Recurring Tasks for Obsidian

Set a task to repeat once and TaskForge keeps it coming back, daily, weekly, monthly, or on any custom schedule. Completed repeats roll forward automatically, and every instance shows up with reminders and home screen widgets across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Android.

Get Free - iOS & Mac

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Works with Obsidian Tasks & TaskNotes formats

Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly & custom repeats

Auto-reschedules the moment you complete a task

Recurring tasks in TaskForge for Obsidian shown across repeating dates on the calendar

Everything You Need for Repeating Tasks

Two Recurrence Formats

TaskForge reads and writes recurring tasks in both formats Obsidian users rely on: the Markdown format (natural language with the 🔁 emoji, fully compatible with the Obsidian Tasks plugin) and the TaskNotes format (RRULE in YAML frontmatter). Use whichever fits each task, even in the same vault.

Every Repeat Pattern

Repeat every day, week, month, or year. Repeat every 3 days, every other week, or on the 1st of the month. Schedule the nth weekday (every second Tuesday), every weekday, or completion-based intervals. Both formats share the same recurrence engine, so the schedule behaves the same everywhere.

Auto-Reschedule on Completion

Check a recurring task off and the next occurrence appears automatically, no manual rescheduling. Markdown tasks create a fresh instance so you keep a visible history, while TaskNotes tasks update in place and log each completion in a complete_instances array.

Count-Limited Repeats

Need a task to repeat a fixed number of times? Add a count and TaskForge stops scheduling new occurrences once you reach it, perfect for a 6-week course, a 4-part rollout, or a 30-day challenge. Uses the 🔢 emoji in Markdown and the COUNT parameter in TaskNotes RRULE.

Completion-Based Repeats

For chores and habits, schedule the next occurrence from the day you actually finish, "every 3 days when done", instead of a fixed calendar date. The task waits for you to complete it, then counts forward, so a skipped day never leaves a pile of overdue duplicates.

Reminders for Every Instance

Each occurrence of a recurring task can fire its own reminder with custom timing, due-date alerts, and overdue nudges, so the weekly report or the monthly bill actually reaches you, even when Obsidian is closed and your phone is in your pocket.

On Your Home Screen

Recurring tasks flow straight into your home screen and lock screen widgets. See what is due today, check it off from the widget, and watch the next occurrence take its place, without ever opening the app.

Always Plain Markdown

Recurrence rules live inside your own notes, a 🔁 on a checkbox line or an rrule field in frontmatter. There is no database and nothing proprietary: stop using TaskForge tomorrow and your recurring tasks are still sitting in your vault, readable by Obsidian and any text editor.

Built for the Tasks That Keep Coming Back

Habits, bills, reviews, chores, anything that repeats becomes set-and-forget once the schedule lives in your vault.

Habits & Routines

Daily and weekly habits that rebuild your streak automatically, with a reminder at the time you actually do them.

Add a task like "Meditate 🔁 every day"
Set a reminder for your routine time
Complete it daily and watch tomorrow's appear

Bills & Deadlines

Monthly and yearly obligations that never slip, with due-date alerts that break through Focus modes when something is actually due.

Add "Pay rent 🔁 every month on the 1st"
Let the due date carry forward each cycle
Get an alert before each occurrence is due

Reviews & Chores

Weekly reviews and household chores that schedule from completion, so an occasional miss never buries you in duplicates.

Add "Water plants 🔁 every 3 days when done"
Finish it whenever you get to it
The next occurrence counts forward from today

Set Up a Repeating Task in Seconds

Open or Create a Task

Add a new task in TaskForge or open an existing one from any list, daily note, or project file.
Add a Repeat Rule

Turn on recurrence and describe the schedule, TaskForge writes the 🔁 rule (or RRULE for TaskNotes) into your markdown for you.
Pick the Schedule

Choose daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, a custom interval, or a completion-based repeat, and an optional count limit.
Complete and Repeat

Check the task off and the next occurrence schedules itself. Reminders and widgets pick it up automatically.

How Recurring Tasks Work in TaskForge

A closer look at the two formats and the rules that decide when each occurrence comes back.

Markdown Recurrence (🔁 emoji)

Markdown recurring tasks use natural language with the 🔁 emoji on the checkbox line, exactly like the Obsidian Tasks plugin, for example "- [ ] Review goals 🔁 every Monday 📅 2026-01-05". When you complete one, TaskForge marks it done and creates a brand-new task for the next date, giving you a visible, scrollable history of every time you finished it. This format is ideal for quick repeating items in daily notes and project files.

TaskNotes Recurrence (RRULE)

TaskNotes recurring tasks store an RRULE in the YAML frontmatter of a one-task-per-file note. Instead of creating new files, TaskForge updates the same note in place and records each finished date in a complete_instances array, keeping the task's status unchanged. This is the right choice for detailed, long-running workflows that carry rich metadata, attachments, or notes alongside the schedule.

