Just like code linters help developers write better code, task linting helps you maintain high-quality, actionable tasks. This powerful feature automatically analyzes your tasks and suggests improvements, helping you build better productivity habits over time.

What Is Task Linting?

The Concept

Task linting automatically checks your tasks against productivity best practices and your personal preferences. It catches common issues like:

• Vague task descriptions: "Work on project" → "Draft introduction for Q1 report"
• Missing contexts: Tasks without location or tool requirements
• Unrealistic time estimates: 30-minute tasks scheduled for 5 minutes
• Broken dependencies: Tasks that depend on incomplete prerequisites

Why It Matters

Good task linting helps you:

• Take better action: Clear, specific tasks are easier to start
• Estimate accurately: Better time management and scheduling
• Maintain momentum: Reduce decision fatigue and procrastination
• Build consistency: Develop reliable productivity habits

Built-in Linting Rules

Task Quality Rules

Specificity Check

Flags vague tasks:

❌ "Call client"
✅ "Call Sarah Johnson to discuss Q1 budget approval (555-0123)"

❌ "Work on presentation"
✅ "Create slide deck outline for marketing strategy presentation"

Action Verb Requirement

Ensures tasks start with clear action words:

❌ "Email from boss"
✅ "Reply to boss's email about project timeline"

❌ "Meeting prep"
✅ "Prepare agenda for weekly team meeting"

Context Validation

Checks that tasks include necessary context:

❌ "Review document" (Missing: which document? where?)
✅ "Review budget proposal in shared Google Drive @Computer"

Time Management Rules

Duration Estimates

Warns about unrealistic time estimates:

• Too short: Complex tasks estimated under 15 minutes
• Too long: Tasks over 4 hours (suggest breaking down)
• Missing estimates: Important tasks without time estimates

Deadline Validation

Checks for scheduling conflicts:

• Overlapping commitments: Multiple high-priority tasks same day
• Weekend deadlines: Unless specifically allowed
• Past due dates: Automatic suggestions to reschedule

Dependency Rules

Prerequisite Checking

Ensures task dependencies make sense:

❌ "Send report to client" when "Write report" isn't completed
✅ Suggests completing prerequisite tasks first

Circular Dependencies

Detects impossible dependency loops:

❌ Task A depends on Task B, which depends on Task A
✅ Suggests breaking the circular dependency

Customizing Linting Rules

Personal Preferences

Language and Tone

Customize how you prefer to write tasks:

• Formal vs. casual: "Schedule meeting" vs. "Set up chat with team"
• Personal pronouns: "I need to..." vs. action-focused phrasing
• Verb preferences: Your preferred action words

Context Requirements

Set which contexts are required for different task types:

• Work tasks: Must include @Computer, @Phone, or @Office
• Personal tasks: Should include @Home, @Errands, or @Online
• Creative tasks: Require energy level indicators

Time Estimate Rules

Configure duration preferences:

• Minimum task size: No tasks under 5 minutes
• Maximum single task: Break down anything over 2 hours
• Default estimates: Auto-suggest times for common task types

Workflow-Specific Rules

GTD (Getting Things Done) Rules

• Two-minute rule: Flag quick tasks for immediate action
• Next action clarity: Ensure tasks are concrete next steps
• Project association: Every task must belong to a project
• Context specificity: Strict context requirements

Time Blocking Rules

• Calendar integration: Ensure tasks fit in available time slots
• Buffer time: Require 15-minute buffers between tasks
• Energy matching: Match task complexity to scheduled energy levels

PARA Method Rules

• Project categorization: Tasks must be in Projects, Areas, or Archives
• Action orientation: Distinguish between actionable and reference items
• Resource linking: Ensure tasks link to relevant resources

Advanced Customization

Custom Rule Creation

Rule Structure

Create rules using simple logic:

Rule: "Meeting tasks must include location"
Trigger: Task title contains "meeting" or "call"
Check: Task has @Location context or includes location in description
Action: Suggest adding location information

Regular Expressions

For complex pattern matching:

