👋 TaskIt! — Complete User Guide
v1.19.1 · Copyright J Rowson and R Shaw, 2026
TaskIt! is a friendly, self-hosted task manager for individuals and small teams. This guide covers every feature — from your very first login to competing with friends on the XP leaderboard.
1. Getting Started — Register & Log In
✊ Creating your account
Open TaskIt! in your browser. Click the Register tab on the login screen:
🔑 Logging in
There are two ways to log in:
- Magic link — enter your email and click Send Magic Link. A one-click login link is sent to your inbox. No password required (needs email to be configured on the server).
- Password — click Use password instead, enter your email and password, then verify the one-time 6-digit code sent to your email to complete sign-in (2FA).
🔁 Keep me signed in (Remember me)
Tick "Keep me signed in for 30 days" before clicking Send Magic Link or Sign In.
- Checked — your session persists in browser storage for 30 days. You won't need to sign in each time you open the app.
- Unchecked — your session lasts only until you close the browser tab (session storage only).
2. Creating & Managing Tasks
➕ Creating a task
After logging in you land on the Tasks page. Tap the large + floating button at the bottom-right of the screen.
Title *
Type *
Group
Due Date
🔁 Recurring tasks
When Repeat Task is ticked, completing a task automatically creates the next occurrence with the due date advanced by the chosen interval. Assignees carry over.
📋 Task status
Every task moves through three stages. Click a task card to open it:
Other task actions
- Edit — change any detail of the task
- Defer — set a new due date quickly without opening the full edit form
- Archive — hide from the default view (restore via Show Archived filter)
- Delete — permanent. For group tasks only the creator or a group admin can delete.
⏱️ Sprint timer & double XP
Tapping Started opens a popup asking "Set a time limit?"
- No — task starts with a solid light-green card.
- Yes — choose 5, 10, 15, or 60 minutes. The card pulses green and shows a live countdown in the top-right corner.
- Complete the task before the timer expires to earn double XP. A confirmation toast confirms the bonus.
- Once the countdown expires the pulse stops; the task can still be completed, just without the bonus.
- Tap Cancel in the popup to dismiss it without changing the task's status.
🔍 Filtering tasks
Tap the ⚙️ Filters chip at the top of the Tasks page. Filter by status, group, or type; toggle Show Archived, Assigned to Me, or Show Group Tasks. An active-filter count badge appears on the chip when filters are on. Tasks are sorted by due date (soonest first), with Urgent pinned to the top.
📝 Progress notes
Inside any task detail panel, find the Progress Notes section. Click + Add Note, type your update, and save. Notes are visible to all task participants.
3. Notifications & Reminders
🔔 In-app bell
The Alerts button in the bottom navigation shows a red badge for tasks that are overdue or due within 24 hours. Tap it to see the list; tap any item to jump to that task.
🖥️ Browser popup notifications
TaskIt! can fire native browser popups when tasks approach their deadline. When you first log in, your browser will ask for notification permission — click Allow. Popups fire while the app is open, using the timing columns in the task's Reminders grid.
If background push is enabled on your server, open Profile → Notification Preferences to choose a Preferred local push time. TaskIt! will aim to deliver 7-day, 1-day, and on-the-day push reminders at that local time.
📧 Email reminders & Notification grid
When email is configured on the server, TaskIt! sends reminders at the timings you choose per task. The Reminders grid in the task form:
| 7 days | 1 day | On day | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☑ | ☑ | ☑ | |
| 🔔 Popup | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Tick each cell independently. Each reminder is sent once per task and stops when the task is marked complete.
4. Groups & Collaboration
Groups let you share tasks and work together. Go to the Groups tab in the bottom navigation.
Creating a group
Joining a group
⭐ XP Sharing in Groups
When you join a group you can choose whether your total XP is visible to other members:
- Share my XP (default, ticked) — other members see your XP total next to your name in the member list.
- Keep private (unticked) — your XP is hidden from others; you can always see your own XP regardless.
You can change this at any time: open the group's Manage / Invite panel, scroll to My XP Sharing, and toggle the setting.
🛡️ Group Admin features
When you create a group you become its admin. From the Manage / Invite panel, admins can:
- Rename the group
- Invite by email — send a personalised invitation link to someone's email address
- Generate QR Code / Invite Link — creates a multi-use shareable link (valid 30 days) and a scannable QR code; anyone who scans or clicks can join without needing the secret key
- Promote a member to admin, or Demote an admin back to member
- Enable Gamification Enhancements — unlocks the XP multiplier feature for task creators (see below)
- Delete the group — removes it for everyone (use with care!)
⭐ Gamification Enhancements
Group admins can enable Gamification Enhancements from the Manage / Invite panel. Once on, task creators in the group can set an XP Multiplier on any task:
New Task — Group: Household
2.0
× base XP (0.1–10)
- A multiplier of 2.0 doubles the XP awarded when the task is completed.
- Multipliers range from 0.1 × to 10 × base XP.
