README file from
GithubMinimal Task Board
A clean, minimal task board for Obsidian. Create customizable buckets, group tasks by any frontmatter property, and track tasks inline from any note in your vault.
Views
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Board | All buckets displayed as side-by-side columns with tasks flowing vertically. Best for wide screens and quick triage. |
| Focus | One bucket at a time, full-width, with tabs along the top to switch between buckets. Best for deep work and mobile. |
Features
- Customizable buckets -- Create as many buckets as you need with any name. Use them for an Eisenhower matrix, GTD stages, sprint columns, or any workflow that fits your thinking.
- Secondary grouping -- Group tasks within each bucket by any frontmatter property (account, project, team, etc.). Groups appear as subtle, semi-transparent frames inside the bucket.
- Inline task tracking -- Add
#taskto any checkbox in any note to surface it on the board. Assign a secondary group with a wikilink:- [ ] Send docs [[Project Alpha]] #task - Bidirectional sync -- Check off a task on the board or in the source note; both stay in sync.
- Drag-and-drop -- Move tasks between buckets or reorder them within a bucket.
- Completion animation -- Checked tasks get a strikethrough, fade out, and collapse smoothly.
- Frameless design -- Tasks render as clean text with checkboxes. No card borders, no visual noise.
- "+ Add a task" button -- Create tasks directly from the board. The secondary group field autocompletes from existing groups.
- Accessibility -- Full ARIA roles and keyboard navigation. Enter/Space to toggle a task, Tab to move between elements.
- Mobile-friendly -- Larger touch targets on touch devices for comfortable use on phones and tablets.
Usage
Creating tasks
There are three ways to add tasks:
-
Inline -- In any note, write a checkbox line with the
#tasktag:- [ ] Review quarterly report [[Finance]] #taskThe task appears on the board automatically.
Syntax notes: The
#tasktag must be at the end of the line -- no text after it, or the plugin won't detect the task. If you include multiple[[wikilinks]], only the first one is used for secondary grouping; the rest are stripped from the task text. -
From the board -- Click + Add a task at the bottom of any bucket. Type the task text, optionally pick a secondary group, and press Enter.
-
Stub files -- Create a markdown file in the configured task folder with the appropriate frontmatter. The plugin picks it up on the next scan.
How buckets work
Each task belongs to exactly one bucket. The bucket is stored as a frontmatter property on the task (or its parent note for inline tasks). You define your buckets in settings -- their names, order, and colors are entirely up to you. Drag a task from one bucket to another to reassign it.
How secondary grouping works
When enabled, tasks inside each bucket are collected under group headings based on a frontmatter property you choose (for example, account or project). Each group is wrapped in a subtle semi-transparent frame. Groups are collapsible so you can hide what you are not working on. Tasks that have no value for the grouping property appear under an "Ungrouped" heading.
Configuration
Open Settings > Community Plugins > Tasks to configure the plugin.
General
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Task folder | Folder where new tasks created from the board are saved | tasks/ |
| Inline tag | Tag used to identify inline tasks across your vault | #task |
| Default view | View mode when opening the board | Board |
Buckets
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Add bucket | Create a new bucket with a custom name |
| Rename | Change a bucket's display name |
| Reorder | Drag buckets to change their column order |
| Delete | Remove a bucket (tasks in it become unassigned) |
Secondary Grouping
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable grouping | Toggle secondary grouping on or off | Off |
| Property name | Frontmatter property used to group tasks | account |
| Collapsible groups | Allow collapsing/expanding individual groups | On |
Display
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Show due dates | Display due date badges on tasks | On |
| Show task age | Display how long a task has been open | Off |
| Source icons | Show a small icon linking back to the source note | On |
| Compact mode | Reduce padding and font size for denser boards | Off |
| Completion behavior | What happens after a task is checked off (fade, archive, or remove) | Fade |
Installation
Community plugins (recommended)
- Open Settings > Community Plugins > Browse.
- Search for Tasks.
- Click Install, then Enable.
Manual
- Download the latest release from the GitHub releases page.
- Extract the files into your vault's
.obsidian/plugins/obsidian-tasks/folder. - Reload Obsidian and enable the plugin under Settings > Community Plugins.