# Task Actions - Automatic Workflow Automation ## What are Task Actions? Task Actions automatically execute when you start a timer, helping you quickly set up your work environment. Simply include special keywords or URLs in your task title or notes, and MaketimeFlow will detect and execute them when you start working. Think of it as your personal workflow assistant that: - Opens relevant URLs in your browser - Launches communication tools - Navigates to rituals - Sets up your workspace automatically --- ## Types of Actions ### 1. URL Actions 🔗 Any URL in your task title or notes will automatically open when you start the timer. **Supported URL schemes:** - **Web URLs**: `http://` and `https://` - **Note-taking apps**: `obsidian://`, `notion://`, `roam://`, `bear://` - **Task managers**: `things://`, `omnifocus://` - **Communication**: `slack://`, `teams://`, `zoom://`, `meet://` - **Development**: `vscode://` - **Media**: `spotify://`, `music://` - **And more!** Any custom URL scheme your apps support **Examples:** ``` Review PR https://github.com/company/repo/pull/123 Design mockup https://figma.com/file/abc123 Open notes obsidian://vault/project-notes Research article https://example.com/article ``` **Multiple URLs:** You can include multiple URLs in a single task - they'll all open: ``` Review https://github.com/repo1/pull/1 and https://github.com/repo2/pull/2 ``` --- ### 2. Communication Actions 💬 Open all your communication tools at once or launch specific tools. **Generic "comms" action** - Opens ALL configured communication tools: ``` Check comms Comms Do comms ``` **Specific tool actions** - Open just one tool: ``` Do Gmail Check Slack Open Basecamp Do Teams ``` **How it works:** 1. First, configure your communication tools in Settings → Communication Tools 2. Add URLs for Gmail, Slack, Basecamp, etc. 3. Use "comms" or tool names in your tasks 4. Tools launch automatically when you start the timer **Configuration:** Add your most-used tools with their web URLs: - Gmail: `https://mail.google.com` - Slack: `https://yourworkspace.slack.com` - Basecamp: `https://3.basecamp.com/12345` --- ### 3. Ritual Actions 🧘 Jump directly into your rituals (shutdown, weekly planning, begin well). **Supported rituals:** ``` Do shutdown → Goes to shutdown ritual Shutdown → Goes to shutdown ritual Do wrap → Goes to weekly planning ritual Wrap → Goes to weekly planning ritual Weekly reflection → Goes to weekly planning ritual Weekly planning → Goes to weekly planning ritual Do begin → Goes to begin well ritual Begin → Goes to begin well ritual Begin well → Goes to begin well ritual ``` **Example tasks:** ``` End of day - do shutdown Weekly review - wrap Morning routine - begin well ``` --- ## Visual Indicators ### Lightning Bolt Icon ⚡ Tasks with actions show a lightning bolt (⚡) on their Start button: ![[Flow Action with Tasks.png]] This lets you know the task will do something automatically when you start it. ### Active Timer In the active timer view, tasks with actions show a clickable lightning bolt next to the task name: ![[Flow Active Task Actions 1.png]] Click the ⚡ to run the actions again if needed. --- ## Using Task Actions ### Basic Usage 1. **Create a task** with an action keyword or URL: ``` Review PR https://github.com/company/repo/pull/123 ``` 2. **Notice the lightning bolt** ⚡ on the Start button 3. **Start the timer** - The URL opens automatically! 4. **Focus on your work** - Your environment is ready ### Advanced Combinations **Combine multiple action types:** ``` Morning standup - check comms and https://calendar.google.com ``` This will: - Open all your communication tools - Open Google Calendar - Start your timer **Use in notes field:** You don't have to put everything in the title - actions in notes work too: **Title:** `Review design feedback` **Notes:** ``` Check the Figma file: https://figma.com/file/abc123 Also review Slack thread: https://workspace.slack.com/archives/channel/p123456 ``` Both URLs will open when you start the timer. --- ## Keyboard Shortcuts ### Skip Actions Sometimes you want to start a timer without running the actions: **Option 1: Skip once** - Hold **Shift** while