Parse PRDs into actionable tasks automatically
Break down complex tasks into manageable subtasks
Track task dependencies and status
Support for multiple task contexts (tags) for features/branches

AI-Powered Features

Complexity analysis with recommendations
Research-backed task expansion
Intelligent task updates based on implementation drift
Fresh information gathering beyond knowledge cutoff

Development Workflow

Specification-driven development (SDD) support
Iterative subtask implementation logging
Git branch-aligned task contexts
Team collaboration with isolated task lists

When to Use This Skill

✅ Use Task Master when:

Starting a new project from a PRD
Managing complex multi-step features
Working on feature branches with isolated tasks
Need to track task dependencies and priorities
Want AI-assisted task breakdown and planning
Collaborating with team members on shared codebase
Need to log implementation progress iteratively

❌ Skip Task Master for:

Simple single-file changes
Quick bug fixes
Trivial tasks with no dependencies
Projects without formal requirements

Setup

Prerequisites

Node.js installed
API keys for AI providers (Anthropic, Perplexity, etc.)
Git repository (optional, for branch-based workflows)

Installation

Global Installation:

npm install -g task-master-ai

Project-Local:

npm install task-master-ai

MCP Configuration

Add to your MCP config file (.cursor/mcp.json, .vscode/mcp.json, etc.):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "task-master-ai": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "task-master-ai"],
      "env": {
        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_KEY_HERE",
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "YOUR_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

For complete setup details, see references/SETUP.md.

Basic Workflow

1. Initialize Project

Initialize taskmaster-ai in my project

2. Create PRD

Create your Product Requirements Document at .taskmaster/docs/prd.txt

3. Parse PRD

Parse my PRD at .taskmaster/docs/prd.txt

4. View Tasks

Show me the task list

5. Work on Tasks

What's the next task I should work on?
Can you help me implement task 3?

6. Track Progress

Mark task 3 as done
Update subtask 3.2 with my implementation findings

Key Concepts

Tagged Task Lists

Organize tasks into separate contexts (tags) for:

Feature branches (feature-auth, feature-dashboard)
Experiments (experiment-zustand)
Team collaboration (alice-work, bob-work)
Versions (v1.0, v2.0, mvp)

Task Structure

ID: Unique identifier (e.g., 1, 1.2)
Title: Brief description
Description: What needs to be done
Status: pending, in-progress, done, deferred
Dependencies: Prerequisites (e.g., [1, 2.1])
Priority: high, medium, low
Details: Implementation notes
Subtasks: Breakdown of complex tasks

Complexity Analysis

AI analyzes task complexity (1-10 scale) and recommends:

Number of subtasks needed
Areas requiring research
Implementation approach

Common Commands

Task Viewing

List all tasks
Show me task 5
Show me tasks 1, 3, and 5
What's the next task?

Task Creation & Modification

Add a task to implement user authentication
Expand task 4 into subtasks
Update task 5 with new requirements
Mark task 3 as done

Task Organization

Move task 5 to become subtask 7.3
Add dependency: task 8 depends on task 5
Create a new tag called feature-auth
Switch to the feature-auth tag

Research & Analysis

Research the latest best practices for JWT authentication
Analyze task complexity for all pending tasks
Expand all pending tasks based on complexity

Advanced Workflows

PRD-Driven Feature Development

Create dedicated tag for feature
Write comprehensive PRD
Parse PRD into tag
Analyze complexity
Expand complex tasks
Implement iteratively

Team Collaboration

Create personal tag for your work
Copy tasks from master
Work in isolation
Merge back when ready

Branch-Based Development

Create git branch
Create matching tag from branch
Develop feature with isolated tasks
Merge code and tasks together

Integration with Development

Iterative Implementation

View subtask details
Plan implementation approach
Log plan to subtask
Begin coding
Log progress and findings
Mark complete
Commit changes

Specification-Driven Development

Task Master supports full SDD workflow:

Requirements gathering
PRD creation
Task generation
Complexity analysis
Implementation tracking
Progress documentation

Resources

references/SETUP.md - Complete installation and configuration
references/WORKFLOW.md - Detailed development workflows
references/COMMANDS.md - Comprehensive command reference
references/BEST_PRACTICES.md - Tips and patterns

References

Quick Tips:

Always start with a detailed PRD
Use complexity analysis before expanding tasks
Log implementation findings to subtasks
Leverage tags for feature isolation
Use research tool for fresh information

task-master

Task Master AI

Quick Start

Core Capabilities

Task Management