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Update

  • 4k installs
  • 23.1k repo stars
  • Updated July 28, 2026
  • anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins

update is an agent skill for sync project tracker tasks into tasks.md, triage stale items, and refresh agent memory from current activity.

About

The update skill Sync tasks and refresh memory from your current activity. Use when pulling new assignments from your project tracker into TASKS.md, triaging stale or overdue tasks, filling memory gaps for unknown people or projects, or running a comprehensive scan to catch todos buried in chat and email. If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see CONNECTORS.md. Keep your task list and memory current. Two modes: - Default: Sync tasks from external tools, triage stale items, check memory for gaps - --comprehensive: Deep scan chat, email, calendar, docs flag missed todos and suggest new memories ``bash /productivity:update /productivity:update --comprehensive `` bash /productivity:update /productivity:update --comprehensive Read TASKS.md and memory/ directory. If they don't exist, suggest /productivity:start first. Check for available task sources: - Project tracker (e.g. Asana, Linear, Jira) (if MCP available) - GitHub Issues (if in a repo): gh issue list --assignee=@me If no sources are available, skip to Step 3. Fetch tasks assigned to the user

  • Default: Sync tasks from external tools, triage stale items, check memory for gaps
  • --comprehensive: Deep scan chat, email, calendar, docs — flag missed todos and suggest new memories
  • Project tracker (e.g. Asana, Linear, Jira) (if MCP available)
  • GitHub Issues (if in a repo): gh issue list --assignee=@me
  • Tasks with due dates in the past

Update by the numbers

  • 4,050 all-time installs (skills.sh)
  • +193 installs in the week ending Jul 28, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
  • Ranked #126 of 3,301 Productivity & Planning skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
  • Security screen: LOW risk (skills.sh audit)
  • Data as of Jul 28, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
At a glance

update capabilities & compatibility

Capabilities
default: sync tasks from external tools, triage · comprehensive: deep scan chat, email, calendar · project tracker (e.g. asana, linear, jira) (if m · github issues (if in a repo): gh issue list as · tasks with due dates in the past
Use cases
project management · planning
From the docs

What update says it does

Keep your task list and memory current. Two modes:
SKILL.md
Read `TASKS.md` and `memory/` directory. If they don't exist, suggest `/productivity:start` first.
SKILL.md
Check for available task sources:
SKILL.md
npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins --skill update

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Listed on Skillselion
Installs4k
repo stars23.1k
Security audit3 / 3 scanners passed
Last updatedJuly 28, 2026
Repositoryanthropics/knowledge-work-plugins

How do I sync project tracker tasks into tasks.md, triage stale items, and refresh agent memory from current activity with documented agent guidance?

Sync project tracker tasks into TASKS.md, triage stale items, and refresh agent memory from current activity.

Who is it for?

Developers who need productivity & planning help during operate work.

Skip if: Skip when the task falls outside Productivity & Planning scope described in SKILL.md.

When should I use this skill?

Sync project tracker tasks into TASKS.md, triage stale items, and refresh agent memory from current activity.

What you get

Completed productivity & planning workflow aligned with SKILL.md steps and validation.

  • Updated TASKS.md
  • Refreshed memory files

By the numbers

  • Default: Sync tasks from external tools, triage stale items, check memory for gaps
  • --comprehensive: Deep scan chat, email, calendar, docs — flag missed todos and suggest new memories
  • Project tracker (e.g. Asana, Linear, Jira) (if MCP available)

Files

SKILL.mdMarkdownGitHub ↗

Update Command

If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see CONNECTORS.md.

Keep your task list and memory current. Two modes:

  • Default: Sync tasks from external tools, triage stale items, check memory for gaps
  • `--comprehensive`: Deep scan chat, email, calendar, docs — flag missed todos and suggest new memories

Usage

/productivity:update
/productivity:update --comprehensive

Default Mode

1. Load Current State

Read TASKS.md and memory/ directory. If they don't exist, suggest /productivity:start first.

2. Sync Tasks from External Sources

Check for available task sources:

  • Project tracker (e.g. Asana, Linear, Jira) (if MCP available)
  • GitHub Issues (if in a repo): gh issue list --assignee=@me

If no sources are available, skip to Step 3.

