Calendar or Kanban rendering issues

A task is in your vault but looks wrong in a view: missing from the Calendar, in the wrong Kanban column, or not updating. These views are built from your tasks and settings. Check the data and view configuration first; if they are correct, the problem may be a rendering bug. Here is what to check for each.

A task is missing from the Calendar

The Calendar places a task by its dates. A task with no date has nowhere to go, so it does not appear. Give it a dateScheduled, a dateDue, or a timed block (datetimeStart and datetimeEnd) and it shows up. If you expected a recurring task's future runs, check that the preset has Show future occurrences on. See Calendar overview and Calendar presets and time grid.

A card is in the wrong Kanban column, or missing

A Kanban column is a status in the board's pipeline, and a card sits in the column matching its status. Two mismatches cause trouble:

  • The status does not match any column. If a task's status is not one of the pipeline's statuses (for example after renaming a status), its card has no column to sit in. Align the task's status with the pipeline. See Pipelines and statuses.
  • The board filters it out. A Kanban preset can filter which tasks it shows, and can use a different pipeline. A card you expect may be on a different board. See Kanban overview.

A Kanban drop is rejected

Kanban may reject a move when the source task changed during the drag, a dependency blocks the attempted status, or the task cannot be written safely. The optimistic card placement is temporary: when the operation is cancelled or fails, Operon settles the card back into the current source cell immediately instead of leaving it in the target until a later refresh. Closing a blocker message should not cause a second delayed return several seconds later.

If you see Kanban action failed, the card has not been confirmed at the target. Check the task's current status and swimlane fields, resolve duplicate task identities or active blockers, and try the move again. For a custom-list swimlane, also confirm that the selected custom key is still configured as a writable List field. See Kanban swimlanes.

A card moved, but its parent or ancestor was unavailable

This is an informational success, not a failed drop. The card reached the target cell, but Operon could not update a missing parent task or a higher missing ancestor while reconciling the task tree. The task's existing parentTask value is preserved so Operon does not guess at or silently rewrite the relationship.

The notice distinguishes a missing direct parent from a missing higher ancestor. Open the moved task and inspect its parent relationship when you want to repair the broken chain; the card itself does not need to be moved again.

A view is not updating

If a change is not reflected, the display is likely stale rather than wrong:

  • Reindex. Run Rebuild full index so the views are built from the current notes, especially after editing files outside Obsidian. See Missing tasks.
  • Reload settings. If a settings change is not showing, run Reload Operon settings from storage.
  • Reopen the view. Closing and reopening the Calendar or Kanban leaf, or reloading Obsidian, clears a stale render.

A note renders differently in Reading view and Live Preview

Inline tasks and embedded filters are intended to render and stay current in both Reading view and Live Preview. An inline task unexpectedly turning into raw {{key:: value}} text, or an embedded filter stopping updates after a refresh, should not be dismissed as a normal difference between those modes.

Check the source and the displayed state separately:

  • Confirm the mode and placement. Source mode shows Markdown and metadata. Task examples inside ordinary fenced code blocks are also literal text; they are not live inline tasks. A filter embed, by contrast, needs its supported operon block syntax.
  • Check identity. If an action shows Incompatible task ID, follow the ID repair flow. If multiple tasks share an ID, use the conflict manager. Do not change IDs by hand to work around a display problem.
  • Allow the index to become ready. Then check whether the same task can be found in Task Finder. If the index is stale, use the recovery steps above. For filters, check that the referenced saved filter still exists and matches the task. See Embed a filter in a note.
  • If the mismatch persists, capture a small reproduction. Record the Operon and Obsidian versions, platform, affected mode, and surrounding Markdown, including nearby code fences. Remove private content before sharing it. A screenshot plus the relevant source is more useful than changing the task data until the symptom disappears.

Layout and editing affordances can differ between modes, but disappearing task rendering or stale filter results require investigation. Reopening the note can help identify a stale display; it does not establish that raw task markup was the intended Reading view behavior.

FAQ

My task will not show on the Calendar. It has no date. Add a scheduled date, due date, or timed block.

My card disappeared after I renamed a status. Its status no longer matches a column. Update the task to the new status, or keep status names stable.

The view looks stale. Rebuild the index, reload settings, or reopen the view.

Why did a rejected card move back immediately? The target placement was optimistic. Operon restored the current persisted position as soon as the drop was cancelled or failed, rather than waiting for a later board refresh.

Does “parent task could not be updated” mean the card move failed? No. The card moved successfully. The notice means only that the missing parent or higher ancestor could not receive its normal relationship aggregate update.