Csv To Task

Use when (1) user pastes CSV data and wants to convert each row into an actionable task, ticket, or to-do item. (2) user says "convert these to tasks", "create tasks from this list", or "turn this spreadsheet into a todo list". (3) user provides a project roster, backlog, or table and asks to "make it a task list".

Use when (1) user pastes CSV data and wants to convert each row into an actionable task, ticket, or to-do item. (2) user says "convert these to tasks", "create tasks from this list", or "turn this spreadsheet into a todo list". (3) user provides a project roster, backlog, or table and asks to "make it a task list".

Core Position

This skill solves the specific problem of: rows of tabular data need to become individual, trackable task units.

This skill IS NOT:

• A data analysis tool — it produces tasks, not insights
• A reminder/calendar tool — tasks can be for any system (Jira, Linear, Notion, plain text)
• Activated by general "make a list" requests without structured data

This skill IS activated ONLY when: structured tabular/CSV data + task creation intent are both present.

Modes

/csv-to-task

Default mode. Converts CSV rows to structured task objects with status, assignee, priority, and due date.

When to use: User provides CSV and wants task objects (Jira format, Markdown checklist, etc.)

/csv-to-task/estimate

Adds time or complexity estimates to each task based on column data.

When to use: User wants to go beyond raw conversion and add sprint planning data.

Execution Steps

Step 1 — Parse the CSV

1. Receive CSV input (pasted text, file, or path)
2. Detect header row — columns become task field names
3. Identify key task fields:
   • Title/Name (required): usually first string column or explicitly labeled
   • Assignee (optional): person responsible
   • Priority (optional): high/medium/low, P0-P3, or numeric
   • Due date (optional): ISO date, MM/DD, or relative ("next Friday")
   • Status (optional): todo/done/in-progress or explicit column
   • Description (optional): longer text fields
4. If no clear title column exists, ask the user which column to use as task name

Step 2 — Map to Task Structure

Map each row to a task object. Default fields:

CSV Column	Task Field
Any text column (title-like)	title
Person name/email column	assignee
H/M/L or P0-P3	priority
Date column	dueDate
Category/tag column	labels
Long text column	description

Unmapped columns → attach as key-value metadata.

Step 3 — Format Output

Choose format based on user intent or explicit request:

• Markdown checklist: - [ ] Task title @assignee #priority
• Jira-style: PROJECT-123: Task title [labels] — assignee
• JSON array: [{"title": "...", "assignee": "...", ...}]
• CSV with new columns: original CSV + added status and taskId columns

Step 4 — Validate

• No rows silently dropped — count input rows vs. output tasks
• Title field is populated for every task
• Date formats are consistent and valid

Mandatory Rules

Do not

• Do not invent assignee names not in the data
• Do not set due dates arbitrarily — use column data or ask
• Do not merge or split rows without explicit instruction
• Do not use task status "done" unless user confirms completion

Do

• Respect column-to-field mappings from the data
• Preserve all original CSV data as task metadata
• Handle empty cells explicitly (mark as "unassigned", "none")
• Output a consistent format for all rows

Quality Bar

A good output:

• Every row becomes exactly one task with a title
• Field mapping is explicit and traceable to source columns
• All original data is preserved (no silent drop)
• Output format is valid and runnable/parseable

A bad output:

• Merges multiple rows into one task
• Drops rows with missing fields
• Produces plain text without structure (not parseable)
• Invents data not present in the CSV

Good vs. Bad Examples

Scenario	Bad Output	Good Output
10 rows, no status column	All marked "done" by default	All marked "todo" with note "no status column found"
Missing assignee	"Assignee: John" (random)	"Assignee: unassigned"
Priority in P0-P3 format	Ignored	Mapped correctly to P0/P1/P2/P3
Title column has 200 chars	Truncated to 50	Kept full, summarized in description

References

• references/ — Field mapping templates, output format examples for Jira/Label/Notion/Linear