If you used TaskNotes, you already think the way Operon's deepest shape works: a task is a note, with its fields in frontmatter and its body as a place to work. Operon calls that a file task, so the core of your habit carries straight over. Two things are new. Operon also has a lighter shape, the inline task (a single line inside any note), and every Operon task must have a durable identity, the operonId. This page orients you; the step-by-step move is in How to migrate from TaskNotes.

The honest summary

Operon does not have a TaskNotes importer. There is no button labeled "import from TaskNotes." What it has instead is a bridge built from features you would use anyway, and it works well:

• Key Mappings let Operon read and write your existing property names, so it speaks your frontmatter rather than forcing a rename. See Key mappings.
• A folder scan adopts your existing notes as Operon file tasks in bulk, preserving their frontmatter and adding only what Operon needs. See Bulk convert a folder into file tasks.
• Custom Keys cover any property that has no built-in Operon equivalent. See Custom keys.

The one real friction is that an Operon task must carry an operonId. There is no option to turn that off. So the move is interoperability, not a frictionless one-click import, but it is a clear, repeatable path.

At a glance, a note you already have:

---
title: Draft release notes
due: 2026-05-31
---

is the same note after the bridge, with your due mapped to Operon's dateDue and only an operonId added:

---
title: Draft release notes
due: 2026-05-31
operonId: {{operonId}}
---

Your frontmatter is preserved as-is; Operon writes a real operonId (shown here as the template variable) and reads due as the task's due date.

What you gain

Alongside the file-task workflow you already know, Operon adds:

• Inline tasks for quick capture, so not every task has to become a note. See One workflow, two task shapes.
• Unified views. Your file tasks and any inline tasks appear together in the same Filter View, Calendar, and Kanban.
• Focused time work with FlowTime, a focus session with breaks and overtime, and TrackTime for plain logging.

How Operon differs from TaskNotes

• Identity is required. Every task has an operonId. It is what keeps a task recognizable across views and edits. See Task identity and operonId.
• Mapping is the bridge. Instead of a fixed schema, you map Operon's fields to your property names, and the value types must match. See Key mappings.
• Two shapes, not one. TaskNotes makes every task a note; Operon lets a task be a quick line or a full note, and convert between them.
• Statuses can drive a board. Operon tasks move through a pipeline of statuses. Those statuses can define either Kanban axis; boards can also group by other properties. See Pipelines and statuses.

If you keep TaskNotes installed while you move, a few things can clash, since both manage the same file-task notes, use different status systems, and measure time differently (Operon in seconds). Treat running both as a temporary bridge and see the conflicts section in How to migrate from TaskNotes.

Next step

When you are ready to actually move, follow How to migrate from TaskNotes in order. For the questions that come up first, see FAQ for TaskNotes users.

Related

• Operon Docs MOC