Add To-Do Item

v1.1 — Adapted for public use

Add a new to-do item to the correct list with duplicate checking.

Instructions

1. Get the item details

If not provided by the user, ask:

• What's the task? (brief description)
• Any additional context?

2. Determine the correct list

Based on the item content, suggest the appropriate list using the routing table below. This table is an example — customize it to match your own lists and keywords.

Present your suggestion:

This sounds like a [Main/Work] item because [reason].

Suggested list: ~/Documents/todo.md
Priority: [High/Medium/Low]

Is this correct, or should it go elsewhere?

3. Check for duplicates

Read the target TODO file and scan for similar items. Check for:

• Same keywords in item titles
• Related tasks that might overlap
• Items that could be expanded instead of duplicated

If potential duplicate found:

Potential duplicate detected:

Existing item: "[item title]"
Location: [file path], [priority level]

Options:
1. Add anyway (they're different enough)
2. Update the existing item instead
3. Cancel

4. Add the item

Once confirmed, add to the appropriate section with this format:

- [ ] **[Item title]**
  - [Context/details if provided]

Update the "Last updated" date in the file header.

5. Confirm

Added to [list name]:
  - [ ] **[Item title]**

Priority: [High/Medium/Low]

File Locations

• Main: ~/Documents/todo.md

Add more lists by creating additional todo files and adding them here. For example:

• Work: ~/Documents/todo-work.md
• Personal: ~/Documents/todo-personal.md

Priority Definitions

Notes

• If the user specifies a list directly, skip the routing suggestion
• If the user specifies priority, use it; otherwise suggest based on urgency cues

Customization Points

To set up this skill for your workflow:

1. File locations: Edit the "File Locations" section to point to your actual todo files. You can use any number of lists — one file per list works well.
2. Keyword routing table: Edit the table in Step 2 to reflect your own categories. For example, if you have a "Research" list, add a row like | papers, data, analysis, literature | **Research** |.
3. Priority mapping: If your todo files use different section names (e.g., "Active" / "Up Next" / "Someday" instead of "High" / "Medium" / "Low"), add a mapping note. For example:

   High → Active
   Medium → Up Next
   Low → Someday

4. Single vs. multi-list: If you only use one todo file, you can simplify this skill by removing the routing logic in Step 2 entirely and hardcoding the single file path.
5. Item format: The default format uses - [ ] **Title** with indented context. Adjust to match your existing todo file format (e.g., plain - [ ] Title or numbered lists).