clicking Start - Actions won't run this time only **Option 2: Open duration modal without actions** - Hold **Shift + Cmd** (Mac) or **Shift + Ctrl** (Windows/Linux) - Choose duration, actions disabled for this start **Tooltip shows your options:** - **Click**: Start timer with actions - **Shift + Click**: Start timer, skip actions - **`Cmd+Click` (Mac) / `Ctrl+Click` (Windows/Linux)**: Open duration modal - **`Shift+Cmd+Click` (Mac) / `Shift+Ctrl+Click` (Windows/Linux)**: Open modal, disable actions --- ## Control & Safety ### Actions Run Once Actions only execute **once per timer**. If you: - Pause and resume: Actions don't re-run - Return to the timer page: Actions don't re-run - Refresh the page: Actions don't re-run This prevents annoying duplicate tabs and repeated launches. ### Manual Re-Run Need to open those URLs again? Click the ⚡ in the active timer. ### Supported Platforms **Web Browser:** - URLs open in new tabs - Custom schemes prompt "Open in app?" - Works in all modern browsers **Electron Desktop App:** - URLs open in your default browser - Custom schemes launch apps directly - Smoother integration with native apps --- ## Security & Privacy ### Safe by Design MaketimeFlow blocks dangerous URL schemes that could harm your computer: - ❌ `javascript:` URLs (XSS attacks) - ❌ `data:` URLs (embedded code) - ❌ `file:` URLs (local file access) - ❌ `vbscript:` URLs (script execution) ### What Happens: 1. You create a task with a URL 2. MaketimeFlow checks if it's safe 3. Dangerous URLs are blocked and logged 4. Safe URLs are allowed to open ### Your Privacy: - Actions run locally in your browser - No data sent to external servers - You control what opens and when - All actions visible in task title/notes ### Unknown Schemes: If you use a custom app scheme we don't recognize (e.g., `myapp://action`), it will: - Still work (we're permissive for custom apps) - Be logged for monitoring - Prompt you to open the app (browser security) --- ## Tips & Tricks ### 1. Create Task Templates Build reusable task patterns: **Daily standup template:** ``` Title: Daily standup Notes: - Check comms - Review https://calendar.google.com - Open https://notion.so/standup-notes ``` **PR review template:** ``` Title: Review PR #{{number}} Notes: https://github.com/company/repo/pull/{{number}} ``` ### 2. Use with Recurring Tasks Add actions to recurring tasks for automatic setup: ``` Monday planning - https://notion.so/weekly-plan Friday wrap-up - check comms and do wrap ``` ### 3. Project-Specific Workflows Keep project links in project tasks: ``` [Project Alpha] Sprint planning https://jira.company.com/board/123 https://figma.com/file/designs https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/xyz ``` ### 4. Context-Switching Helper Reduce context-switching time with comprehensive setups: ``` Work on API docs https://github.com/company/api https://notion.so/api-spec Open vscode://file/path/to/api Do Slack ``` ### 5. Meeting Preparation Get ready for meetings instantly: ``` 1:1 with Sarah https://zoom.us/j/123456789 https://notion.so/1on1-sarah Check comms ``` --- ## Examples by Use Case ### Software Development ``` Bug fix #1234 - https://github.com/repo/issues/1234 Code review - https://github.com/repo/pull/567 Update docs - https://docs.company.com obsidian://vault/notes Standup - check comms and https://jira.company.com ``` ### Content Creation ``` Write blog post - https://docs.google.com/doc/123 obsidian://vault/drafts Edit video - https://frame.io/project/abc Research topic - https://scholar.google.com/search?q=topic ``` ### Design ``` Design homepage - https://figma.com/file/abc123 Client feedback - check comms and https://figma.com/file/reviews User research - https://notion.so/research obsidian://vault/users ``` ### Project Management ``` Sprint planning - https://jira.company.com/board/123 Team sync - do Slack and https://calendar.google.com Budget review - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/xyz ``` ### Personal Tasks ``` Morning routine - begin well Weekly review - wrap and https://notion.so/journal Evening shutdown - do shutdown Plan week - https://calendar.google.com