Basis Date & Due-Date Offset

The next occurrence is calculated from a basis date. Markdown tasks pick it automatically in priority order, due, then scheduled, then start date, while TaskNotes tasks always recur from the scheduled date. TaskNotes also maintains the gap between scheduled and due dates by default, so a task scheduled three days before its deadline keeps that three-day lead on every repeat.

Undoing a Completion

Change your mind? Un-completing a recurring task rolls it back cleanly. In the Markdown format the task's status flips back (the already-created next instance simply remains). In TaskNotes the finished date is removed from complete_instances and the schedule rolls back to that occurrence, no orphaned duplicates either way.

Synced Across Every Device

Because recurrence rules live in your markdown, every device that opens your vault sees the same schedule. Complete a repeat on your iPhone and the next occurrence is waiting on your Mac, in Obsidian on the desktop, and in your home screen widgets, all without a separate account or cloud service.

Deep Dive: Recurring Task Capabilities

TaskForge's recurrence engine goes well beyond "every day". Here is a closer look at what you can schedule.

The Full Pattern Library

Schedule daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly repeats; custom intervals like every 3 days or every 2 weeks; specific weekdays such as every Monday or every weekday; the nth weekday of a month like the second Tuesday; monthly-by-date such as the 1st or the 15th; count-limited series that stop after a set number; and completion-based repeats that count forward from the day you finish. Every pattern is available in both the Markdown and TaskNotes formats.

Markdown Format, In Depth

Markdown recurrence is written as plain text on the task line: "🔁 every week", "🔁 every 3 days", "🔁 every month on the 1st", or "🔁 every weekday". Add a 🔢 with a number to cap the total occurrences. Completing the task writes a done marker and spawns the next instance with its dates advanced, so your notes keep a complete record of everything you've finished. It is fully interoperable with the Obsidian Tasks plugin syntax.

TaskNotes Format, In Depth

TaskNotes recurrence uses the iCalendar RRULE standard inside frontmatter (for example FREQ=WEEKLY;BYDAY=MO), with COUNT to limit occurrences. Completions are tracked in a complete_instances array rather than by flipping the file's status, so a single note represents the entire recurring series and its history. This keeps long-running, metadata-rich tasks tidy as one durable file.

Both Formats, One Vault

You don't have to choose globally. Use quick Markdown repeats for lightweight items in your daily notes and TaskNotes RRULEs for structured, documented workflows, side by side in the same vault. TaskForge understands both, schedules both with the same engine, and surfaces both in your lists, calendar, widgets, and reminders.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make a task repeat in Obsidian?

Add a recurrence rule to the task. In the Markdown format you add the 🔁 emoji with a natural-language schedule, for example "- [ ] Weekly review 🔁 every Friday". In the TaskNotes format you add an RRULE to the note's frontmatter. TaskForge can write either rule for you from the task editor, just turn on recurrence and pick a schedule.

What recurrence patterns does TaskForge support?

Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly repeats; custom intervals such as every 3 days or every other week; specific weekdays like every Monday or every weekday; the nth weekday of a month (e.g. the second Tuesday); monthly-by-date (e.g. the 1st); count-limited series that stop after a set number of occurrences; and completion-based repeats that schedule from the day you finish. All patterns work in both the Markdown and TaskNotes formats.

Do recurring tasks work without the Obsidian Tasks plugin?

Yes. The Markdown format is compatible with the Obsidian Tasks plugin syntax, but TaskForge handles recurrence on its own, you do not need any Obsidian plugin installed. The TaskNotes RRULE format works entirely independently as well, so you can use recurring tasks whichever way your vault is set up.

What happens when I complete a recurring task?

The next occurrence is scheduled automatically. A Markdown recurring task is marked done and a new task is created for the next date, leaving a visible history. A TaskNotes recurring task records the finished date in its complete_instances array and advances to the next occurrence in place, keeping everything in a single file.

Can I set a recurring task to repeat a limited number of times?

Yes. Add a count limit and TaskForge stops creating new occurrences once the total is reached, ideal for a fixed-length course, challenge, or rollout. Use the 🔢 emoji with a number in the Markdown format, or the COUNT parameter in a TaskNotes RRULE.

Do recurring task reminders work when Obsidian is closed?

Yes. Each occurrence can fire its own reminder with custom timing and due-date alerts that reach you even when Obsidian and TaskForge are closed. Time-sensitive alerts can break through Focus modes so a genuinely due recurring task still gets your attention.

Can I see recurring tasks on my home screen?

Yes. Recurring tasks appear in TaskForge's home screen and lock screen widgets alongside your other tasks. You can complete an occurrence directly from the widget, and the next one takes its place automatically without opening the app.

Can I use both recurrence formats in the same vault?

Absolutely. Markdown and TaskNotes recurring tasks can live side by side in one vault. Use lightweight 🔁 Markdown repeats for quick items in your daily notes and TaskNotes RRULEs for detailed, long-running workflows. TaskForge reads, schedules, and displays both with the same recurrence engine.

Schedule It Once, Forget the Rest

Download TaskForge and let your recurring tasks reschedule themselves, straight from your Obsidian vault.