Fetch tasks assigned to the user (open/in-progress). Compare against TASKS.md:

External taskTASKS.md match?Action
Found, not in TASKS.mdNo matchOffer to add
Found, already in TASKS.mdMatch by title (fuzzy)Skip
In TASKS.md, not in externalNo matchFlag as potentially stale
Completed externallyIn Active sectionOffer to mark done

Present diff and let user decide what to add/complete.

3. Triage Stale Items

Review Active tasks in TASKS.md and flag:

  • Tasks with due dates in the past
  • Tasks in Active for 30+ days
  • Tasks with no context (no person, no project)

Present each for triage: Mark done? Reschedule? Move to Someday?

4. Decode Tasks for Memory Gaps

For each task, attempt to decode all entities (people, projects, acronyms, tools, links):

Task: "Send PSR to Todd re: Phoenix blockers"

Decode:
- PSR → ✓ Pipeline Status Report (in glossary)
- Todd → ✓ Todd Martinez (in people/)
- Phoenix → ? Not in memory

Track what's fully decoded vs. what has gaps.

5. Fill Gaps

Present unknown terms grouped:

I found terms in your tasks I don't have context for:

1. "Phoenix" (from: "Send PSR to Todd re: Phoenix blockers")
   → What's Phoenix?

2. "Maya" (from: "sync with Maya on API design")
   → Who is Maya?

Add answers to the appropriate memory files (people/, projects/, glossary.md).

6. Capture Enrichment

Tasks often contain richer context than memory. Extract and update:

  • Links from tasks → add to project/people files
  • Status changes ("launch done") → update project status, demote from CLAUDE.md
  • Relationships ("Todd's sign-off on Maya's proposal") → cross-reference people
  • Deadlines → add to project files

7. Report

Update complete:
- Tasks: +3 from project tracker (e.g. Asana), 1 completed, 2 triaged
- Memory: 2 gaps filled, 1 project enriched
- All tasks decoded ✓

Comprehensive Mode (--comprehensive)

Everything in Default Mode, plus a deep scan of recent activity.

Extra Step: Scan Activity Sources

Gather data from available MCP sources:

  • Chat: Search recent messages, read active channels
  • Email: Search sent messages
  • Documents: List recently touched docs
  • Calendar: List recent + upcoming events

Extra Step: Flag Missed Todos

Compare activity against TASKS.md. Surface action items that aren't tracked:

## Possible Missing Tasks

From your activity, these look like todos you haven't captured:

1. From chat (Jan 18):
   "I'll send the updated mockups by Friday"
   → Add to TASKS.md?

2. From meeting "Phoenix Standup" (Jan 17):
   You have a recurring meeting but no Phoenix tasks active
   → Anything needed here?

3. From email (Jan 16):
   "I'll review the API spec this week"
   → Add to TASKS.md?

Let user pick which to add.

Extra Step: Suggest New Memories

Surface new entities not in memory:

## New People (not in memory)
| Name | Frequency | Context |
|------|-----------|---------|
| Maya Rodriguez | 12 mentions | design, UI reviews |
| Alex K | 8 mentions | DMs about API |

## New Projects/Topics
| Name | Frequency | Context |
|------|-----------|---------|
| Starlight | 15 mentions | planning docs, product |

## Suggested Cleanup
- **Horizon project** — No mentions in 30 days. Mark completed?

Present grouped by confidence. High-confidence items offered to add directly; low-confidence items asked about.

Notes

  • Never auto-add tasks or memories without user confirmation
  • External source links are preserved when available
  • Fuzzy matching on task titles handles minor wording differences
  • Safe to run frequently — only updates when there's new info
  • --comprehensive always runs interactively

Related skills

How it compares

update is an agent skill for sync project tracker tasks into tasks.md, triage stale items, and refresh agent memory from current activity, not a generic alternative.

FAQ

Who is update for?

Developers using Productivity & Planning workflows with agent-guided SKILL.md steps.

When should I use update?

Sync project tracker tasks into TASKS.md, triage stale items, and refresh agent memory from current activity.

Is update safe to install?

Review the Security Audits panel on this page before installing in production.

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