File tasks

Some work deserves its own note. An inline task is enough for simple things, but a file task is for work that needs a body: context, references, decisions, subtasks, drafts, or a small operating space of its own. In Operon, a file task is still a Markdown file. It just also behaves like a task.

How a file task is built

A file task keeps its task fields in frontmatter and uses the note body for the work itself. This whole note is one file task; paste it and start writing under the frontmatter:

---
Type: Task
Status: Project.InProgress
Priority: A
dateDue: 2026-05-31
operonId: {{operonId}}
---

## Notes

- [ ] Outline the sections
- [ ] Draft
- [ ] Review

Here operonId: {{operonId}} is a template variable; Operon replaces it with a real, unique id once the note exists, so you never type an id. The split is simple: frontmatter tells Operon what the task is, and the body gives the work room. The plain checkboxes in the body are the task's own checklist. See operonId template variables and Plain checkbox lists. The same file task appears in filters, the Calendar, the Kanban, Task Finder, pinned workflows, recurrence, and time tracking. Open the file to get the Markdown body; open it in the Task Editor to get structured controls.

When work deserves a file

Use a file task when the task is becoming a small document. A release plan may need checklists, links, and validation notes. A writing task may need an outline and a draft. A research task may need sources. At that point the task is not just something to do, it is a place to think.

Create one

Run Create file task from the command palette. Give it a title and the fields that matter, and Operon creates a Markdown note in your configured file-task location.

If file tasks are your normal way to capture work, you can also make Task Creator start there. Turn on Default to File Task in Task Creator in Settings → Operon → Tasks → File Tasks → New File Task Creation Defaults. Pair it with Default file task template if you want your usual template preselected whenever Task Creator opens in File mode.

If the work began as a line of text, Operon can seed the file task from that line and replace the original with a wikilink to the new note:

Before:
Draft migration guide

After:
[[Draft migration guide]]

The note becomes easier to scan, and the task gets room to grow. A wikilink to a file task is not just a plain link: Operon decorates it with the task's chips and actions as a Task Wikilink Overlay, and the same overlay can decorate a link to an inline task written as [[File#-operonId]].

A lifecycle, not a commitment

File tasks have their own small set of commands that give work a lifecycle:

  • Create file task when the work starts as a task.
  • Edit or convert to file task when the work starts as an ordinary note and becomes actionable.
  • Convert file task to inline task when the file has done its job and the task can shrink back to one line.

So a task can begin small, expand into a note, then collapse again. The first shape is never a lifetime commitment. See Converting inline and file tasks.

Subtasks inside a file task

A file task body can hold its own work breakdown. It can contain inline subtasks that link back to the parent through parentTask, and it can hold a quick checklist of plain checkboxes for simple steps. See Parent and sub-tasks.

For example, this file task carries two inline subtasks that link back to it, plus a short plain checklist. The parent's operonId uses {{operonId1}}, and each subtask points its parentTask at that same shared id:

---
Type: Task
Status: Project.InProgress
Priority: A
operonId: {{operonId1}}
---

## Subtasks

- [ ] Draft the announcement {{operonId:: {{operonId}}}} {{parentTask:: {{operonId1}}}}
- [ ] Schedule the email {{operonId:: {{operonId}}}} {{parentTask:: {{operonId1}}}}

## Checklist

- [ ] Confirm the date
- [ ] Get sign-off

The two inline subtasks are real Operon tasks linked to this file task; the checklist items are plain checkboxes that stay ordinary Markdown. See operonId template variables.

Recurring file tasks

File tasks shine for recurring work with a stable structure: a weekly review, a publishing checklist, a release routine. Operon can create a fresh occurrence that carries the structure forward while resetting per-occurrence parts like completion state and tracked time, so the next run is not just a copy of the last. See Recurring tasks.

FAQ

Is a file task just a project note? Not exactly. It can be project-like, but it is still a task record with status, priority, identity, and dates.

Can file tasks contain inline subtasks? Yes, and those subtasks can link back to the parent task.

Should every large task become a file task? Only when the extra note helps. If the work fits in one line and a few fields, keep it inline.

Settings

Operon settings for this live in Settings → Operon → Tasks → File Tasks, which configures how file tasks behave. Use New File Task Creation Defaults there when you want Task Creator to default to File mode and preselect a file-task template.