TidyTasks

Automatically move completed tasks to the bottom of each Markdown task list, keeping subtasks attached and surrounding text in place.

TidyTasks automatically moves completed tasks to the bottom of each Markdown task list in Obsidian. Subtasks stay attached to their parent, and surrounding text stays in place. Keep using your usual Markdown checkboxes—no separate task manager or new workflow required.

Open tasks come first, in-progress tasks follow, and completed tasks come last. Within the completed group, the most recently completed task appears first.

TidyTasks is free to use, with no paid features, accounts, telemetry or external services. The plugin runs locally and does not require network access.

Behavior

After an existing parent task changes status, TidyTasks waits for 0.5 seconds without further edits and sorts each contiguous task block: open [ ] first, in progress [/] second, completed [x] / [X] last. Newly completed tasks go to the top of the completed group, newest first, including multiple observed changes within one debounce interval. Open and in-progress tasks keep their relative order.

For example, completing A and then B in a list A, B, C produces open C followed by completed B, A. Completion order is recorded only during the pending debounce, then carried by the Markdown order itself. Existing completed tasks are not reversed. No timestamps or task IDs are written to your notes. Simultaneous batch changes have no observable click chronology, so their document order is used.

- [x] Finished parent
  - [ ] Its child
- [ ] Still open

becomes:

- [ ] Still open
- [x] Finished parent
  - [ ] Its child

• Native Obsidian checkboxes and their theme-controlled appearance remain unchanged.
• Child tasks and indented continuation text move with their parent. Children are not sorted separately.
• Plain text, headings, ordinary list items and unindented blank lines split task blocks; tasks never cross those boundaries.
• Blank lines immediately followed by indented child content belong to the parent.
• [ ], [/], [x] and [X] are interpreted. Other custom task statuses split blocks. In-progress status can be written as - [/] Task; TidyTasks does not replace native checkbox controls or add a new click cycle.
• YAML frontmatter, fenced code, standalone four-space-indented code, Obsidian comments and blockquotes are left alone.
• Unordered markers -, +, * and numbered task markers are supported. Literal numbers are not renumbered.
• Opening notes, editing prose, adding tasks or moving task lines does not start automatic sorting. Changing an existing parent task's status does, whether via a checkbox or Markdown editing. Observed background status changes are supported too. Child status changes alone do not move/sort their parent.
• An existing mixed list can be sorted explicitly with the manual command. No vault-wide startup rewriting occurs.
• Editor changes preserve cursor positions on their original lines and use the Editor API. Background/reading-mode changes use atomic Vault.process().

TidyTasks changes the actual Markdown file, not just its display. Keep backups and test in a separate vault first. It supports desktop, Android and iOS by design; actual mobile device testing is still required before public release.

Settings and commands

• Automatic sorting: turn background sorting on/off.
• Sort automatically in this note: a switch in settings for the currently open Markdown note.
• Right-click a Markdown file (or use its file menu) and choose TidyTasks: exclude note from automatic sorting. Use the same menu to include it again.
• Excluded notes are listed in settings with an Include again button. Exclusions are saved in plugin settings; no manual note properties are required. They follow renames while the plugin is running.
• Optional advanced alternative: set the Boolean YAML property tidytasks: false. It takes precedence over the per-note switch. Remove the property or set it to true to release that override. The switch is disabled while this override is present.
• Typing delay: 500–1500 ms (default 500 ms).
• Command palette: TidyTasks: Sort tasks in current note. Works even if automatic sorting is disabled or the note is excluded, because it is an explicit action.
• Command palette: TidyTasks: Include or exclude current note from automatic sorting.

Undoing only a reordering does not restart automatic sorting: the statuses have not changed. Undoing a checkbox/status change is a real status change and can trigger sorting. Actual Obsidian undo grouping still needs manual verification. The tracker conservatively recognizes existing tasks by their parent text; changing the text and status simultaneously may be treated as a new task rather than an existing status change.

Develop on Windows

Requires a supported Node.js LTS release with npm.

npm.cmd install
npm.cmd test
npm.cmd run lint
npm.cmd run build
npm.cmd run dev

Copy main.js and manifest.json into <test-vault>/.obsidian/plugins/tidytasks/. In Obsidian, enable community plugins and enable TidyTasks. Reload the plugin after rebuilding. Stop the watch process with Ctrl+C.

Each successful npm.cmd run build automatically increments the patch version, for example 0.1.0 → 0.1.1 → 0.1.2. It synchronizes manifest.json, package.json, package-lock.json and versions.json. Failed builds, tests and the dev watch mode do not increment versions. Copy main.js and the updated manifest.json when installing a new build. Restart Obsidian after changing the installed manifest so the displayed version is refreshed.

No styles.css is needed. The plugin uses Obsidian's native task rendering without additional animations.

Manual test checklist

1. Check/uncheck tasks in Source mode, Live Preview and Reading view.
2. Type continuously: nothing should move until the typing pause expires.
3. Verify children, continuations, headings, prose, code blocks and blank lines.
4. Verify cursor, multiple selections, scrolling and undo behavior.
5. Open the same note in multiple panes; switch notes during the debounce.
6. Disable automatic sorting; verify manual command still works.
7. Disable/unload the plugin with a pending timer; no later edit should occur.
8. Test Android/iOS touch checkboxes, software keyboard and IME/composition input.
9. Test external edits/sync and a deleted or renamed note during the delay.
10. Open an unsorted note and edit prose: no automatic sorting should happen. Then change a parent status.
11. Complete A then B, including rapid clicks: verify completed B appears above A. Verify open / in-progress / completed groups.
12. Exclude a note via its file menu or settings, reload and verify the exclusion persists. Test the optional property override.

Before publishing

This is a development version, not yet a reviewed Community plugin.

• Choose/add a LICENSE file before publication.
• Check that the name and ID are available in the community directory.
• Test supported Obsidian versions, desktop and real mobile devices. minAppVersion currently targets 1.6.0; raise it if compatibility testing requires it.
• Re-run the Obsidian-specific ESLint review rules before submission.
• Create a public GitHub repository and a release whose tag exactly matches the built manifest.json (no v prefix). Build first, then create the matching release tag.
• Attach main.js and manifest.json to the release; keep the manifest in the repository root as well.
• Submit through the current process documented at https://docs.obsidian.md/plugins/releasing/submit-plugin.
• Review developer policies: https://docs.obsidian.md/community-directory/developer-policies.

License selection is intentionally pending the author's decision. Do not publish this project as a licensed community release until a license is added.

About the author

Created by Finn-Christopher-Krause / @finnxwz. TidyTasks is a small, focused project built around a simple idea: completed tasks should move out of the way without changing how you write your notes.

Feedback and support

Found a bug or have a suggestion? Open an issue in this repository's GitHub Issues tab. Include your Obsidian version, device/platform, a small Markdown example and what you expected to happen. Please remove private note content before sharing examples.

The lint configuration uses the official recommended rules. Compatibility warnings are currently expected: legacy settings, refreshing their display and slider tooltips are retained for Obsidian before 1.13. npm may also report advisories for development-only dependencies inherited from the Obsidian API/lint packages; those dependencies are not bundled into main.js. Review these again before release rather than forcing an API downgrade with npm audit fix --force.