Backlog.md GTD Task Management Skill

A practical skill for using the Backlog.md CLI tool to implement GTD (Getting Things Done) methodology effectively in software development environments.

Quick Start

1. Capture Your First Task

backlog task create "Fix critical login bug" \
  -d "Users cannot log in with Chrome browser" \
  --priority high

2. Organize with Context

backlog task edit 1 -l bug,frontend,urgent -a @alice
backlog task edit 1 --ac "Reproduce bug in Chrome" \
  --ac "Identify root cause" \
  --ac "Implement fix" \
  --ac "Add regression tests"

3. Execute and Track

backlog task edit 1 -s "In Progress" -a @myself
backlog task edit 1 --check-ac 1 --append-notes "Successfully reproduced the issue"
backlog task edit 1 -s Done --notes "Bug fixed and deployed to production"

4. Review and Discover

backlog task list --plain
backlog search "chrome" --plain
backlog task list -a @alice --plain

What This Skill Covers

Task Management: Create, organize, and track tasks using Backlog.md CLI
GTD Methodology: Apply the four GTD phases (Capture, Organize, Execute, Review)
Team Collaboration: Assign work, manage handoffs, and coordinate with teammates
Practical Commands: Real CLI examples you can use immediately

Core Concepts

Task Structure

Every task has these key elements:

Title: Brief summary of what needs to be done
Description: Context and purpose (the "why")
Acceptance Criteria: Testable outcomes (the "what")
Labels: Categories and contexts for organization
Priority: High/Medium/Low for triage
Status: To Do → In Progress → Done

GTD Integration

The four GTD phases map directly to Backlog.md operations:

Capture: backlog task create - Get ideas out of your head
Organize: backlog task edit - Add structure and context
Execute: Status management and progress tracking
Review: backlog search and regular system maintenance

Essential CLI Commands

Task Creation (Capture Phase)

Quick capture of ideas and tasks:

# Simple task capture
backlog task create "Fix login button hover effect"

# With description and priority
backlog task create "Implement user authentication" \
  -d "Add login/logout functionality with JWT tokens" \
  --priority high

# With acceptance criteria
backlog task create "Optimize dashboard loading" \
  -d "Dashboard takes 8+ seconds to load, need sub-2 second performance" \
  --ac "Identify slow queries" \
  --ac "Implement database optimization" \
  --ac "Add caching layer" \
  --ac "Verify performance improvement"

Task Organization (Organize Phase)

Add structure and context to tasks:

# Add labels for categorization
backlog task edit 42 -l backend,api,authentication

# Assign to team member
backlog task edit 42 -a @alice

# Set priority
backlog task edit 42 --priority high

# Add detailed description
backlog task edit 42 -d "Users cannot log in when using corporate email accounts due to validation regex"

# Add implementation plan (the "how")
backlog task edit 42 --plan $'1. Research authentication libraries\n2. Implement JWT middleware\n3. Create login endpoint\n4. Add error handling'

Task Execution (Execute Phase)

Manage daily work and track progress:

# Start working on a task
backlog task edit 42 -s "In Progress" -a @myself

# Mark acceptance criteria as complete
backlog task edit 42 --check-ac 1  # Mark first criterion complete
backlog task edit 42 --check-ac 2 --check-ac 3  # Mark multiple criteria

# Add progress notes
backlog task edit 42 --append-notes "Successfully implemented JWT middleware with refresh token support"

# Complete a task
backlog task edit 42 -s Done \
  --notes "Authentication system fully implemented and tested. Ready for code review."

# View your current work
backlog task list -a @myself --plain

Task Discovery (Review Phase)

Find relevant work and analyze patterns:

# Search by topic
backlog search "authentication" --plain

# Find high-priority items
backlog search --priority high --plain

# Search your work
backlog search "@myself" --plain

# Find blocked items
backlog search "blocked" --plain

# View all tasks
backlog task list --plain

# View tasks by status
backlog task list -s "In Progress" --plain

Practical Workflows

Daily GTD Routine

# Morning: Plan your day
backlog task list -a @myself -s "To Do" --priority high --plain

# During day: Update progress
backlog task edit 42 --check-ac 1 --append-notes "Made progress on user registration"

# Evening: Review and plan tomorrow
backlog task list -a @myself --plain

Weekly Review Process

# Review all active work
backlog task list -s "In Progress" --plain

# Check for blocked items
backlog search "blocked" --plain

# Review team workload
backlog task list -a @team-member --plain

# Find old drafts to process
backlog task list -s Draft --plain

Project Breakdown

# Create main project task
backlog task create "Q3 User Portal Redesign" --priority high

# Add subtasks
backlog task create "Design new user interface" -p 1
backlog task create "Implement React components" -p 1
backlog task create "Setup testing framework" -p 1

# Create dependencies
backlog task edit 3 --dep 2  # Testing depends on components

Bug Management

# Create bug task with template
backlog task create "[BUG] Users can't reset password" \
  -d "Password reset email never arrives for corporate email accounts" \
  --ac "Reproduce the bug consistently" \
  --ac "Identify root cause in email service" \
  --ac "Fix email configuration" \
  --ac "Add regression tests" \
  -l bug,email,urgent --priority high

# Track bug fix progress
backlog task edit 15 -s "In Progress" -a @backend-dev
backlog task edit 15 --check-ac 1 --append-notes "Successfully reproduced with test corporate account"

