Tasks

Two-layer task system: task templates (reusable definitions with input placeholders) and work items (instances in the Task Queue with priority tiers and status tracking).

Task Templates

Templates are reusable definitions saved from conversations. They capture the conversation pattern with placeholders that can be run later with different inputs. Manage templates with the assistant task CLI:

# Save the current conversation as a reusable task template
assistant task save --conversation-id <id> --title "Weekly report"

# List all saved task templates
assistant task list

# Run a saved template with specific inputs
assistant task run --name "Weekly report" --inputs '{"team": "engineering"}'

# Delete a task template by ID
assistant task delete <id>

Work Items (Task Queue)

Work items are the user-facing "Tasks" managed through conversation. They track status and priority:

• Priority tiers: 0 = high, 1 = medium (default), 2 = low
• Status flow: queued -> running -> awaiting_review -> done
• Resolution precedence: work_item_id > task_id > task_name > title

Manage the queue with assistant task queue:

# View the current task queue
assistant task queue show

# Add an item to the queue (ad-hoc or from a template)
assistant task queue add --title "Review Q2 metrics" --required-tools host_bash,web_search

# Update a work item's status
assistant task queue update --work-item-id <id> --status done

# Remove a work item from the queue
assistant task queue remove --work-item-id <id>

# Run a specific work item from the queue
assistant task queue run --work-item-id <id>

Tips

• When the user says "add to my tasks" or "add to my queue", use assistant task queue add (NOT schedule).
• Use assistant task save only when the user wants to capture a conversation pattern as a reusable template.
• assistant task list shows saved templates; assistant task queue show shows the active work queue.
• Always specify --required-tools when running assistant task queue add. Think about what tools the task will need at execution time and list them explicitly (e.g. host_bash for shell commands, host_file_read,host_file_write for file operations, web_search,web_fetch for web lookups). The user must approve these tools before the task can run -- omitting them forces a fallback to all tools, which is noisy and may miss non-standard tools the task actually needs.