About todo-archive
todo-archive is a repository skill for moving checked tasks from `.ai/TODO.md` into dated archive files. It supports section-scoped archiving, custom dates, and dry-run previews.
Key features
- 01Archive checked tasks by section or file
- 02Choose an archive date
- 03Preview changes without writing
- 04Retain unmatched checked tasks in the TODO
Use cases
- 01Archive completed repository tasks
- 02Preview a section-specific archive
- 03Keep a TODO file focused on remaining work
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
npx skills add https:/ / github.com/ paulrberg/ agent-skills --skill todo-archiveAfter installing, type/todo-archivein Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Bundled filesagents/openai.yamlscripts/archive_todo.py
Details
From the project READMETODO Archive
If a slash or dollar invocation already added these instructions to the conversation, follow them directly. In that case, do not invoke this skill again through a skill tool.
Arguments
path(optional): Repository root or any path inside the repository. Default to the current directory.--hint TEXT(optional): Archive only the section whose heading containsTEXT(case-insensitive substring), including its subsections. Without it, archive checked tasks from the whole file. Checked tasks outside the matched section stay in.ai/TODO.md.--date YYYY-MM-DD|YYYY_MM_DD(optional): Archive date. Default to today's local date.--dry-run(optional): Preview target paths and rendered content without writing.
Workflow
-
Resolve the supplied
path, or the current directory when omitted. For an existing file, use its containing directory. For a directory, use that directory. Store the absolute directory asstart_dir, then resolve its Git root:git -C "$start_dir" rev-parse --show-toplevelStore the result as
repo_root. Whenstart_diris outside a Git repository, use it asrepo_root. Stop on a missing input path or another resolution error. -
Verify
.ai/TODO.mdexists under the root. If it is missing, stop and report the path checked. -
Resolve the skill directory and run its helper:
uv run python "<skill-dir>/scripts/archive_todo.py" --root "$repo_root"Pass through
--hint,--date, or--dry-runwhen the user requested them. -
Report the rewritten
.ai/TODO.md, the created or merged archive path, the matched section (when--hintwas given), and the archived/remaining task counts. If an archive for the date already exists, the helper appends the new batch to it, retaining one matching top-level heading. If the helper reports no checked tasks, treat it as a no-op. If--hintmatches no heading, the helper exits non-zero and lists the available sections. In that case, relay them. -
If useful, inspect only
<repo_root>/.ai/TODO.mdand the exact archive path returned by the helper. Verify their contents directly. When Git ignores them, compare filesystem snapshots rather than relying ongit diff.
Helper Behavior
scripts/archive_todo.py reads <root>/.ai/TODO.md and any existing archive for the date, writes archived tasks to
<root>/.ai/todos/YYYY-MM/DD.md, and rewrites <root>/.ai/TODO.md with the remaining tasks. It preserves task-free
sections and prose verbatim (a minimal stub with the source's first heading, or # TODO, only if everything was
archived). With --hint, it restricts archiving to the matched heading's subtree and exits non-zero listing available
headings when nothing matches. A same-day re-run appends its batch to that day's file, removing the new leading H1 only
when it exactly matches the existing archive's leading H1.
Completion
Completion evidence is the helper's archive path plus archived and remaining task counts. A no-checked-task result is a
successful no-op. Dry-run completion requires rendered paths/content with no filesystem changes, but the final message
still follows the one-line formats below. Report the result as a single line (append a (scope: "<hint>") segment only
when --hint was given), with the archive path relative to the repository root:
- Success:
📦 Archived <n> → <archive path> (created|merged) · <remaining> remaining - No-op:
✅ Nothing to archive · <remaining> remaining - Dry run:
🔎 Would archive <n> → <archive path> (would create|would merge) · <remaining> would remain
Do not repeat full dry-run document content in the final message or add decoration to TODO/archive files, paths, commands, or helper diagnostics.