Tasks
Overview
Tasks help you organize complex work by breaking it down into manageable pieces. Friday automatically creates and manages tasks for multi-step work, or you can explicitly request task management for numbered or comma-separated lists. Tasks support dependencies, status tracking, and are preserved across checkpoints.
Quick Start
- Give Friday a complex request or a numbered list of tasks
- Friday will automatically create tasks and track progress
- Use
/tasksto view all tasks and their status - Edit pending tasks directly from the tasks modal
Usage
When Friday uses tasks
Friday will create tasks at the beginning of work, mark them as in_progress before starting, and mark them as completed when finished.
Viewing tasks
Use the /tasks command to open the tasks modal. Tasks are organized into collapsible sections by status:
- Pending - Tasks that haven't been started yet
- In Progress - Tasks currently being worked on
- Completed - Finished tasks
- Deleted - Tasks that are no longer needed
Each task shows its subject, description, and any dependencies (what it blocks or is blocked by).
Task dependencies
Tasks can have dependencies that define their relationship to other tasks:
- Blocks - Other tasks that cannot start until this task is completed
- Blocked by - Tasks that must be completed before this task can start
Friday uses these dependencies to determine the order of work and will wait for blocking tasks to complete before starting dependent tasks.
Editing tasks
Pending tasks can be edited directly from the tasks modal. Click the "Edit" button next to a pending task to modify its description. This is useful for clarifying requirements or adding additional context as you work through complex projects.
Tasks and checkpoints
Tasks are automatically saved with checkpoints and restored when you load a checkpoint. This means you can exit Friday in the middle of complex work and resume exactly where you left off, with all task context preserved.
Examples
Automatic task creation from a list
You provide a numbered list:
You: I need to:
1. Add user authentication
2. Create a dashboard page
3. Add API endpoints for user data
Friday: I'll create tasks for these items and work through them systematically.
[Creates 3 tasks and begins work]
Viewing task status
Check on progress during complex work:
You: /tasks
[Tasks modal opens showing:]
Pending (1)
• Add API endpoints for user data
Create REST endpoints for user CRUD operations
In Progress (1)
• Create a dashboard page
Build the main dashboard UI with user stats
Completed (1)
• Add user authentication
Implement JWT-based authentication system
Tasks with dependencies
Friday creates tasks with dependencies:
You: Set up the database, then create the models, then add the API layer
Friday: I'll create these tasks with dependencies to ensure they're done in order.
[Creates tasks where "create models" is blocked by "set up database",
and "add API layer" is blocked by "create models"]
Editing a task
Clarify requirements mid-project:
You: /tasks
[Click "Edit" on a pending task]
[Update description to add more details]
Friday: Task description updated. I'll use this additional context when I start that task.
Resuming tasks from a checkpoint
Continue work after a break:
[Load checkpoint]
Friday: Checkpoint loaded. I see you have 2 pending tasks and 1 in progress.
Would you like me to continue with the in-progress task?
You: Yes, please continue
Friday: I'll pick up where we left off with "Create a dashboard page"