it" (replace filter, water plants).due-after-completion — due date moves N units after completion. Use for "I have N days from when I finished last to do it again" (renew a license).
Anchor date (anchorDateKey — 4.7+):
Pick which date drives the next occurrence:
due — for hard deadlines that recur (rent on the 1st).defer — for "hide until N days from now" recurrences (review my goals).planned — for habits with intent dates but no deadlines (write blog post weekly).
Common routine patterns:
| Routine | method | anchorDateKey |
|---|
| Pay rent on the 1st | fixed | due |
| Replace water filter every 90 days after I last did it | start-after-completion | defer |
| Write blog post weekly (intent, not deadline) | fixed | planned |
| Renew passport — start working on it 6 months before expiry | fixed | defer |
End conditions:
repetitionEndDate — stop repeating after this date.maxRepetitions — stop after N occurrences.
Avoid:
- Putting recurrence on a parent task whose children also repeat — nested repetition rarely behaves intuitively.
- Using
due for habits (creates phantom overdue items every cycle).
start-after-completion for hard deadlines (skipping a cycle silently moves the deadline).
Verify with omnifocus_next_repetition_date — after setting up a rule, ask for the next computed occurrence to confirm it matches the user's expectation.