// Flag tasks with multiple action verbs (suggests breaking down)
Pattern: /^(Call|Email|Write|Review).*and.*(Call|Email|Write|Review)/i
Suggestion: "Consider breaking this into separate tasks"

Conditional Rules

Rules that apply in specific situations:

Project-Based Rules

Different standards for different projects:

• Client work: Requires time tracking and detailed descriptions
• Personal projects: More relaxed formatting requirements
• Urgent projects: Stricter deadline and priority checking

Context-Based Rules

• @Phone tasks: Must include phone numbers or contact methods
• @Computer tasks: Should specify software or websites needed
• @Errands tasks: Must include locations or stores

Team and Collaboration Rules

Shared Standards

When working with others:

• Consistent terminology: Use agreed-upon project names
• Assignment clarity: Ensure delegated tasks include clear owners
• Communication requirements: Tasks affecting others need update mechanisms

Client Work Rules

Professional project standards:

• Time tracking: All billable tasks must have time estimates
• Status updates: Regular client communication tasks
• Documentation: Meeting notes and decision recording requirements

Linting Configuration Interface

Rule Management

Access through Settings > Task Linting:

Enable/Disable Rules

• Toggle individual rules: Turn specific checks on/off
• Rule categories: Enable/disable entire rule groups
• Severity levels: Set warnings vs. errors for different rules

Notification Preferences

• Real-time: Flag issues as you type
• On save: Check tasks when you finish editing
• Batch review: Daily or weekly linting reports
• Silent mode: Log issues but don't show notifications

Severity Levels

Error (Red)

Critical issues that prevent good task execution:

• Missing context for location-dependent tasks
• Circular dependencies
• Tasks with impossible deadlines

Warning (Yellow)

Issues that might cause problems:

• Vague task descriptions
• Missing time estimates
• Tasks without clear next actions

Suggestion (Blue)

Improvements that could help:

• Consider breaking down large tasks
• Add more specific context
• Include relevant resources or links

Learning from Linting

Analytics and Insights

Track your improvement over time:

• Rule violation trends: See which rules you struggle with
• Task quality scores: Measure improvement in task writing
• Completion correlation: How rule compliance affects task completion

Habit Building

Use linting to develop better practices:

• Weekly linting reviews: Batch fix common issues
• Rule focus: Concentrate on improving one rule at a time
• Success tracking: Celebrate consistent rule compliance

Troubleshooting Linting

Common Issues

Too Many False Positives

• Adjust rule sensitivity: Make rules less strict
• Add exceptions: Create rules for special cases
• Context-specific rules: Different standards for different situations

Missing Important Issues

• Enable more rules: Activate additional checking
• Lower thresholds: Make rules more sensitive
• Add custom rules: Create rules for your specific needs

Performance Impact

• Reduce real-time checking: Switch to on-save linting
• Limit rule scope: Apply rules only to active projects
• Batch processing: Use scheduled linting instead of real-time

Advanced Configuration

Export/Import Rules

• Share with team: Export successful rule configurations
• Backup settings: Save your custom rule setup
• Template rules: Import rules for different methodologies

API Integration

For power users:

// Custom rule via API
TaskLinter.addRule({
  name: "client-task-format",
  pattern: /client:/i,
  check: (task) => task.tags.includes("billable"),
  message: "Client tasks should be tagged as billable"
});

Best Practices for Task Linting

Getting Started

1. Enable basic rules: Start with simple quality checks
2. Use for a week: See which rules help most
3. Customize gradually: Add rules as you identify patterns
4. Review regularly: Adjust rules based on what works

Maintaining Quality

• Weekly linting reviews: Fix accumulated issues
• Team alignment: Ensure shared rules for collaborative work
• Continuous improvement: Regularly update rules as workflows evolve

Avoiding Over-Linting

• Focus on what matters: Don't lint everything
• Allow flexibility: Perfect tasks aren't always necessary
• Context sensitivity: Different rules for different situations

Task linting is like having a productivity coach built into your app. Start simple, customize gradually, and let the system help you develop better task-writing habits that lead to more effective action-taking.

Want to share effective linting rules? Join our community forum to exchange configurations with other productivity enthusiasts.