> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.usesift.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Tasks & Assignments

> Create, manage, and organize everything you need to do

Sift tracks your tasks, assignments, and todos—with due dates, priorities, and smart scheduling to help you stay on top of everything.

## What You Can Ask

```
"Create a task to finish my essay by Friday"
"Add a todo to buy groceries"
"What tasks do I have this week?"
"Mark my homework as done"
"Delete the gym task"
"Break down my research paper into phases"
```

## Task Types

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Assignments" icon="file-lines">
    Academic work with due dates—essays, problem sets, projects. Imported automatically from Canvas if connected.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Exams" icon="clipboard-check">
    Tests and quizzes. Sift treats these differently when scheduling study time.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Todos" icon="square-check">
    Simple one-off items without complex scheduling needs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Projects" icon="folder-open">
    Larger work that spans multiple sessions.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Creating Tasks

Be specific for best results:

* **Include the due date:** "due Friday" or "due December 15"
* **Estimate time needed:** "about 3 hours" or "a quick 15 minute task"
* **Set priority if important:** "high priority" or "this is urgent"

<CodeGroup>
  ```text Good examples theme={null}
  "Create a task for my chemistry lab report due Thursday, should take about 2 hours"
  "Add a high priority todo to email my advisor by end of day"
  "I have an exam next Thursday for calculus"
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Managing Tasks

| Action     | What to say                                |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| List tasks | "Show my tasks" or "What's due this week?" |
| Complete   | "Mark my essay as done"                    |
| Update     | "Update my essay—it's now due Monday"      |
| Delete     | "Delete the groceries task"                |

## Task Decomposition

For big assignments, Sift can break them into manageable pieces with phases and milestones.

> "Help me plan my 10-page research paper due in 2 weeks"

Sift creates:

* **Phase 1:** Research & outline (days 1-3)
* **Phase 2:** First draft (days 4-7)
* **Phase 3:** Revisions (days 8-10)
* **Phase 4:** Final polish (days 11-14)

Each phase becomes schedulable work blocks on your calendar.

## Workspaces

Tasks can belong to workspaces (courses, projects, or categories). Canvas courses automatically create workspaces, keeping your assignments organized by class.

<Tip>
  All task features—including decomposition and unlimited workspaces—are available on all plans. Premium unlocks unlimited AI usage, [automations](/capabilities/automations), and [memory](/capabilities/memory).
</Tip>

## Tips

* **Let Canvas sync handle assignments** — Don't duplicate manually
* **Use todos for quick items**, tasks for substantial work
* **Add time estimates** to help Sift schedule accurately
* **Review decomposed tasks** and adjust phases as needed