Automation & Integrations
Shortcuts
Every Kan Do action in the Shortcuts app, its fields, the Task variable's properties, and example shortcuts.
Kan Do's actions appear in the Shortcuts app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. They can create and change tasks with every field the app has, find tasks, and open things, which makes them the building blocks for automations, the Action Button, and Siri phrases.
The actions
New Task
Opens Kan Do ready to type a new task in the Inbox. No fields. This is what the Action Button, the Lock Screen and Control Center buttons, and the Home Screen quick action run.
Add Task
Creates a task and returns it as a Task variable.
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Title | Required. Shortcuts asks "What's the task?" if it's empty |
| Subtitle | |
| Space, Project, Column | Pick from lists. The Column list shows every column labelled with its project and space, in sidebar order, so you can pick a column without choosing a space or project first. Choosing a Space narrows the list; choosing a Project narrows it further. Searching matches project and space names too |
| Project Name | The project as text, so a name from an earlier action drops straight in |
| Tags | Pick tags. Nested tags show their full path |
| Tag Names | Tags as text, one per item. A name that matches nothing creates the tag |
| Due Date | Date only. If the variable carries a time, it's dropped |
| Due Time | A time to go with Due Date |
| Due Date & Time | For variables that already carry a time, such as a calendar event's start |
| Alert Until Done | On or off |
| Remind Every | Default, Every 30 Minutes, Every Hour, Every 3 Hours, Every Day |
| Priority | None, Low, Medium, High |
| Flagged | On or off |
| URL | Added to the task's Links |
| Note | The note's text |
| Image | Becomes the cover image |
| Photos | Each becomes an image attachment. Pass the output of Select Photos or Take Photo |
| Attachments | Files, each attached to the task |
| Location | A place, for arrive and leave alerts |
| Open Task After Creating | Opens the app on the new task |
Without a project or column, the task goes to the Inbox.
Edit Task
Changes an existing task. Fields you leave blank stay as they are.
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Task | The task to change, usually a variable from Add Task, Get Tasks, or Get Selected Tasks |
| Title, Subtitle, Note | |
| Due Date, Due Time, Due Date & Time, Clear Due Date | |
| Priority, Flagged, URL | |
| Add Tags, Add Tag Names, Remove Tags | |
| Column | Moves the task |
| Cover Image | |
| Completed | Marks it done or not done |
Get Tasks
Returns open tasks, optionally narrowed by Space, Project, Column, or List (Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Flagged). Include Completed adds finished tasks.
Get Selected Tasks
Returns whatever is selected in Kan Do right now, so a shortcut can act on the tasks you just picked.
Get Task Link
Returns the kando://task/… link for a task.
Complete Task
Marks a task completed. It honors the project's Task Completion setting.
Open Project
Opens a project's board.
Open Task
Opens a task.
The Task variable
A Task variable from any of these actions has properties you can use in later actions: Title, Note, Tags, Due Date, and Link. Tap the variable in Shortcuts to pick a property.
Example shortcuts
Capture from the Action Button. One action: New Task. Assign the shortcut to the Action Button and a press opens Kan Do with the keyboard up.
Calendar event to task. Find Calendar Events (today) ▸ Repeat with Each ▸ Add Task with Title = event Title and Due Date & Time = event Start Date. Using Due Date & Time keeps the event's time.
Photo to task. Take Photo ▸ Add Task with Title from Ask for Input and Photos = the photo. Good for receipts or whiteboards.
Text file to a board. Get File ▸ Split Text by new lines ▸ Repeat with Each ▸ Add Task with Project Name "Reading" and Title = the line.
Tag what's selected. Get Selected Tasks ▸ Repeat with Each ▸ Edit Task with Add Tag Names "Reviewed". Run it from the Share menu or a keyboard shortcut on the Mac while cards are selected.
Send a task to a message. Get Selected Tasks ▸ Get Task Link ▸ Send Message. The recipient (or future you) taps the link and the task opens.
Apple Watch
The Add Task action also runs on the Watch, provided by the Watch app itself, with title, subtitle, project, column, due date and time, Alert Until Done, Remind Every, priority, flag, link, and note. See Apple Watch.
Widgets and Control Center
The widget's + button and the Control Center New Task control run the New Task action. See Widgets.
Siri
The built-in phrases in Siri run these same actions by voice.
If an action can't find your projects or columns, open Kan Do once. The lists Shortcuts shows are read from the app's database, which needs to have been opened after installing or updating.