Syncist (Todoist Sync)

Syncist (Todoist Sync) - Obsidian Plugin

Created with the help of AI; fully validated and tested by human.

Summary

With this plugin it is possible to create Todoist tasks from Obsidian and keep them in sync bidirectionally. Its usage is very simple after the plugin has been connected to your Todoist account. When you add the #todoist tag to a task (or checkbox item) it will automatically be created on Todoist and from that moment onward, the Todoist and Obsidian task will be synced.

What's New

2.3.0

• Shorthand priorities: type p1, p2, p3 or p4 in a task to set its priority, just like in Todoist
• Shorthand due dates: type today, tomorrow, dd/mm, dd/mm/yy or dd/mm/yyyy to set the due date
• Green highlighting in the editor shows which shorthand will be converted; hover it to see the resulting priority or date
• On sync, shorthand is converted to the emoji format (🔺, 📅 2026-10-01), so today stays pinned to the day you wrote it
• Create task from current line now also sends the priority, due date, labels and project to Todoist

See Shorthand Priorities and Dates for details.

Features

• Bidirectional Sync: Changes in Obsidian or Todoist are synced both ways
• Subtasks: Indented tasks beneath a #todoist parent are synced as subtasks automatically — no tag needed on each child
• Import from Todoist: Search and import any Todoist task (with its subtasks) into your note via a fuzzy-search modal
• Projects & Labels: Per-task project assignment with 📁 ProjectName metadata, bidirectional label sync via #hashtags
• Query Blocks: Embed live Todoist task lists in your notes using syncist code blocks (e.g., filter: today)
• Tasks Plugin Compatible: Works with the popular Obsidian Tasks plugin emojis (📅, 🔺, ⏫, 🔼, 🔽)
• Shorthand: Type p1–p4 for priority and today, tomorrow or dd/mm for the due date — no emoji picker needed
• Configurable: Customize sync tag, default project, sync interval, and conflict resolution
• Commands: Quick commands to create tasks, import tasks, and trigger sync
• Conflict Resolution: Choose how to handle conflicts (Obsidian wins, Todoist wins, or ask)
• Zero Dependencies: Direct Todoist API v1 integration via Obsidian's built-in requestUrl — no external SDKs
• AI-Crafted: Created with the help of AI; fully validated and tested by human

Installation

From Community Plugins (Recommended)

1. Open Obsidian Settings → Community plugins
2. Click "Browse" and search for "Syncist"
3. Install and enable the plugin
4. Configure your Todoist API token in the plugin settings

Manual Installation

1. Download main.js and manifest.json from the latest release
2. Create a folder syncist-todoist-sync in your vault's .obsidian/plugins/ directory
3. Copy main.js and manifest.json into that folder
4. Enable the plugin in Obsidian settings

From Source (Development)

1. Clone this repository
2. Run npm install and npm run build
3. Open the TestVault folder in Obsidian (the plugin is symlinked)
4. Enable Community plugins in Settings → Community plugins
5. Enable the "Syncist (Todoist Sync)" plugin

Configuration

1. Get your Todoist API token from Todoist Settings → Integrations → Developer
2. Open plugin settings in Obsidian
3. Enter your API token and click "Verify"
4. Configure other settings as needed:
   • Sync Tag: Tag to mark tasks for sync (default: #todoist)
   • Default Project: Where new tasks go (default: Inbox)
   • Sync Interval: Auto-sync frequency in minutes
   • Conflict Resolution: How to handle conflicting changes
   • Shorthand priorities and dates: Recognize p1–p4, today, tomorrow and dd/mm[/yy[yy]] (default: on)

Usage

Creating Tasks

Add the #todoist tag to any task:

- [ ] Buy groceries #todoist
- [ ] Meeting with team #todoist 📅 2026-01-28 ⏫
- [ ] Call the dentist p1 tomorrow #todoist

After sync, the task will have a Todoist ID:

- [ ] Buy groceries #todoist <!-- todoist-id:8765432109 -->

Shorthand Priorities and Dates

Instead of the emojis you can type the priority and due date as plain words anywhere in the task:

- [ ] Call the dentist p1 tomorrow #todoist
- [ ] Renew passport p2 15/11 #todoist

On the next sync the shorthand is sent to Todoist and rewritten in your note to the emoji format, e.g. the first task becomes:

- [ ] Call the dentist #todoist 🔺 📅 2026-10-01 <!-- todoist-id:8765432109 -->

This pins relative dates like today, so they don't change on later syncs. To change a priority or date later, just type a new shorthand at the end of the line — it overrides the existing emoji.

