Tasks
Tasks in Coeus are plain text. They live in your notes, not in a separate app or database.
Task format
A task is a list item with a checkbox:
- [ ] Write the report
- [x] Send the invoice
That's the minimum. Coeus also understands a richer format for tasks that have due dates, priorities, and project/context tags:
- [ ] (A) 2026-04-10 Write the report +work @computer due:2026-04-15
Breaking that down:
| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
- [ ] | Unchecked task (use [x] for done) |
(A) | Priority. A is highest, B is next, and so on. Optional. |
2026-04-10 | Date the task was created. Optional. |
Write the report | The task text |
+work | Project tag. Can have multiple. |
@computer | Context tag. Can have multiple. |
due:2026-04-15 | Due date in YYYY-MM-DD format |
t:09:00 | Due time (optional, used with due date) |
done:2026-04-16 | Date completed (added automatically when you check it off) |
You don't need all of these. A task can be as simple as - [ ] Buy milk.
Due date alerts
If a task has a due: date and it's today or overdue, Coeus shows a banner at the top of the main window. Clicking the banner opens your Tasks note so you can deal with it.
Coeus checks for due tasks every minute while the app is open.
Where to put tasks
You can put tasks in any note. A lot of people keep a dedicated note called Tasks.md for their main task list, and also write tasks in project notes and meeting notes.
Since tasks are just text, you can move them between notes, sort them, and format them however you want. The AI can find them too: ask "what tasks are overdue?" or "show me everything tagged +work."
Asking the AI about tasks
The AI knows about your tasks if you have semantic search set up or if it reads relevant notes. You can ask things like:
- "What's on my task list?"
- "Do I have any tasks due this week?"
- "Create a task to follow up with Sarah by Friday"
When the AI creates a task for you, it adds it to a Tasks note in your notes folder.