creating-task

name

creating-task

description

Create a new task or section in TASKS.md. Use this whenever the user wants to add, plan, or track work — even if they don't say "task" explicitly. Trigger on "add a task", "new task", "track this", "we should", "let's plan", "add a section", "create section", "I need to", "todo", "can you add", "put this on the board", or when the user describes future work that isn't in TASKS.md yet. Also use when creating a TASKS.md from scratch for a new project. When in doubt, use it — untracked work is invisible work.

Context

• User's instruction: {{ARGS}}

What this command does

Creates tasks or sections in TASKS.md. The user invoked this command — act immediately, do not ask for confirmation.

Do NOT say: "Should I", "Want me to", "Shall I", "Would you like me to", "Let me know if".

Workflow

1. Read TASKS.md

Read TASKS.md (at the project root). If it doesn't exist, create it from the template at ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/cotask/references/template.md (ask the user for a project title first).

2. Write the entry

If the task doesn't already exist in the file, write it with Edit. Do not read any other files.

Where to put it: Append at the end of the user-specified section's task list. If no section specified, use the last section that has [ ] or [/] tasks. If there are no sections (tasks live directly under # TASKS), append at the end of the task list.

Status symbols: [ ] todo (default), [/] ongoing, [x] done, [-] backlog. Use [/] if the user wants it done now — then continue as /starting-task.

Task format — each task is a - [status] line with a #slug at the end, followed by indented description and AC: lines. No blank lines between tasks. Example:

- [ ] Fix login page auth bugs #fix-auth-bug
    Users intermittently get 403 when logging in with SSO.
    AC: SSO login succeeds on all tested providers; no 403 in logs.
- [ ] Add rate limiting to API endpoints #add-rate-limiting
    Public endpoints have no throttling, vulnerable to abuse.
    AC: Endpoints return 429 after exceeding configured request threshold.

Key rules:

• Slug: 3-4 lowercase hyphenated words at the end of the title line, prefixed with #. Must be unique in the file.
• Description: Indented 4 spaces under the title. Write from the user's args only — do not explore the codebase.
• AC: Required. Indented 4 spaces, starts with AC:. Describes observable outcome, not implementation steps. Use the user's if provided, otherwise write one yourself.

Section format — ## Name header followed by an optional Description: paragraph, then tasks:

## Authentication
Description: User login and session management improvements.

- [ ] Fix login page auth bugs #fix-auth-bug
    ...

When creating a section, suggest 3-5 initial tasks.

3. Confirm

One or two lines:

Created #fix-auth-bug (todo). AC: SSO login succeeds on all tested providers.

4. Resume prior work

If triggered mid-task, resume whatever you were doing before.