Triggers and Actions Reference
Every trigger, condition operator, and action you can use in a custom rule - what's available today and what's coming soon.
This is the full reference for PrimeTask's custom rule builder - every trigger, every condition, and every action. Each section lists what's available today and what's marked Coming soon in the editor. When a coming-soon item ships, it'll just appear in the builder - no setup needed.
For how to build a rule around these, see Building Custom Rules. For the concept overview, see Automations Overview.
Custom rules require Pro
The rule builder and every trigger, condition, and action are part of the Pro tier. See License Settings.
Triggers
A rule has exactly one trigger - the event that starts it running.
Task triggers
Available today
| Trigger | Fires when |
|---|---|
| Task Status Changed | A task's status changes (for example, to In Progress) |
| Task Created | A new task is created |
| Task Completed | A task is marked done |
| Task Priority Changed | A task's priority changes |
| Task Tags Changed | Tags are added or removed from a task |
Coming soon
- Due Date Approaching - a task's due date is within X days
- Task Assigned - a task is assigned to someone
Project triggers
Available today
| Trigger | Fires when |
|---|---|
| Task Added to Project | A task is linked to a project |
| Task Removed from Project | A task is unlinked from a project |
Coming soon
- Project Created
- Project Status Changed
- Milestone Completed
- Project Progress Threshold (reaches a percentage)
System triggers
Available today
| Trigger | Fires when |
|---|---|
| Timer Started | Time tracking starts on any task |
| Timer Stopped | Time tracking stops |
| Manual Trigger | You run the rule from the Command Palette or a keyboard shortcut |
Coming soon
- Sync Completed - Apple Reminders sync finishes
Calendar triggers
Coming soon
- Event Starting Soon
- Event Created
- Event Updated
- Event Reminder
PrimeFlow triggers
Coming soon
- Nodes Connected (two nodes connected on a canvas)
- Node Added
CRM triggers
Coming soon
- Contact Status Changed
- Contact Created
Start with what's available today
The task and timer triggers cover most useful automation workflows. Build your workflow around those; the coming-soon triggers will slot in when they ship.
Conditions
Conditions are optional filters that scope when a rule fires.
Grouping
A rule's conditions are combined with one of two logic modes:
- ALL - every condition must match.
- ANY - at least one condition must match.
Pick the logic when you build the rule. Most rules use ALL.
Operators
| Operator | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Equals | Matches when the field equals the value |
| Not equals | Matches when the field doesn't equal the value |
| Contains | Matches when the field contains the value |
| Not contains | Matches when the field doesn't contain the value |
| Is empty | Matches when the field has no value |
| Is not empty | Matches when the field has any value |
| In list | Matches when the field is one of several values |
| Greater than | Matches when a number or date is greater than the value |
| Less than | Matches when a number or date is less than the value |
Fields
You can filter on:
- Status - the exact status label
- Status category - one of
not_started,active,complete,closed - Priority - the exact priority label
- Priority level -
highestorlowest - Project - which project the task belongs to
- Tags - the task's tags
- Assignee - who the task is assigned to
- Start date and Due date - compare with greater-than / less-than
- Node type, Source node type, Target node type - for PrimeFlow triggers
For how status categories are configured, see Custom Statuses and Priorities.
Dynamic placeholders
Conditions can reference your Space's current configuration rather than hardcoded values:
| Placeholder | Resolves to |
|---|---|
$active | Any status in the active category |
$complete | Any status in the complete category |
$not_started | Any status in the not_started category |
$closed | Any status in the closed category |
$highest | The Space's highest priority |
$lowest | The Space's lowest priority |
Dynamic placeholders make rules portable across Spaces that use different custom status names - "When status is $complete" works whether your Space calls it "Done", "Shipped", or "Delivered".
Dynamic placeholders future-proof your rules
If you rename your statuses or priorities later, rules using $active or $highest keep working without any edits.
Actions
Actions are what a rule does. One rule can chain several actions. They run in order.
Task field actions
Available today
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Set Start Date | Sets the task's start date |
| Set Due Date | Sets the task's due date |
| Set Status | Changes the task's status |
| Set Priority | Changes the task's priority |
| Set Assignee | Assigns the task to one or more people |
| Add Tag | Adds a tag |
| Remove Tag | Removes a tag |
Coming soon
- Create Subtask - add a subtask to the triggering task
Timer actions
Available today
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Start Timer | Starts time tracking on the triggering task |
| Stop Timer | Stops the running timer |
Notification actions
Available today
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Show Notification | Shows an in-app toast notification |
| Show Focus Prompt | Opens a focus prompt with Start Timer, Set In Progress, or Dismiss |
| Show Completion Celebration | Shows a celebration modal when a task completes |
| Prompt to Complete All Items | Asks whether to mark every pending subtask and checklist item complete |
Coming soon
- Send OS Notification - native macOS or Windows notification
Sound actions
Available today
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Play Sound | Plays a sound effect from the built-in set |
Calendar actions
Coming soon
- Create Calendar Event
- Block Time
- Send Reminder
CRM actions
Coming soon
- Log CRM Activity
- Link Contact
Chain actions carefully
When a rule has several actions, they run top-to-bottom. Put dependent actions in the right order - for example, set the status before an action that reads that status.
How many rules can I have?
No hard limit. Keep rules focused and named well - ten clear rules beat one mega-rule.
Things worth knowing
Rules are per Space
Triggers, conditions, and actions operate on the Space that owns the rule. Switching Spaces doesn't fire rules in the other Space.
Coming-soon items appear in the editor
The rule editor shows coming-soon triggers and actions marked as such. You can't save a rule using them yet, but you can see what's on the way.
Dates, priorities, and statuses move with your Space
Your Space configures status names, status categories, and priority levels. Rules that reference them - through dynamic placeholders or exact names - reflect your Space's setup.
Condition groups are either ALL or ANY, not nested
You can't nest a "A ALL B, then that OR C" condition group. For complex logic, split into multiple rules or use a combination of conditions with in_list to cover several values in one step.
Common questions
"Why isn't a trigger I expected on the list?"
Either it's coming soon (visible in the editor marked as such) or the event doesn't exist in PrimeTask yet. The list above reflects what the engine can actually react to today.
"Can I trigger on a date, not an event?"
The Due Date Approaching trigger is coming soon. Until then, use Manual Trigger bound to a keyboard shortcut, or react to status changes that typically happen near the due date.
"What's the difference between status and status_category?"
status is the exact label ("In Progress", "Ready for Review"). status_category groups all statuses into not_started, active, complete, or closed. Category conditions are more portable across Spaces that use different status names.
"Can I use a dynamic placeholder for dates?"
Placeholder support today is status and priority. For dates, use the Set Start Date action with now as the source.
"Are sound and notification actions available on every license?"
The custom rule builder is Pro, so any action you configure in a custom rule is available under that Pro umbrella. The one specific callout is the sound effects capability, which the matrix lists as Pro. The silent built-in Celebrate task completion works on every license. See Built-in Automations.
Where to go next
| If you want to… | Read this |
|---|---|
| Build a rule using these pieces | Building Custom Rules |
| See the seven built-in rules | Built-in Automations |
| Test a rule before enabling | Testing and Running Rules |
| Automate PrimeTask from Siri, Alfred, Raycast | Apple Shortcuts and Deep Links |
| Configure how statuses and priorities behave | Custom Statuses and Priorities |