Todo.md

Manage tasks in plain Markdown, right in VS Code. Inspired by todo.txt, but not strictly compliant - it uses Markdown checkbox syntax and extends the format with nesting and custom metadata.

Syntax

Tasks are standard Markdown checkboxes. Enrich them with optional inline markers:

- [ ] (A) Task title +project @context #tag due:2025-06-01
- [x] Completed task completed:2025-05-20
  - [ ] Sub-task (indented child)
  - Any indented non-task line is treated as a note

Marker	Example	Meaning
Priority	`(A)` `(B)` `(C)`	Priority level, A–Z
Project	`+project`	Project label
Context	`@context`	Context label
Tag	`#tag`	Freeform tag
Due date	`due:2025-06-01`	Due date in ISO format
Completion	`completed:2025-05-20`	Auto-appended on completion
Custom	`key:value`	Any key:value pair (configurable)

Example

- [ ] (A) Prepare v2.0 release +release @writing due:2025-06-15
  - [ ] Write release notes +release @writing #draft
    - Keep it user-facing; skip internal refactors
  - [ ] Update landing page copy +release @frontend
  - [x] Freeze feature scope completed:2025-05-28

- [ ] (B) Refactor authentication +backend due:2025-06-30
  - [ ] Replace token library +backend @security #breaking-change
    - New library supports RS256 and ES256
  - [ ] Add refresh token endpoint +backend
  - [ ] Update integration tests +backend @ci

- [ ] Team retrospective @team due:2025-06-27
  - [ ] Send calendar invite @team
  - [ ] Prepare slide deck @writing
  - Async notes go here as plain indented lines

- [x] Set up CI pipeline +devops @ci completed:2025-05-10
  - [x] Configure GitHub Actions completed:2025-05-08
  - [x] Add lint and test steps completed:2025-05-09

Views

The extension adds a sidebar with some views:

Tasks - mirrors the structure of your todo.md file. Each item shows the task label and, for incomplete tasks, the due date (relative or ISO). Overdue tasks are marked with a warning icon. The view toolbar provides:

Add a new task (also available via command palette: Todo.md: Add Task)
Sort by priority or due date
Filter by tag, project, or context

Tags / Projects / Contexts - grouped lists of all metadata values found in the file. Clicking an entry shows all tasks that carry it. Right-clicking a value lets you rename it across the entire file.

Keybindings

These shortcuts work when the cursor is on a task line in your todo file:

Shortcut	Action
`Alt+X`	Toggle completion (`[ ]` <--> `[x]`)
`Alt+P`	Set priority (QuickPick A–Z or None)
`Alt+D`	Set due date (presets or custom input)
`Alt+J`	Add project tag
`Alt+C`	Add context tag
`Alt+T`	Add tag

Settings

Setting	Default	Description
`todomd.todoFile`	`"todo.md"`	File name to track (relative to workspace root)
`todomd.metadataKeys`	`[]`	Additional `key:value` keys to highlight (`due` and `completed` are always highlighted)
`todomd.dateDisplayFormat`	`"relative"`	Due date display in the Tasks view: `"relative"` or `"iso"`
`todomd.recordCompletionDate`	`true`	Append `completed:YYYY-MM-DD` automatically when a task is completed

todo.md