Kanban Boards for Obsidian

Turn any task list into a visual Kanban board. Drag and drop tasks between columns, group by any property, and manage projects visually, all synced with your Obsidian vault.

Get Free - iOS & Mac

Get Free - Android

Works with Obsidian Tasks & TaskNotes

Available on iPhone, iPad, Mac & Android

Syncs with your vault in real-time

TaskForge Kanban board view on macOS showing tasks organized in columns

Everything You Need for Visual Project Management

Drag & Drop Between Columns

Move tasks between columns with a simple drag-and-drop gesture. On mobile, tap and hold a task card to pick it up, then drop it into any column. Changes are written back to your Obsidian vault instantly, the underlying markdown property updates automatically.

Group by Any Property

Create boards grouped by status, priority, tags, due date, file, project, or context, each value becomes its own column. Switch grouping options on the fly to see your tasks from different angles without changing the underlying data.

Column Reordering & Collapsing

Drag columns into your preferred order to match your workflow. Collapse completed or low-priority columns to reduce visual noise and focus on active work. Both column order and collapsed states persist between sessions.

Visual Task Cards

Each card displays the task properties you care about at a glance, priority indicators, due dates, tags, subtask progress bars, and status badges. Tap any card to open the full task detail view for editing.

Quick Add from Any Column

Add new tasks directly to a specific column using the quick add button at the top of each column. The task is automatically assigned the property value for that column, add to the 'High' priority column and the task gets high priority.

Responsive on All Devices

Kanban boards adapt beautifully from Mac's large display to iPhone's compact screen. On mobile, swipe horizontally between columns. On desktop and iPad, see multiple columns side by side with smooth scrolling for boards with many columns.

Pagination for Large Columns

Columns with many tasks load progressively so performance stays smooth. Scroll within a column to load more task cards automatically, even with hundreds of tasks in a single grouping.

Real-Time Vault Sync

Every change made on the Kanban board, moving a task, changing status, updating priority, is written back to your Obsidian vault instantly. Your markdown files stay up to date, and changes sync to Obsidian in real time.

Workflows That Work for You

Whether you're managing a software sprint, planning content, or organizing daily tasks, Kanban boards adapt to your workflow.

Sprint Planning

Group by status (To Do, In Progress, Done) for classic agile workflows. Move tasks between columns as work progresses.

Create a custom list for your sprint
Group by status to see your workflow
Drag tasks as they progress through stages

Priority Matrix

Group by priority to see your most important tasks front and center. Collapsible columns let you focus on what matters.

Group your board by priority level
Focus on high-priority columns
Collapse completed priorities to reduce noise

Project Tracking

Group by tags or file to organize tasks by project. See all related tasks together regardless of their status.

Tag tasks by project or area
Group the board by tags
Track progress across multiple projects at once

Get Started in Seconds

Open Any Task List

Navigate to any custom list, tag filter, or saved view in TaskForge.
Switch to Kanban View

Tap the Kanban icon in the toolbar to switch from list view to board view.
Choose Your Grouping

Select how to group columns, by status, priority, tags, due date, or any property.
Drag, Drop & Organize

Move tasks between columns by dragging them. Reorder columns to match your workflow.

How Kanban Boards Work in TaskForge

A closer look at the tools that make visual task management intuitive and efficient.

Drag-and-Drop Tasks with Haptic Feedback

Pick up any task card and drop it into a different column to instantly change its property. On iPhone and iPad, you feel a subtle haptic tap when you grab a card and another when you release it, giving you tactile confirmation that the move registered. On desktop, a smooth animation guides the card to its new home. The underlying markdown file updates the moment you let go.

Group by Priority, Status, Project, and More

Choose from seven grouping options to organize your board: priority, status, project, context, tags, due date, or file. Each unique value becomes its own column. Switch between groupings at any time, your column order preferences are saved independently for each grouping, so changing from priority view to status view and back preserves your layout.

Reorder Columns to Match Your Workflow

Drag any column header left or right to rearrange the board. Place your most active columns on the left where they are immediately visible. Collapse columns you rarely check to keep the board tidy. Column positions and collapse states persist per list, meaning your work board layout stays separate from your personal board.

