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Steps

A task can carry a flat, ordered list of steps. One level. No nesting. Each step has a stable id, one line of text, and a done flag.

Checking every step does not mark the task done. Steps are progress on the page, not a second status.

Markdown - [ ] in notes is ordinary text. Use steps for checklists.

On the task page

Section titled “On the task page”

Open the task with Enter. The step cursor begins inactive. In view mode, Tab and Shift+Tab cycle stored steps and the trailing dim + step target without leaving task view. The target sits immediately below the final stored step as + step. Enter, ctrl+a, or a click on it opens an independent new-step editor, it does not start task editing. ctrl+a also opens that editor from every task-edit field or inline step state.

  • ctrl+s toggles the selected step, otherwise it starts or reopens the task
  • ctrl+d completes a selected open step, ctrl+o reopens a selected done step
  • ctrl+e on a selected stored step starts task editing and opens it inline
  • In task editing, Tab runs Title, Notes, stored steps, + step, Scope, Thread
  • Reaching a stored step through Tab or arrows opens its inline editor
  • ctrl+x in view first marks the selected step and the second press removes it, while task editing immediately hides and stages its removal until save

A new-step draft lives in the steps section. From view or task edit, it persists independently: it never joins the enclosing task edit session. Plain Enter saves one new step and selects that new stored step. Shift+Enter saves one and opens the next empty editor. Existing-step renames and removals are staged with Title, Notes, Thread, and Scope. Plain Enter parks an existing-step rename in that session, then Shift+Enter saves all staged changes (Alt+Enter is the legacy-terminal fallback). Esc cancels a field; Esc from task editing restores staged removals. A failed save keeps its drafts until you retry or cancel.

Wheel still scrolls the page. Bare ↓ activates the first stored step, then arrows move the selected stored step. In an existing-step editor, arrows move among stored steps and stage the prior draft; in an add editor, arrows scroll the shared page without closing or trapping that row.

From the CLI

Section titled “From the CLI”
Terminal window
tsk steps <task> add "Write the failing test"
tsk steps <task> toggle <step-short-id>
tsk list <task>

The task is a store-global number (T12, t12, or bare 12) or a UUID from tsk add --json or tsk list --json. Direct lookup ignores cwd.

A step short id is the shortest unambiguous prefix of that step’s id, as printed by tsk list <task>.

toggle flips the flag. A blind retry after an unseen success flips it back. Verify with tsk list <task> before retrying.

Soft-deleted tasks refuse step changes.

Full flags and exit codes: CLI.