Surfing -- Task Master AI - Quick Reference

🚀 Setup & Init

task-master init Initialize new project with Task Master

task-master parse-prd <file> Parse PRD and generate initial tasks

task-master generate Generate task files from tasks.json

📋 View Tasks

task-master list List all tasks with status overview

task-master list --status=<status> Filter tasks by status

task-master list --with-subtasks Include subtasks in listing

task-master next Show next task to work on

task-master show <id> Show specific task details

task-master show 1.2 View specific subtask

✏️ Update Tasks

task-master update --from=<id> --prompt="..." Update from specific task

task-master update-task --id=<id> --prompt="..." Update single task

task-master update-subtask --id=<id> --prompt="..." Append to subtask

🎯 Task Status

task-master set-status --id=<id> --status=<status> Set single task status

task-master set-status --id=1,2,3 --status=<status> Bulk status update

task-master set-status --id=1.1,1.2 --status=<status> Update subtask status

🔍 Expand & Research

task-master expand --id=<id> --num=<n> Expand task with subtasks

task-master expand --all Expand all pending tasks

task-master expand --id=<id> --research Research-backed expansion

task-master expand --all --force Force regenerate subtasks

📊 Analysis

task-master analyze-complexity Analyze all task complexity

task-master complexity-report Display complexity report

task-master analyze-complexity --research Research-backed analysis

task-master analyze-complexity --threshold=6 Custom complexity threshold

🔗 Dependencies

task-master add-dependency --id=<id> --depends-on=<id> Add task dependency

task-master remove-dependency --id=<id> --depends-on=<id> Remove dependency

task-master validate-dependencies Validate dependencies

task-master fix-dependencies Auto-fix dependencies

🧹 Maintenance

task-master clear-subtasks --id=<id> Clear subtasks from task

task-master clear-subtasks --all Clear all subtasks

task-master add-task --prompt="..." Add new task with AI

task-master add-task --prompt="..." --dependencies=1,2 Add task with dependencies

💬 MCP Chat Commands

Initialize taskmaster-ai in my project Set up Task Master

Parse my PRD at .taskmaster/docs/prd.txt Parse requirements

What's the next task I should work on? Get next task

Help me implement task 3 Get AI assistance

Show me tasks 1, 3, 5 View multiple tasks

Expand task 4 Break into subtasks

Research best practices for [topic] Research-backed info

Change main model to claude-code/sonnet Switch AI model

🎛️ Research Flag

Add --research to update-task, update-subtask, expand, or analyze-complexity
Uses Perplexity AI for research-backed enhancements
Requires PERPLEXITY_API_KEY in config
Example: task-master expand --id=5 --research

⚙️ Quick Tips

Task IDs: Use comma-separated: 1,2,3
Subtasks: Reference as parentId.subtaskId (e.g., 5.2)
Statuses: pending, in-progress, completed, review, deferred, cancelled
MCP Mode: Use natural language in editor chat
Claude Code: No API key needed with local Claude

⚡ Task Master AI - Quick Reference