Feature Development

# Create feature with standard structure
backlog task create "[FEATURE] User profile image upload" \
  -d "Allow users to upload and crop profile pictures from their device" \
  --ac "Design upload interface" \
  --ac "Implement image upload endpoint" \
  --ac "Add image cropping functionality" \
  --ac "Update user profile display" \
  --ac "Write tests for upload flow" \
  -l feature,frontend,images --priority medium

# Assign and track
backlog task edit 20 -a @frontend-dev
backlog task edit 20 --plan $'1. Create upload component design\n2. Implement drag-and-drop interface\n3. Add image cropping library\n4. Connect to backend API\n5. Add error handling'

Team Collaboration

Task Assignment and Handoff

# Assign work with full context
backlog task edit 25 -a @bob \
  --notes $'Backend API work complete. Ready for frontend integration:\n\nEndpoints: POST /api/upload, GET /api/profile/image\nAuthentication: JWT Bearer tokens required\nFile limits: 5MB max, jpg/png only\n\nAvailable for questions 2-4 PM today'

# Clean handoff example
backlog task edit 26 -a @alice \
  -s "To Do" \
  --notes $'Design mockups complete and approved.\n\nFiles in Figma: https://figma.com/design/abc123\nDesign tokens documented in confluence\nMobile-first approach implemented\n\nPlease review and confirm timeline for implementation.'

Code Review Integration

# Mark ready for review
backlog task edit 30 -s Review --notes "All tests passing. Ready for code review."

# Handle review feedback
backlog task edit 30 -s "In Progress" --append-notes "Review feedback received. Addressing performance concerns."

# Complete after review
backlog task edit 30 -s Done --notes "All review comments addressed. Ready for deployment."

Search and Discovery Patterns

Finding Relevant Work

# Find work by technology
backlog search "react" --plain
backlog search "database" --plain

# Find by type of work
backlog search "bug" --plain
backlog search "feature" --plain
backlog search "documentation" --plain

# Find by priority
backlog search --priority high --plain

# Combined searches
backlog search "frontend" --priority high -s "To Do" --plain

Team Insights

# Check team workload
backlog task list -a @alice --plain
backlog task list -a @bob --plain

# Find who worked on similar problems
backlog search "authentication" -s Done --plain | grep "@"

# Identify expertise areas
backlog search "performance" --plain | grep "@"

Quality and Best Practices

Good Task Examples

# Clear, actionable task
backlog task create "Fix authentication timeout issue" \
  -d "Users logged out after 5 minutes regardless of activity" \
  --ac "Implement sliding session expiration" \
  --ac "Add session refresh on user activity" \
  --ac "Test timeout behavior" \
  -l bug,authentication,ux --priority high

# Well-structured feature
backlog task create "Add dark mode toggle" \
  -d "Allow users to switch between light and dark themes" \
  --ac "Create theme switching component" \
  -ac "Implement CSS variable system" \
  --ac "Add user preference persistence" \
  --ac "Test theme transitions" \
  -l feature,ui,accessibility --priority medium

Acceptance Criteria Guidelines

Good acceptance criteria are:

Testable: Can be objectively verified
Specific: Clear what "done" means
User-focused: Describe outcomes, not implementation
Complete: Cover the full scope of work

# Good: User-focused outcomes
backlog task edit 40 --ac "User can successfully log in with valid credentials"
backlog task edit 40 --ac "Error message displays for invalid credentials"

# Avoid: Implementation details
# bad: "Add validateLogin() function in auth.js"

Label Organization

Use consistent label patterns:

# By type
backlog task edit 42 -l bug,feature,documentation,testing

# By component
backlog task edit 42 -l frontend,backend,api,database

# By priority
backlog task edit 42 -l urgent,high-priority,medium-priority,low-priority

# By context
backlog task edit 42 -l meeting-required,waiting-for,research-needed

Common Patterns

Daily Capture Habit

# Quick capture throughout the day
backlog task create "Idea: Add keyboard shortcuts to navigation"
backlog task create "Follow up with design team about mockups"
backlog task create "Research performance monitoring tools"

# Process captured items daily
backlog task list -s Draft --plain

Weekly Review Template

# Weekly review checklist
# 1. backlog task list -s Draft --plain (process all drafts)
# 2. backlog task list -s "In Progress" --plain (check progress)
# 3. backlog search "blocked" --plain (resolve blockers)
# 4. backlog task list --priority high --plain (review priorities)
# 5. backlog task list -a @team-member --plain (check workload)

Project Templates

# Bug template
backlog task create "[BUG] Brief description" \
  -d "Detailed problem description and impact" \
  --ac "Reproduce the issue" \
  --ac "Identify root cause" \
  --ac "Implement fix" \
  --ac "Add tests to prevent regression" \
  -l bug --priority high

# Feature template
backlog task create "[FEATURE] Brief description" \
  -d "User story: As a [user], I want [feature] so that [benefit]" \
  --ac "Define requirements" \
  --ac "Implement core functionality" \
  --ac "Write tests" \
  --ac "Update documentation" \
  -l feature --priority medium

Tips for Success

Daily Habits

Capture immediately: Don't let ideas slip away
Organize daily: Process drafts into actionable tasks
Focus execution: Work on one task at a time
Review regularly: Keep system current and aligned

Quality Standards

Clear titles: Make tasks understandable at a glance
Specific criteria: Everyone knows when it's done
Consistent labels: Enable effective search and organization
Regular updates: Keep progress visible to team

Team Coordination

Complete handoffs: Provide all needed context
Clear ownership: Always have明确的 assignee
Status updates: Keep team informed of progress
Shared understanding: Use consistent terminology

This skill provides the essential knowledge needed to effectively use Backlog.md for implementing GTD methodology in software development environments.