Move from TODO comments in code to Taskhold
By Jake Marsh, who builds Taskhold. Updated 2026-11-09. 3 min read.
Short answer: Open Import in Taskhold, pick TODO comments in code and run a read-only script or paste. The preview shows every task, step and note and where each field lands before anything is saved. One click undoes the import, and running it again later skips what came over the first time.
Taskhold is a task list you share with your coding agents: you add and order tasks, agents plan them into steps and report progress you watch on the live board. Importing from TODO comments in code is a one-time move, not a sync, so your history comes with you and the file itself isn't changed.
The steps below are the same ones the Import page shows. Import your tasks lists every source the importer reads.
Copy the files
One command in Terminal, run from the repo or home folder, copies the files. Lists every TODO, FIXME, HACK and XXX comment in the repo with its file and line, and copies it. Paste it in the box.
rg -n --no-heading 'TODO|FIXME|HACK|XXX' | pbcopyWhat comes over from TODO comments in code
| In TODO comments in code | In Taskhold |
|---|---|
| File and line on each task | Carried over |
| FIXME, BUG and XXX as high priority | Carried over |
| The tag as a label | Carried over |
| TODO(name) owner | Imported details, at the end of the description |
Fields Taskhold has no column for are kept word for word under Imported details at the end of the task's description. The preview lists each one with a count.
What doesn't come over
- The code itself (the comment stays in your repo)
After the import
Imported tasks keep their original created and completed dates, and each one's history starts with "Imported from TODO comments in code". Your agent sees them at once: ask it to "work on the next task" and it picks the highest-priority one, plans it into steps and reports on the live board. The quickstart connects an agent in a minute.
Agents can import too. POST /api/import with the file's text and a project name brings a TODO.md, todo.txt or CSV in with one call; the REST API docs have the details.
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Or connect your agent first, no sign-up: add https://taskhold.com/api/mcp as an MCP server. The first time it uses Taskhold, it gives you the trial link.
Questions
- Does Taskhold keep reading the file?
- No. An import is a one-time copy. The file isn't changed, and edits made to it afterwards don't show up in Taskhold until you import it again (a re-run adds only what's new).
- What if I import the same thing twice?
- Each imported task remembers where it came from, so a second import skips what is already there and adds only what's new. Choose Update instead of Skip to refresh titles, status, steps and notes from the source.
- Can I undo an import?
- Yes. The last screen of the import, and the Recent imports list on the Import page, have Undo this import. Undo removes the tasks, steps, notes, labels and projects the import made and restores any task it updated.
Related
Updated 2026-11-09. Something wrong or out of date? Email hello@greatwork.company.