Steps

Steps are a flat, ordered checklist. Checking every step does not complete the task.

Add

1. Open a task.
2. Click + step, or press ctrl+a.
3. Type the step and press Enter.

While a text field is open, ctrl+a is line start instead; leave the field first. With a step selected, ctrl+a opens the new row directly below it; otherwise the step goes at the end. Clicking + step always adds at the end. Enter saves the step and opens another empty row below the one just added, so a burst of steps keeps its typed order. Shift+Enter saves it and finishes any active task edit. Click elsewhere to discard an empty new-step row.

New steps save independently, including during task editing. Cancelling the task edit does not undo steps already added.

Complete

Select a step with a click, Tab, or the arrows. Press Enter to check or uncheck it.

Mark	Meaning
▪	Open
✓	Done
✗	Marked for removal

The heading shows completed/total steps. In view mode, status shortcuts change the task, not the selected step.

Rename

1. Select a step and press ctrl+e.
2. Edit its text.
3. Press Shift+Enter to save the task edit.

Enter retains the rename in the edit session without saving that session. Moving to another existing step retains the previous draft. Esc cancels the field; cancelling task editing restores staged changes.

Reorder

Select a step and press alt+↑ or alt+↓ to move it one place. The selection follows the step. You can also press : and run move step up or move step down.

A moved step keeps its ID, short ID, and checked state. Moves save at once, including during task editing, and skip steps staged for removal; cancelling the task edit does not undo them.

alt+↑ / alt+↓ is the one changing shortcut without ctrl: macOS reserves ctrl+arrows for Mission Control. Your terminal must send alt+↑ as one modified key (xterm’s default); a terminal set to prefix Option or Alt with Esc delivers Esc and then the arrow, which closes the task page.

Remove

Mode	Action
Task view	Select a step; press ctrl+x to mark it, then again to remove it
Task editing	Select a step; ctrl+x stages removal; Shift+Enter saves

Cancelling task editing restores staged removals.

Navigate

• In view mode, Tab / Shift+Tab cycle steps and + step.
• ↓ activates the first stored step; arrows then move between steps.
• During task editing, Tab includes the task fields.
• While adding a step, arrows scroll the page.
• Wheel and scrollbar remain available during editing.

CLI

Use the task number and the step’s short ID from direct JSON output:

tsk list T12 --json
tsk steps T12 add "Reproduce the timeout"
tsk steps T12 add "Capture a trace" --after <step-short-id>
tsk steps T12 toggle <step-short-id>
tsk steps T12 rename <step-short-id> "Reproduce on a slow connection"
tsk steps T12 move <step-short-id> --before <other-short-id>
tsk steps T12 move <step-short-id> --first
tsk steps T12 remove <step-short-id>

add takes an optional place and move requires one: --before <step-short-id>, --after <step-short-id>, --first, or --last. Placing a step relative to itself refuses with same-step.

A short ID is the shortest unique prefix of a step ID. Full UUIDs also work.

Read the task again with tsk list T12 --json before retrying an uncertain change. Repeating add adds another step; repeating toggle reverses it; repeating remove refuses after success. Repeating the same rename or move is safe.

Deleted tasks refuse step changes. CLI errors and exit codes.