- The multiplier is only shown in the task form when a group with enhancements enabled is selected.
🏆 Group Leaderboard
Open the Manage / Invite panel for any group and click 🏆 Show Leaderboard to see members ranked by total XP (gamification must be enabled). Members who have chosen to share their XP appear on the board; private members are not shown. The same leaderboard appears on the ⭐ Progress tab.
5. Your Profile & Account Settings
Tap 👤 Profile in the navigation to access your account settings.
🌍 Date & Time Format
Choose the locale for dates and times (e.g. DD/MM/YYYY vs. MM/DD/YYYY). Click Save Format to apply.
🔑 Change Password
Click Change Password to expand a form. Enter your current password, then your new password (minimum 8 characters) twice, and click Update Password.
📅 Calendar Integration
Subscribe to your TaskIt! tasks in any calendar app (Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, etc.) using the private ICS feed link in the Calendar Integration card. Copy the link and add it as a new calendar subscription.
📤 Invite to TaskIt!
Click Copy Invite Link on your Profile page to copy a link to your TaskIt! instance to share with others.
💬 Feedback & Feature Requests
Found a bug or have an idea? Scroll to the Feedback & Feature Requests card on your Profile page. Enter a subject and message (up to 4,000 characters), tick the box if you're happy to be contacted, and click Send Feedback.
⚠️ Delete My Account
You can permanently erase your account at any time — no admin required.
6. 🎮 Gamification — XP, Skills, Achievements & Streaks
TaskIt! includes a fully opt-in gamification system. It is disabled by default and can be toggled any time from your Profile page. Your progress is always preserved when toggling.
Enabling gamification
When gamification is enabled, a slim XP/streak strip also appears at the top of the My Tasks page showing your top skill, level, XP progress, and best streak. Tap it to go straight to the Progress tab.
⭐ XP & Skill Levels
XP is earned from a range of actions — not just completing tasks:
| Action | XP (default) |
|---|---|
| 👋 Register / Sign up | 100 XP |
| ✅ Complete a task | 50 XP (× any task multiplier); ×2 (double XP) if completed within a sprint timer |
| ➕ Create a task | 10 XP |
| 👥 Create a group | 25 XP |
| 📧 Send a group invite | 15 XP |
| 🔗 Send an app invite | 15 XP |
Completing a task also earns XP in the skill matching its type (e.g. a Household task earns Household XP). When a group admin has enabled Gamification Enhancements on the group, tasks can carry an XP Multiplier (e.g. ×2 for an especially demanding task).
Your overall Level is determined by the sum of all XP you have ever earned, regardless of which skill it came from. Every completed task contributes to the same unified level. A progress bar on both the Tasks strip and the Progress page shows how far through the current level you are.
| Overall Level | Total XP required | Title earned |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 0 / 100 XP | Apprentice of … |
| 3–4 | 300 / 600 XP | Skilled … |
| 5–6 | 1,000 / 1,500 XP | Expert … |
| 7–9 | 2,100 / 3,600 XP | Master … |
| 10+ | 4,500+ XP | Guru of … |
Your overall level determines your title tier. The skill qualifier in the title (e.g. Expert Household or Guru of Routine) comes from whichever skill has the highest accumulated XP.
📊 XP Breakdown
Open the ⭐ Progress tab to see the XP Breakdown section — a donut chart showing how your total XP is split across your different skill categories. A colour-coded legend lists each skill with its exact XP total and percentage share, so you can see at a glance which areas you spend most of your effort in.
🏆 Achievements
Achievements unlock automatically at milestones:
⚠️ Example data — illustration only
| Achievement | How to earn |
|---|---|
| 🥇 First Steps | Complete your first task |
| 🚀 Getting Started | Complete 10 tasks |
| 🔥 On a Roll | Complete 50 tasks |
| ⚔️ Centurion | Complete 100 tasks |
| 👑 Task Master | Complete 500 tasks |
| 📝 Detail Oriented | Add 50 progress notes |
| 🐦 Early Bird | Complete 10 tasks before their due date |
| 🗺️ Type Explorer | Complete tasks in 5 different task types |
| 🎯 Specialist | Reach overall level 5 |
| 🎓 Master of the Craft | Reach overall level 10 |
| 🎩 Hat Trick | Maintain a recurring task streak of 3 |
| 🍀 Lucky Streak | Maintain a recurring task streak of 7 |
| 🚂 Unstoppable | Maintain a recurring task streak of 30 |
🔥 Streaks
Recurring tasks track a streak — the count of consecutive on-time completions:
- Streak increases every time you complete on or before the due date.
- Streak resets to 0 if the task becomes overdue without being completed (unless a Freeze is active).
- Your all-time best streak is always preserved and drives achievement milestones.
❄️ Freeze Credits
Freeze Credits protect a streak against one missed deadline. You earn 1 credit for every task you complete (recurring or not).