Quick-Add Tasks from Any Column

Every column includes a plus button at the top. Tap it to create a new task that automatically inherits the column's property value. On a board grouped by priority, adding a task to the High column assigns high priority without any extra steps. You only need to type the task name, the rest is handled for you.

Smart Pagination for Large Columns

When a column contains dozens or even hundreds of tasks, TaskForge loads them in batches to keep scrolling smooth. As you scroll down within a column, additional task cards load automatically. This progressive approach means the board renders quickly on first load while still giving you access to every task in the list.

Deep Dive: Kanban Board Capabilities

TaskForge's Kanban boards go beyond simple columns. Here is a closer look at the features that make visual task management powerful.

Advanced Drag-and-Drop

On desktop, click and drag any task card to move it between columns or reorder it within a column. On iOS and Android, long-press a card to enter drag mode, then slide it to its destination. The drag operation provides visual feedback with a drop indicator showing exactly where the task will land. When you drop a task into a new column, the underlying markdown property updates automatically in your vault, no manual editing needed.

Grouping Options Explained

TaskForge supports grouping your Kanban board by seven different properties: priority (highest, high, medium, low, lowest, none), status (todo, in progress, done, cancelled, on hold, planned), project (based on file path), context (from inline fields), tags (hierarchical tag support), due date (grouped by day, week, or month), and file (each markdown file becomes a column). You can change the grouping at any time and the board instantly reorganizes without losing your place.

Column Customization

Reorder columns by dragging their headers. Collapse any column you want to hide temporarily, collapsed columns show a task count so you know what is inside without expanding. Column order and collapse states are saved per list, so your sprint board can have a different layout than your personal task board. Empty columns still appear so you can drag tasks into them.

Quick Add Workflow

Each column has a plus button at the top. Tapping it creates a new task pre-filled with the column's property value. For example, on a priority-grouped board, tapping plus on the High column creates a task with high priority already set. You only need to type the task name and optionally set a due date, everything else is inherited from the column context.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the Kanban board on my iPhone?

Yes. Kanban boards work on all platforms, iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Android. On iPhone, the board scrolls horizontally so you can swipe between columns. Long-press a task card to enter drag mode and move it to a different column. The experience is fully optimized for touch screens.

Does the Kanban board modify my markdown files?

Yes, and that is the point. When you drag a task to a different column, TaskForge updates the corresponding property in your markdown file. For example, moving a task from the To Do column to In Progress changes the task's status marker in the vault. Your Obsidian desktop app will see these changes immediately through your sync provider.

How many tasks can a Kanban board handle?

There is no hard limit. Columns with many tasks use progressive loading (pagination) so the board stays responsive even with hundreds of tasks. In practice, boards with several hundred tasks across multiple columns perform smoothly on all devices including older iPhones.

Is the Kanban board a premium feature?

Kanban boards are a premium feature available with the lifetime purchase ($49.99) or monthly subscription ($1.99/month). You can try the Kanban board during your free one-week trial of premium features when you first install TaskForge.

Can I create multiple Kanban boards for different projects?

Yes. Any custom list in TaskForge can be viewed as a Kanban board. Create separate custom lists for different projects, sprints, or areas of your life, and each one can have its own Kanban view with independent column ordering and grouping settings.

Can I customize which columns appear?

Yes. Kanban columns are determined by your grouping choice, group by priority to see columns for each priority level, by status for todo/in-progress/done columns, or by project, context, tags, and more. You can also reorder columns by dragging them.

How do I move tasks between columns?

Simply drag and drop a task from one column to another. TaskForge will automatically update the task's property to match the new column. For example, moving a task from the 'Medium' to 'High' column updates its priority.

Does kanban work with custom lists?

Absolutely. Any custom list you create in TaskForge can be displayed as a kanban board. The same filters and sort criteria you've configured for the list apply to the kanban view.

What happens with large columns?

TaskForge automatically paginates columns with many tasks, showing the first batch and loading more as you scroll. This keeps the board responsive even with hundreds of tasks.

Visualize Your Tasks Like Never Before

Download TaskForge and run visual project management from your Obsidian vault.