For TaskPaper-style plaintext users

Keep the outline.
Add the day.

Plainlist keeps the parts TaskPaper users care about: projects, tasks, notes, indentation, and @tags. Then it adds a real planning loop: Plan by day or time, Focus on today, and Review what shipped.

Get macOS app Check compatibility

No import ceremony. A readable .todo file remains the source.

plainlist · tasks.todo

⌕ filter… EditorPlanFocusDone

Work:
	- draft Q3 report @brain @est(2h) Anytime Jun 17
		notes for finance section
	- reply to client emails @ai @est(30m) 14:00
	- prep standup notes @me @due(Jun 19) @p1

Home:
	- book dentist @me @every(month)
	- renew domain @done(2026-06-12)

Compatibility, honestly stated

TaskPaper-style where it matters.

Plainlist is not trying to clone every TaskPaper feature. It uses the same durable outline grammar as the base, then adds planning tags that other editors can simply ignore as normal @tags.

Projects

Supported. Lines ending with :.

Example: Work:

Tasks

Supported. Indented lines beginning with - .

Example: - reply to client @ai

Notes

Supported. Indented child lines without a task bullet.

Notes stay editor-first context and follow their parent task.

@tags

Supported. Plain custom tags, labels, categories, and values.

Plainlist reserves a few tags for behavior.

Planning tags

Plainlist additions. Stored as normal text.

@start, @due, @est, @every, @p1, @done, @archived.

Search language

Different. Plainlist has its own practical filters.

Examples: project:"Work", is:attention, @brain.

What Plainlist adds

A planner around the text file, not instead of it.

The goal is not to replace the outline. The goal is to make the outline usable as a daily planner without giving up the file.

Plan by day or time

Use @start(2026-06-17) for Anytime work, or @start(2026-06-17T14:00) for a timed block.

Focus on today

Work from a clean Today view with quick capture, Add to today, Done, Later, Tomorrow, and metadata edits.

Review what shipped

Done view groups completed tasks by day and project, includes archive history, and copies clean Markdown status updates.

Recurring tasks

@every(week), weekdays, intervals, and from-completion repeats remain visible in the line.

Quick Capture

Global capture routes work into the right project, adds metadata, and can plan today without opening the full app.

BYO sync

Use iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Drive, OneDrive, Syncthing, or Git. Plainlist watches the same file.

Migration path

Start with the file you already trust.

If your current file already uses projects, - task lines, notes, and @tags, Plainlist can work with that shape. Keep a backup, point Plainlist at a copy, and add planning tags only as you use the app.

Safe first step

Duplicate your existing file.
Open the copy in Plainlist.
Verify projects, notes, and tags render correctly.

Then add planning

Drag tasks into Plan.
Use Focus for today.
Let Done become the weekly log.

before / after

# Your old outline can stay ordinary
Work:
	- write launch copy @brain
	- email beta users @ai

# Plainlist only adds tags when you plan
Work:
	- write launch copy @brain @start(2026-06-17) @est(1h)
	- email beta users @ai @start(2026-06-17T14:00) @est(30m)

Keep the outline.Add the day.