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Taskwarrior 3 stores your working data in a local database, not in a directory of task files that is safe to mirror with rsync or Syncthing. At the logical level, each task is a collection of key/value attributes. Projects are values assigned to tasks, while recurring work uses a hidden template that generates ordinary pending task instances.
That distinction matters when you inspect data, write an integration, move a setup between machines, or troubleshoot duplicate recurring items. The local database is an implementation detail; JSON export is the supported machine-readable view; project names and recurrence templates are task records and relationships rather than separate collections of files.
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The storage model in one view
There are three useful layers to keep separate:
| Layer | What it represents | What you should use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Local database | Taskwarrior 3’s on-device persistent storage, used since version 3.0 | Normal Taskwarrior operation; do not synchronize its database files with ordinary file-sync tools |
| Logical task representation | A TaskChampion task expressed as optional string keys and string values | Understanding fields, attributes, timestamps, tags, annotations, and dependencies |
| JSON export | One JSON object per task record, including some derived fields | Inspection, scripts, and machine-readable transfer |
| Recurring structure | A hidden recurring template plus generated task instances | Understanding what you edit, complete, delete, and synchronize |
These layers are related but not interchangeable. The TaskChampion representation documentation describes the model exposed by TaskChampion; it is not a byte-level description of Taskwarrior’s local database. The available documentation does not establish the database engine, table layout, file names, or on-disk serialization, so treating the logical map as a database schema would be misleading.
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Local database, not a shared folder
Taskwarrior 3 keeps task data in a local database format. The official synchronization guidance says that format is not suitable for external file synchronization. A tool such as rsync or Syncthing may appear to work for a while, but concurrent or partial file copies can corrupt the database, and that arrangement is unsupported.
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Use Taskwarrior’s own synchronization design when several devices must share data. The documented approaches are a supported cloud-storage provider or a TaskChampion sync server running on an internet-accessible system such as a VPS or web host. Those are synchronization workflows, not permission to copy the local database directory between machines.
Each task is an optional key/value map
At the logical level described by TaskChampion, a task is a map in which keys and values are strings. Fields are optional: a task has only the attributes that apply to it. Common documented keys include:
- status, which records the task state.
- description, the human-readable task text.
- entry, modified, start, and end, which record lifecycle times when present.
- wait, for a task that should remain hidden until a specified time.
- tag_<tag>, the encoded form of a tag.
- Timestamped annotation keys, which preserve notes attached to a task.
- dep_<uuid>, the encoded form of a dependency on another task.
The representation uses integer Unix epoch values for timestamps. An integration should therefore parse them as seconds relative to the Unix epoch according to the representation’s rules, rather than assuming a formatted local date string.
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Unknown keys are treated as user-defined attributes (UDAs). This lets an organization add structured metadata without changing Taskwarrior’s built-in fields. For integrations, the documentation recommends namespaced UDA names so that two extensions are less likely to claim the same key. A UDA is still an attribute on a task; it does not create a separate database table or object.
Inspecting tasks with JSON export
When a script or another program needs Taskwarrior data, use the export command rather than reading database files. A basic export looks like this:
task exportThe command emits JSON, with one object representing one task record. You can redirect that output for a snapshot or pass it to a JSON-aware program:
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task export > tasks.jsonExport is also useful for checking what Taskwarrior currently exposes without making assumptions about its internal storage. However, an exported object can contain values that are calculated for display rather than persisted as task fields. The documentation specifically notes that id and urgency may appear in export even though they are derived metadata. Do not treat every exported key as a column that exists in the local database.
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How projects are represented
A project is a task attribute
Taskwarrior does not describe a separate project record in the cited documentation. Instead, a task can have one project value. The official usage example states: “A single project may be assigned to a task, and that project may be multiple words.” In practice, the project value is stored with the task, just like its description or priority.
A multiword project is entered as one attribute value, for example:
task add "Book conference room" project:"Office Planning"The exact quoting matters in a shell: without quotes, the space would separate arguments. Once assigned, the project can be used in filters and reports.
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Dot-separated names create a hierarchy
Project values can contain dots to express a hierarchy without creating separate project objects. Examples from the documentation include Home.Kitchen and Home.Garden. A task assigned to Home.Kitchen still has one project attribute; the dots provide a consistent naming convention that filters can interpret.
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Filtering the broader name can include its subprojects. For example:
task project:Home listThat filter can match tasks under Home.Kitchen and Home.Garden, as well as tasks assigned directly to Home, according to the documented examples. Choose a delimiter and capitalization scheme before a team starts adding data; changing names later requires editing every affected task.
Reports show values currently in use
The built-in projects report lists project names currently used by pending tasks. It is therefore a report of attribute values, not an inventory of independently stored project records. A project with no pending tasks may not appear in that report, even if completed tasks still contain the old value.
How recurring tasks are stored
The template is not the task you normally complete
A recurring definition starts as a task with a due date and a recurrence interval. Taskwarrior marks that definition with a recurring status and hides the template from ordinary reports. The records you normally see and complete are generated pending instances.
