Skip to content

task create

Create a new task in a project.

Synopsis

bash
sibyl task create --title <title> [options]

Required Options

OptionDescription
--titleTask title (required)

Note Unlike some CLIs, the title is passed as --title, not as a positional argument.

This is intentional for clarity and to avoid ambiguity with descriptions. :::

Options

OptionShortDefaultDescription
--title(required)Task title
--project-p(auto)Project ID (auto-resolves from linked path)
--description-d(none)Task description
--prioritymediumPriority: critical, high, medium, low, someday
--complexitymediumComplexity: trivial, simple, medium, complex, epic
--assignee-a(none)Initial assignee
--epic-e(none)Epic ID to group under
--feature-f(none)Feature area
--tags(none)Comma-separated tags
--tech(none)Comma-separated technologies
--syncfalseWait for task creation (slower but immediately available)
--json-jfalseJSON output

Priority Levels

PriorityUse Case
criticalProduction issues, blocking bugs
highImportant features, significant bugs
mediumNormal priority work (default)
lowNice to have, minor improvements
somedayIdeas for later, backlog parking

Complexity Levels

ComplexityTypical Effort
trivial< 1 hour, config changes
simple1-4 hours, well-understood
medium1-2 days, some unknowns (default)
complex3-5 days, significant unknowns
epic> 1 week, should be broken down

Examples

Basic Task

bash
sibyl task create --title "Fix login button alignment"

Output:

Task created: task_abc123def456

With Description and Priority

bash
sibyl task create \
  --title "Implement password reset flow" \
  --description "Add forgot password endpoint, email service integration, and reset form" \
  --priority high

Full Example

bash
sibyl task create \
  --title "Add rate limiting to API" \
  --description "Implement rate limiting using Redis. Start with 100 req/min per user." \
  --priority high \
  --complexity medium \
  --assignee "nova" \
  --epic epic_security \
  --feature "api" \
  --tags "security,performance" \
  --tech "redis,express"

Specify Project

If not in a linked directory, specify the project:

bash
sibyl task create \
  --title "Update documentation" \
  --project proj_abc123

JSON Output

bash
sibyl task create --title "New feature" --json
json
{
  "id": "task_xyz789abc123",
  "name": "New feature",
  "entity_type": "task",
  "metadata": {
    "status": "todo",
    "priority": "medium",
    "complexity": "medium",
    "project_id": "proj_abc123"
  }
}

Project Resolution

The project is determined in this order:

  1. --project / -p option
  2. Linked directory (sibyl project link)
  3. Error if none found
bash
# Link directory first (once)
sibyl project link proj_abc123

# Now create without --project
sibyl task create --title "Fix bug"  # Uses proj_abc123

Sync Mode

By default, task creation is asynchronous. Use --sync to wait:

bash
# Async (default) - returns immediately
sibyl task create --title "Quick task"

# Sync - waits for task to be fully created
sibyl task create --title "Important task" --sync

When to Use --sync Use --sync when you need to immediately reference the task (e.g., in

scripts that chain operations). :::

Integration with Epics

Create tasks under an epic:

bash
# First, create or find your epic
sibyl epic list --project proj_abc

# Create task under epic
sibyl task create \
  --title "Implement OAuth2" \
  --epic epic_security_improvements

Scripting Example

Create multiple tasks from a file:

bash
# tasks.txt (one title per line)
# Fix login bug
# Update user model
# Add tests

while read title; do
  sibyl task create --title "$title" --project proj_abc
done < tasks.txt

Common Pitfalls

Missing --title

bash
# Wrong - positional arguments not supported
sibyl task create "Fix bug"

# Correct
sibyl task create --title "Fix bug"

No Project Context

bash
# Error: No project specified and no linked project for current directory
sibyl task create --title "Fix bug"

# Solutions:
sibyl task create --title "Fix bug" --project proj_abc  # Explicit
sibyl project link proj_abc  # Link directory first

Released under the MIT License.