Action Items

Action Items is Ariv’s built-in task tracker. It scans every note in your vault for Markdown checkboxes (- [ ]) and aggregates them into a single, unified view on the dashboard. No separate task app needed — your tasks live inside your notes, and Ariv surfaces them for you.

How it works

Whenever you write a Markdown checkbox in any note, Ariv detects it and indexes it in the database:

- [ ] Review the quarterly report
- [ ] Email Sarah about the project timeline
- [x] Draft the introduction section

These items appear on the dashboard under Action Items, where you can see everything that needs your attention across the entire vault.

Tip

You don’t need to keep a dedicated “tasks” note. Scatter your to-dos wherever they naturally belong — in meeting notes, project plans, journal entries — and let Ariv collect them for you.

Task status

Each action item has a status:

• Pending — The checkbox is unchecked (- [ ]). The task still needs to be done.
• Completed — The checkbox is checked (- [x]). The task is finished.

When you complete a task on the dashboard, Ariv updates the checkbox in the source note automatically. The reverse is also true — checking off a task inside a note updates the dashboard.

Due dates

Tasks can include due dates. When a due date is present, Ariv tracks it and can notify you when a task is overdue or due today.

Notification settings

Ariv supports configurable reminders for your tasks. You can adjust these in Settings > Advanced:

Setting	Description	Default
advanced.notificationsEnabled	Master toggle for all task notifications	Enabled
advanced.overdueReminder	Notify when a task is past its due date	Enabled
advanced.dueTodayReminder	Notify when a task is due today	Enabled
advanced.advanceWarningMinutes	How many minutes before a deadline to warn you	30 min

The advance warning can be set anywhere from 5 minutes to 1440 minutes (24 hours), so you can get anything from a last-minute nudge to a day-ahead heads-up.

Caution

Notifications rely on your operating system’s notification system. Make sure Ariv has permission to send notifications in your system preferences if reminders aren’t appearing.

Task Detail Panel

Click any action item on the dashboard to expand the Task Detail Panel. This panel shows:

• The full text of the task
• Surrounding context from the source note
• The due date (if set)
• A link to the source note

From the detail panel, you can jump directly to the note where the task lives. This is especially useful when a task needs more context before you can act on it.

Linking back to source notes

Every action item maintains a link to the note it came from. Click the source note link to open that note in the editor, with the relevant section in view. This two-way connection means you never lose track of where a task originated or what it relates to.

Best practices

• Use checkboxes liberally. Don’t worry about polluting your notes with tasks — Ariv handles the aggregation for you.
• Add due dates to time-sensitive tasks. This keeps your dashboard focused on what’s urgent.
• Review the Action Items section during your weekly review. It’s a natural starting point for processing stale tasks.
• Complete tasks from the dashboard. It’s faster than hunting down the source note, and the checkbox in the note updates automatically.

Note

Action items are backed by Ariv’s SQLite database, not a separate file. They update in real time as you edit your notes, so the dashboard always reflects the current state of your vault.

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Related: Dashboard — Your home base where action items are displayed | Search — Find specific tasks across your vault