Todoist Automation

# Todoist Automation via Rube MCP

Automate Todoist operations including task creation and management, project organization, section management, filtering, and bulk task workflows through Composio's Todoist toolkit.

Prerequisites

- Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)

- Active Todoist connection via `RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS` with toolkit `todoist`

- Always call `RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS` first to get current tool schemas

Setup

**Get Rube MCP**: Add `https://rube.app/mcp` as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.

1. Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming `RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS` responds

2. Call `RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS` with toolkit `todoist`

3. If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Todoist OAuth

4. Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows

Core Workflows

1. Create and Manage Tasks

**When to use**: User wants to create, update, complete, reopen, or delete tasks

**Tool sequence**:

1. `TODOIST_GET_ALL_PROJECTS` - List projects to find the target project ID [Prerequisite]

2. `TODOIST_GET_ALL_SECTIONS` - List sections within a project for task placement [Optional]

3. `TODOIST_CREATE_TASK` - Create a single task with content, due date, priority, labels [Required]

4. `TODOIST_BULK_CREATE_TASKS` - Create multiple tasks in one request [Alternative]

5. `TODOIST_UPDATE_TASK` - Modify task properties (content, due date, priority, labels) [Optional]

6. `TODOIST_CLOSE_TASK` - Mark a task as completed [Optional]

7. `TODOIST_REOPEN_TASK` - Restore a previously completed task [Optional]

8. `TODOIST_DELETE_TASK` - Permanently remove a task [Optional]

**Key parameters for CREATE_TASK**:

- `content`: Task title (supports markdown and hyperlinks)

- `description`: Additional notes (do NOT put due dates here)

- `project_id`: Alphanumeric project ID; omit to add to Inbox

- `section_id`: Alphanumeric section ID for placement within a project

- `parent_id`: Task ID for creating subtasks

- `priority`: 1 (normal) to 4 (urgent) -- note: Todoist UI shows p1=urgent, API p4=urgent

- `due_string`: Natural language date like `"tomorrow at 3pm"`, `"every Friday at 9am"`

- `due_date`: Specific date `YYYY-MM-DD` format

- `due_datetime`: Specific date+time in RFC3339 `YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ssZ`

- `labels`: Array of label name strings

- `duration` + `duration_unit`: Task duration (e.g., `30` + `"minute"`)

**Pitfalls**:

- Only one `due_*` field can be used at a time (except `due_lang` which can accompany any)

- Do NOT embed due dates in `content` or `description` -- use `due_string` field

- Do NOT embed duration phrases like "for 30 minutes" in `due_string` -- use `duration` + `duration_unit`

- `priority` in API: 1=normal, 4=urgent (opposite of Todoist UI display where p1=urgent)

- Task IDs can be numeric or alphanumeric; use the format returned by the API

- `CLOSE_TASK` marks complete; `DELETE_TASK` permanently removes -- they are different operations

2. Manage Projects

**When to use**: User wants to list, create, update, or inspect projects

**Tool sequence**:

1. `TODOIST_GET_ALL_PROJECTS` - List all projects with metadata [Required]

2. `TODOIST_GET_PROJECT` - Get details for a specific project by ID [Optional]

3. `TODOIST_CREATE_PROJECT` - Create a new project with name, color, view style [Optional]

4. `TODOIST_UPDATE_PROJECT` - Modify project properties [Optional]

**Key parameters**:

- `name`: Project name (required for creation)

- `color`: Todoist palette color (e.g., `"blue"`, `"red"`, `"green"`, `"charcoal"`)

- `view_style`: `"list"` or `"board"` layout

- `parent_id`: Parent project ID for creating sub-projects

- `is_favorite` / `favorite`: Boolean to mark as favorite

- `project_id`: Required for update and get operations

**Pitfalls**:

- Projects with similar names can lead to selecting the wrong project_id; always verify

- `CREATE_PROJECT` uses `favorite` while `UPDATE_PROJECT` uses `is_favorite` --