todo-list

What This Skill Does

The todo-list skill is a professional-grade task management utility designed specifically for OpenClaw AI agents. Unlike standard journaling or memory logging, this skill focuses exclusively on objective-driven task tracking. It establishes a structured environment with two primary files: TODO.md for tracking actionable items (divided into 'To-Do' and 'In-Progress' states) and DONE.md for historical completion records. By enforcing a consistent syntax—[ ] 任务描述 · 原因 · 日期 @负责人—it ensures that tasks remain discoverable, actionable, and accountable. This skill encourages proactive workflow management, where the AI agent doesn't just wait for instructions but keeps the internal state of projects updated as work progresses.

Installation

To install the todo-list skill, use the following command in your OpenClaw environment: clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/axelhu/openclaw-todo-list

Ensure that you have appropriate write permissions for the memory/todo/ directory, as the skill requires continuous read and write access to manage your task list files effectively.

Use Cases

1. Project Management: Ideal for agents handling multi-step development tasks or research projects where tracking progress and completion is critical.
2. Team Coordination: By using the '@负责人' (assignee) field, the agent can track which tasks belong to it or other members in a collaborative environment.
3. Progress Auditing: Provides a clear, historical record for end-of-week reviews, allowing users to see exactly what was accomplished versus what is currently blocked or pending.
4. Context Maintenance: Helps agents maintain momentum across different sessions by keeping an external state that survives context resets.

Example Prompts

1. "I've just assigned you the task of refactoring the data module; please add this to your TODO list with a clear reason."
2. "I've completed the API documentation, can you move that item to the DONE.md file and note the current date?"
3. "Show me the current status of all my tasks to see what we have in progress versus what is still waiting to be started."

Tips & Limitations

• Proactive Updates: Don't wait for the user to ask for a status update. If you start a task, update the TODO file immediately to reflect its 'In-Progress' status.
• Keep it Concise: The system is designed for simple, direct descriptions. Avoid dumping long-form meeting notes here; use a diary skill for that.
• Data Integrity: As this uses flat files, ensure you are not editing the files manually while the agent is running a task to prevent potential race conditions or sync errors.
• Distinction: Remember the core principle: If it's a task, it's a TODO. If it's a thought, an observation, or a meeting log, it belongs in your daily journal/log, not the TODO list.