While you type, the shorthand that will be converted is highlighted in green in the editor; hover it to see what it means (e.g. Syncist: Due 2026-11-15).

The last one on the line wins. Only the last priority and the last date on a line count, whether shorthand or emoji. Earlier words stay part of the title:

- [ ] Plan p2 roadmap today p1 tomorrow #todoist

becomes the task "Plan p2 roadmap today" with priority p1, due tomorrow. After the sync the 🔺 📅 emojis come last on the line, so the p2 and today left in the title are not picked up again. For the same reason, shorthand typed before an existing emoji is ignored — type it at the end.

Things to know:

• Shorthand must be a separate word: mp3, #p1 or today's are not recognized, and neither are invalid dates like 31/02
• Dates are always day-first (dd/mm)
• This also applies to task titles that come from Todoist, when the task has no due date: a title like Buy 1/2 kg would be read as a due date (the green highlight shows this). Turn off Shorthand priorities and dates in settings if that is a problem
• p4 is written as 🔽, so a pN word left in the title is not read as the priority later
• The emoji format keeps working either way

Subtasks

Indent tasks beneath a #todoist-tagged parent. Subtasks inherit the sync tag automatically — you do not need to add #todoist to each one:

- [ ] Buy groceries #todoist <!-- todoist-id:111 -->
  - [ ] Milk <!-- todoist-id:222 -->
  - [ ] Bread <!-- todoist-id:333 -->
  - [ ] Eggs

• Subtasks are synced as Todoist subtasks (using parentId)
• New indented tasks without a Todoist ID are created as subtasks on the next sync
• Subtask hierarchy is preserved in both directions

Importing Tasks from Todoist

Use the command "Import task from Todoist" to search for any open Todoist task and insert it at your cursor:

1. Open the command palette (Ctrl/Cmd + P)
2. Run "Syncist: Import task from Todoist"
3. Search by task content, project, label, or due date
4. Select a task — it and its subtasks are inserted as synced markdown

Projects and Labels

Assign a project to a task using the 📁 emoji:

- [ ] Design review #todoist #design #urgent 📁 WorkProject 📅 2026-03-05 <!-- todoist-id:123 -->

• 📁 ProjectName sets the Todoist project for the task (overrides the default project)
• #hashtags (other than the sync tag) are synced as Todoist labels, bidirectionally
• Project names are resolved from the Todoist project list and cached

Query Blocks (Show Today's Tasks)

Embed a live, interactive task list in any note using a syncist code block:

```syncist
filter: today
```

The block renders as a styled task list with checkboxes, priorities, projects, and due dates. You can complete or reopen tasks directly from the rendered block.

Supported filters (uses Todoist filter syntax):

Each query block includes a refresh button and shows when it was last updated.

Commands

• Create Todoist task from current line: Convert current line to a synced task
• Import task from Todoist: Search and import a Todoist task at cursor
• Sync with Todoist now: Manually trigger sync
• Open Todoist Sync settings: Quick access to settings

Supported Task Formats

Network Usage

This plugin connects directly to the Todoist API v1 (via Obsidian's built-in requestUrl) to sync tasks. There are no external SDK dependencies. Your Todoist API token is stored locally in Obsidian's plugin data and is only used to communicate with Todoist's servers (api.todoist.com).

Development

To build the plugin from source:

npm install
npm run build

To lint:

npm run lint

About This Plugin

Created with the help of AI; fully validated and tested by human.

• Built entirely using Claude in Cursor IDE
• API integration guided by Context7 MCP for up-to-date Todoist and Obsidian documentation
• Direct Todoist API v1 integration — no external SDKs, only Obsidian's built-in requestUrl
• Every feature manually validated and tested by a human

Finally

If you like this plugin, please give it a star on GitHub and in Obsidian!