Apple devices and automation

Automate Tasks with Siri, Shortcuts and Links

Add tasks by voice, build a small shortcut, find anything with Spotlight and open the exact screen you need with a link.

By Mustafa Yusuf4 min read
On this page
  1. Talk to Siri
  2. Build one small shortcut
  3. Open the right screen with a link
  4. Every related feature

Tasks works with Siri, Shortcuts and Spotlight on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Start by talking to Siri, then build one small shortcut when you want the same steps done for you every time.

Talk to Siri

These phrases work as soon as Tasks is installed. There is nothing to set up.

Say What happens
“Add a task in Tasks” Siri asks what to add, then saves it
“Add Renew car insurance in Tasks” Saves the task in one go
“Open Home in Tasks” Opens that project
“Show Today in Tasks” Opens a filter, such as Today or Late
“Find tasks in Tasks” Searches your tasks
“Set a task’s status in Tasks” Moves a task to another status
“Add a comment in Tasks” Comments on a task
“Start tracking time in Tasks” Starts a timer. “Stop tracking time” ends it.

Siri can fill in more than the title. Say the place, a tag and a priority in the same sentence, such as “Create a task to give my Mac for service when I arrive at the Apple Park Visitor Center with the tag work and a high priority”, and Tasks saves it to Inbox with all three.

The same actions wait on the Tasks page of the Shortcuts app, ready to tap: Create task, Find tasks, Set task status, Add subtask, Add comment, the timer actions, each filter, and each project and Smart List.

Three iPhone screens: Siri answering From Tasks: Created Give my Mac for service, with the task in Inbox, a high priority, the location Arrive: Apple Park Visitor Center and the work tag; the Tasks page in the Shortcuts app with Create task, Find tasks, Set task status, Add subtask, Add comment, Start time tracking and Stop time tracking, then Open tasks filter, All, Late, Today, Tomorrow and more date filters; and the same page scrolled to Open project with Inbox, Work, Home and California, and Open smart list with Urgent.Open full size in a new tab
Ask Siri in your own words, or tap a ready-made action on the Tasks page in Shortcuts. Your own projects and Smart Lists appear there automatically.

Spotlight finds your tasks, projects, folders, Smart Lists, tags and statuses, and it offers the same ready-made actions. Swipe down on the Home Screen, or press ⌘Space on Mac, and start typing.

An iPhone showing Spotlight search for Tasks, with the Tasks app followed by the Open tasks filter, All and Late actions.Open full size in a new tab
Type Tasks in Spotlight to jump straight to a filter such as Late.

Focus filters keep Tasks calm during a Focus. In Settings, open Focus, choose a Focus, add a Tasks filter and pick the projects to show, such as only Work during your Work Focus.

Build one small shortcut

This shortcut asks what you need to do, saves it, adds a note, then opens the task so you can check it.

  1. Open the Shortcuts app and create a new shortcut. Name it something easy to say, such as Quick task.
  2. Add the Tasks action Create Task. Tap Title and choose Ask Each Time, then choose a project, such as Home.
  3. Add Create Comment and pass it the task from the step before.
  4. Add Open Task so the new task appears when the shortcut finishes.
  5. Run it once. Then say “Quick task” to Siri.
Three iPhone screens: All Shortcuts with a Create Task shortcut; the Create task action reading Create task Title in Home, with Status, Tags, Priority, Task Type, Collaborator, Photos, Files, Date, Recurring and Show When Run; and the Tags list for Home with health, errands, bills, repairs and family, and Ask Each Time.Open full size in a new tab
Create task reads like a sentence. Tags and the other options list what the chosen project has, and any of them can be Ask Each Time.

The same actions are in the Shortcuts app on Mac. Search for Tasks in the action list and drag them in.

The Shortcuts app on Mac in dark mode with a Create task action showing Status, Tags, Priority, Task Type, Collaborator, Photos, Files, Date, Recurring and Show When Run, and Tasks selected in the sidebar with the Collaboration and Customize Projects actions listed.Open full size in a new tab
Build the shortcut on Mac and it runs on your iPhone too.

Create task can also set the status, tags, priority, task type, assignee, photos, files, date and repeat. Add one at a time and run the shortcut after each change. Beyond tasks, there are actions for time tracking, Focus, comments and collaborators, and for creating, editing and deleting tags, statuses, priorities and task types. See the full list.

Four iPhone screens of the Tasks actions in the Shortcuts action list: Open Create Task, then Projects and Lists with Open Project for Inbox, Work, Home and California, Open Smart List for Urgent, Open Tasks Filter and Build Smart List Query; the Tasks group from Add Attachments to Task, Complete Task and Create Subtask to Find Tasks, Move Task and Move Task to Next Status; Focus with Set Tasks Focus Filter and Get actions for collaborators, priorities, projects, Smart Lists, statuses, tags, task comments and task types; and Collaboration with Create, Delete, Edit and Find Comment, Find, Invite and Remove Collaborator, then Customize Projects with Create Priority, Create Status and Create Tag.Open full size in a new tab
Search for Tasks in the action list to see every action, grouped by what it works on.

Every task, project and Smart List has a link. Choose Copy Link from its menu to get a https://thetasks.app/... address that opens it in Tasks. You can also build links yourself:

Link Opens
tasks:///add?text=Renew%20car%20insurance Create Task with the title filled in
tasks:///search?q=insurance Search results for insurance
tasks:///new-project A new project
tasks:///bulk-import Add multiple tasks
tasks:///settings Settings

Put a link in a note, a calendar event or another app’s shortcut to jump straight to the work. Apps that use x-callback-url can call tasks://x-callback-url/ too.

Explore all 15 related features

Browse the related features below for more detail, or search every feature.

More than 50 App Intents

Build detailed automations around Tasks entities and actions.

Create actions

Create tasks, subtasks, projects, folders, Smart Lists, tags, statuses, priorities, task types, comments and collaborators.

Edit actions

Edit tasks and the project entities used by a workflow.

Delete actions

Delete supported tasks, projects, folders, Smart Lists and workflow entities.

Clone actions

Clone tasks, subtasks and projects through Shortcuts.

Read actions

Get projects, Smart Lists, tags, statuses, priorities, task types, comments and collaborators.

Workflow actions

Move, complete and reopen tasks through automation.

Open actions

Open a task, project, Smart List, filter or task-creation screen.

Returned entities

Pass created or found Tasks items into later Shortcut actions.

Spotlight integration

Find and open Tasks content through system search.

Focus Filters

Adjust the Tasks context used with an Apple Focus.

Tasks URL scheme

Open Tasks screens and actions from a URL.

x-callback-url

Connect Tasks to compatible URL-based workflows.