obsidian://vault/weekly ``` --- ## Troubleshooting ### Actions Not Running **Check these:** 1. ✅ Does your task have a lightning bolt ⚡ icon? - If no: The action pattern wasn't detected - Check spelling and format 2. ✅ Did you hold Shift while clicking? - Shift-clicking skips actions - Try clicking normally 3. ✅ Did actions run already? - Actions only run once per timer - Click the ⚡ in active timer to re-run 4. ✅ Is the URL format correct? - URLs need `://` (e.g., `https://`, `obsidian://`) - Check for typos ### URL Not Opening **Common causes:** **Custom scheme not recognized:** - Your browser will prompt "Open in app?" - Click "Open" to allow - Some browsers: Check "Remember my choice" **Popup blocker:** - MaketimeFlow opens URLs in new tabs - Browser might block them - Look for popup blocker icon in address bar - Click "Always allow popups from this site" **App not installed:** - Custom schemes (like `obsidian://`) require the app - Install the app first - Try again after installation ### Communication Tool Not Launching **Check configuration:** 1. Go to Settings → Communication Tools 2. Verify the tool has a URL configured 3. Test the URL by clicking it directly 4. Save any changes **Tool name not recognized:** - Use simple tool names: `gmail`, `slack`, `basecamp` - Capitalization doesn't matter - Try "check comms" to launch all tools ### Wrong App Opens **Electron vs Browser:** - Electron app uses system default apps - Browser uses web apps - Set your system default apps in OS settings **Multiple apps for same URL:** - Your OS chooses which app to use - Check OS settings for default apps - Example: `https://` might open Safari or Chrome --- ## FAQ ### Do actions work offline? URLs require internet to load, but the action detection works offline. Custom schemes (like `obsidian://`) work offline if the app is installed locally. ### Can I disable actions for specific tasks? Yes! Hold **Shift** while clicking Start to skip actions for that start only. ### How do I see what actions will run? Look at your task title and notes - any URLs or action keywords you see will execute. The ⚡ icon confirms actions are detected. ### Are my URLs safe? Yes! MaketimeFlow blocks dangerous URL schemes (javascript, data, file) that could harm your computer. Regular web URLs and app schemes are safe. ### Can I add custom URL schemes? Yes! Any `scheme://` pattern works. If we don't recognize it, we'll log it but still allow it. This supports any custom apps you use. ### Do actions work on mobile? Currently optimized for desktop (web and Electron). Mobile support coming soon. ### What if I have too many URLs? We limit to 10 actions per task to prevent tab overload. If you need more, split into multiple tasks or use bookmarks. ### Can I see a history of actions? Not yet - this is planned for Phase 2 (Audit Logging). You'll be able to see all actions executed with timestamps. --- ## Best Practices ### DO ✅ - **Keep URLs relevant** - Only include links you need for the task - **Use descriptive task names** - "Review PR #123" better than "Review" - **Test custom schemes** - Make sure your apps are installed - **Configure comms tools** - Set up your tools once, use everywhere - **Use for repetitive workflows** - Biggest time-saver ### DON'T ❌ - **Don't overload tasks** - Too many URLs = tab chaos - **Don't use for every task** - Best for setup-heavy tasks - **Don't share sensitive URLs** - Task titles are visible to others - **Don't use javascript: URLs** - They're blocked for security - **Don't expect actions in templates** - Actions run on timer start --- ## Related Features - **[Communication Tools](./Communication%20Tools.md)** - Configure your tools - **[Rituals](./Rituals.md)** - Shutdown, wrap, begin well routines - **[Keyboard Shortcuts](Keyboard%20Shortcuts.md)** - All shortcuts - **[Timers](./Timers.md)** - Understanding timer behavior --- ## Feedback & Support Have suggestions for Task Actions? - **Feature requests**: [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/company/repo/issues) - **Bug reports**: Same as above - **Questions**: Email [email protected] --- **Last Updated**: 2025-10-12 **Version**: 1.0.0