Each generated instance has its own UUID and a parent-task reference pointing back to the recurring template. This is why a recurring series is more than one task whose due date is repeatedly edited: the series has a persistent definition and separate records for actionable occurrences.
Inherited fields
The recurrence example in the official guide shows instances inheriting the template’s description and recurrence. When those attributes are present on the template, instances can also inherit its project, priority, and tags. The instance is still a task record with its own identity and state, so completing one occurrence does not turn the template into a completed task.
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A simplified conceptual view looks like this:
| Record | Visible in ordinary pending reports? | Identity and relationship |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring template | No; it carries recurring status and is hidden | Own task record; source for generated instances |
| Generated instance | Yes, while pending | Own UUID plus a parent-task reference to the template |
| Completed, deleted, or waiting instance | Depends on its state and report | Remains part of the series history through its instance metadata |
The recurrence mask and generation horizon
The template maintains a mask that tracks generated instances and their status. The documented mask can record whether an occurrence is pending, completed, deleted, or waiting. Instance indexes are zero-based, so the first generated occurrence has index 0, the next has index 1, and so on.
By default, recurrence.limit is 1. That means Taskwarrior generates one step into the future rather than materializing an unlimited calendar of occurrences. You can raise the limit when you need a longer visible horizon, but doing so creates more future instances and increases the amount of recurring data that must be handled.
Do not interpret the default as a promise that completing today’s item immediately creates tomorrow’s item. Generation is bounded by the configured horizon, and the documentation explicitly warns that completion does not necessarily produce a new instance at once. The next occurrence may be generated when Taskwarrior processes the series and determines that another instance is required.
Creating and working with a series
A typical command creates a task with both a due date and a recurrence interval:
task add "Water plants" due:2026-10-15 recur:weekly project:Home.GardenAfter creation, list pending tasks normally; the visible item is an instance, while the recurring template remains hidden. Complete the visible occurrence in the usual way:
task <instance-id> doneUse the instance’s UUID when a script must identify it unambiguously. If you need to inspect the entire series, export the data and follow each instance’s parent-task reference back to the recurring template. Avoid editing exported JSON directly as a substitute for Taskwarrior operations; the export is an interface for reading and transferring task data, not a documented description of safe database writes.
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Recurring tasks across multiple clients
Recurrence creates an additional synchronization risk because more than one client can try to generate the same next occurrence. The Taskwarrior manual associated with version 3.5.0 recommends, as a workaround for duplicate recurring tasks, enabling recurrence on the primary client and disabling it on other clients. That is a configuration recommendation for the documented multi-client problem, not a universal rule for every deployment.
Before applying it, confirm the Taskwarrior version, the clients that can generate recurrence, and how your synchronization service handles conflicts. A setup that has one authoritative generator should document that role; otherwise, two devices may each create an instance before either sees the other’s update.
Safe portability and synchronization
What not to synchronize
- Do not place the Taskwarrior 3 database directory under rsync or Syncthing as a substitute for Taskwarrior synchronization.
- Do not assume that a successful first copy proves the arrangement is safe; corruption can occur when files are copied during updates or when two clients write concurrently.
- Do not build an integration that depends on undocumented database filenames, tables, or byte layouts.
What to use instead
- Keep each client’s local database under Taskwarrior’s control.
- Use a supported cloud-storage workflow or a TaskChampion sync server on an internet-accessible VPS or web host when multiple devices need shared data.
- Use
task exportfor scripts, audits, and machine-readable snapshots. - Test recurrence on the actual clients and designate which client is allowed to generate instances if your multi-client setup follows the manual’s workaround.
Common mistakes and their fixes
“The project report is missing my project.”
The projects report is based on project values used by pending tasks. Check whether every task carrying that value is completed, deleted, or waiting, and inspect the task’s project attribute directly.
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“I edited the recurring task but cannot find it.”
The recurring template is intentionally hidden from ordinary reports. Look for the pending instance you need to change, and use exported UUID and parent-task data when you must distinguish an instance from its template.
“Completing a recurring item did not create another one.”
Check the configured generation horizon. With the default recurrence.limit of 1, only one future step is generated, and completion alone is not a guarantee of immediate creation.
“My copied database became corrupt.”
Stop using file-level synchronization for the database. Restore from a known-good backup if available, then move to a supported synchronization method or use JSON export for the data exchange that your workflow actually requires.
Version boundaries to keep in mind
The local-database statement applies to Taskwarrior 3.0 and later guidance cited here. The detailed manual references are for version 3.5.0, while recurrence examples in the documentation use historical dates. Field names, defaults, and multi-client behavior should be checked against the documentation for the exact release you deploy.
The durable model is nevertheless clear: Taskwarrior owns a local database; tasks expose optional attributes; projects are values on those tasks; JSON export is the supported inspection boundary; and recurring work is a hidden template linked to generated instances.
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