🕹️ TaskIt! Arcade
Each of the 13 achievement badges has a corresponding mini-game in the TaskIt! Arcade. Once you unlock a badge, click on it in the ⭐ Progress tab to open the Arcade and play its game.
TaskIt! Arcade
Full-screen overlay with a dedicated game for every achievement. Press Esc or tap 🔙 Back to Tasks to return to the app at any time.
| Badge earned | Arcade game |
|---|---|
| 🥇 First Steps | Productivity Hangman — guess the productivity word before the figure is drawn! |
| 🚀 Getting Started | Job Search — find all six TaskIt! tools hidden in the letter grid! |
| 🔥 On a Roll | On a Roll — keep the combo alive! |
| ⚔️ Centurion | Century Clash — defeat 100 enemies to claim glory! |
| 👑 Task Master | Legendary Quest — conquer the leaderboard! |
| 📝 Detail Oriented | Memory Matrix — match every task-card pair! |
| 🐦 Early Bird | Early Bird Dash — flap your way past the deadlines! |
| 🗺️ Type Explorer | Explorer’s Maze — navigate through the task maze! |
| 🎯 Specialist | Bullseye! — hit every target with precision! |
| 🎓 Master of the Craft | Quiz Master — test your TaskIt! knowledge! |
| 🎩 Hat Trick | Hat Trick — pull off three tricks in a row! |
| 🍀 Lucky Streak | Lucky Seven — spin your luck and win big! |
| 🚂 Unstoppable | Unstoppable Train — keep the train running — no stops! |
7. 🤝 Friends & Leaderboards
Friends let you compete on XP leaderboards with people outside your groups. You're never added to each other's task groups — you just see each other's total XP rank. Both users must be registered on the same TaskIt! instance.
Go to the ⭐ Progress tab and scroll to the 🤝 Friends section.
Your friend details
Your username and personal friend key are shown at the top of the Friends section. Share both with anyone you want to connect with:
📋 Your details (share with friends):
johndoe
a1b2c3d4
Three ways to add a friend
Option 1 — Username & key (quickest)
Expand ➕ Add friend by username & key. Enter your friend's username and their friend key (they share both with you), then click Add Friend. The friendship is created immediately — no waiting for them to accept.
Option 2 — Invite link or QR code
Click 📤 Generate Invite Link & QR Code. TaskIt! creates a one-time link (valid 7 days) and displays a scannable QR code. Share the link or QR — when the other person opens it and logs in, they're automatically connected as your friend.
Option 3 — New to TaskIt!? Send them the invite link
If the person you want to add isn't on TaskIt! yet, share your invite link. When they open it they'll be prompted to register. Once they log in, the friend connection completes automatically. After that you can use Option 1 for any future connections.
Friends Leaderboard
Once you have friends, a Friends Leaderboard appears in the Progress tab, ranking everyone by total XP. Your own row is highlighted in blue. Use the Remove buttons to unfriend anyone.
Group Leaderboards
The Progress tab also shows a leaderboard card for each group you're in. The same leaderboard is available inside the Manage / Invite panel of any group via 🏆 Show Leaderboard.
8. ❓ Common Questions
I can't log in
Your account may be locked after too many failed attempts. Try the magic link option if email is configured, or contact the person who manages your TaskIt! instance to have it unlocked.
My tasks aren't showing
Check the filter panel — filters like Show Archived, Assigned to Me, or Show Group Tasks can hide tasks. Also confirm you're a member of the group the task belongs to.
I'm not receiving emails
Email requires SMTP to be configured and enabled on the server. Check with the person who manages your TaskIt! instance to confirm it's set up correctly.
I lost my group's join details
Any group admin can find the invite word pair and secret key by clicking Manage / Invite on the group card.
I didn't receive my email verification link
Check your spam folder. If SMTP is not configured, the link won't be delivered — ask the person who manages your TaskIt! instance to configure email or manually verify your account.
Where is the gamification content?
Tap the ⭐ Progress tab in the bottom navigation. Enable or disable gamification from the 👤 Profile page.
My friend can't find me by username + key
Make sure they have your exact username (case-sensitive) and the 8-character friend key from the Friends section of your Progress tab. Both are required. If you've recently changed your username, share the updated details.
The "Keep me signed in" option didn't persist my session
Tick the checkbox before clicking Send Magic Link or Sign In. If your browser is set to clear all site data on close, session storage is also cleared regardless of this setting.
What data does TaskIt! store in my browser?
| Key | What it stores |
|---|---|
jbToken | Your login session token |
jbUser | Your username, email, and locale preference |
taskit_app_version | App version (for update detection) |
jbPopupFired | Which browser popup notifications have fired today |
jbGamifAsked | Whether you've seen the gamification opt-in prompt |
jbCookieNotice | Whether you've dismissed the storage notice |
No cookies are used. Your data is never sold or shared with advertisers. See the full Privacy Policy.
TaskIt! v1.19.1 · © J Rowson and R Shaw, 2026 · jahosi.co.uk · Privacy Policy