PrimeFlow External App Nodes
Open another app at the exact spot - a specific Obsidian note, Figma file, Linear issue, VS Code file, Spotify playlist, or any URL scheme - from a canvas.
The External App node is PrimeFlow's bridge to the rest of your toolset. It's not a launcher for "open Figma" - it's a launcher for "open this Figma file." Point it at a specific note, file, issue, channel, or playlist inside another app, connect it to the work it belongs to, and click it to be exactly where you need to be.
This is where PrimeTask stops being a silo. The canvas keeps your tasks, projects, and relationships in one view; External App nodes bring your other apps into the same view at the spot that matters.
External App nodes are part of the Pro tier
Requires Pro. See License Settings.
What you can do
Place a launcher for any app
you use - Obsidian, Notion, Craft, Figma, Linear, GitHub, VS Code, Spotify, Slack, Discord, Arc, the terminal, a browser, or a custom app.
Open the app at a specific spot
a note, a file, an issue, a channel, a playlist - using that app's URL scheme.
Connect the node to the task, project, or person
it supports so your canvas becomes a map of your toolset.
Change the destination any time
rewire the node to a different spot without replacing it.
How to add an External App node
Step 1
Open PrimeFlow and open or create a canvas.
Step 2
Open Show Library and drag External App onto the canvas - or right-click the canvas and choose it there.
Step 3
Configure the node: - Pick a preset for one of the built-in apps, or choose Custom for anything else. - Paste the URL or path that should open - a plain app URL opens the app, a deep link opens a specific spot.
Click the node to launch. A quick confirmation appears before anything leaves PrimeTask.
Built-in presets
PrimeTask has ready-to-use presets with app icons for the apps most people work with:
- Obsidian
- Notion
- VS Code
- Figma
- Linear
- Slack
- Discord
- Spotify
- GitHub Desktop
- Arc Browser
- Safari
- Chrome
- Finder
- Terminal
- Custom App - for any other app
Presets set the right icon and the usual URL scheme so you can drop one in and just paste the link.
Deep linking - open the exact spot
This is what makes External App nodes more than a launcher. Paste a deep link and the app opens the specific item, not the home screen.
Some examples using the built-in presets:
- Obsidian - a specific note in a specific vault:
obsidian://open?vault=Work&file=Q2-Plan - Linear - a specific issue:
linear://... - Figma - a specific file:
figma://file/... - VS Code - a specific file on your computer:
vscode://file/Users/you/project/src/App.tsx - Spotify - a specific playlist, album, or track:
spotify:playlist:... - Slack - a specific channel:
slack://channel?team=...&id=... - GitHub - a specific pull request, issue, or file (opens in your browser)
Using the Custom App preset, you can also reach any other app that supports URL schemes - Craft (craft-docs://...), Things (things:///show?id=...), Bear, Arc tabs, Zoom, Notion pages, and more.
You find the deep link the same way you'd copy a link to share - most apps have a "Copy link" option on their items.
Workflows that make external apps shine
The design review canvas
Drop a project canvas. For every component or screen under review, place an External App node with the Figma deep link. A reviewer clicks a component on the canvas, lands on the exact Figma file, and gets back to the canvas when they're done.
The sprint canvas
Lay out the sprint visually with a Task node for each item. Connect each task to an External App node that deep-links to the matching Linear or GitHub issue. Your sprint map and your tracker stay in sync with one click in between.
The writing canvas
Build the outline on the canvas. Each section gets an External App node that opens the matching Obsidian note or Notion doc. Writing research lives in the writing app; the map lives on the canvas.
The release canvas
Plan a release visually - tasks, milestones, contributors. Add External App nodes with GitHub pull request links for every code change shipping in the release. A reviewer can trace the release from the plan to the PRs without leaving the canvas.
The music or mix canvas
Plan a track, set, or mix. Place External App nodes with Spotify deep links to reference tracks for the feel you're going for. Click a reference, listen, come back. The canvas becomes a mood board with playable references.
The code study canvas
Teaching yourself a codebase or preparing a talk? Place VS Code deep links to the files you want to reference, connected to the concept nodes that explain them. Your canvas is the narrative; the files are one click away.
The CRM integration canvas
Place an External App node on a contact or company that deep-links to their Slack channel, their shared Notion workspace, or their Linear project. A CRM record becomes the starting point for the apps you share with that team.
Treat each node as a door to the exact spot
A generic "open Figma" node is useful once. A node that opens this file in Figma is useful every time. Lean on deep links.
Connect external apps to your work
Every External App node can connect to other nodes on the canvas - tasks, projects, contacts, companies, notes. Use connections to make the canvas a map of where your work lives across tools. A project node connected to its Figma file, its Linear project, its Slack channel, its Spotify track - one canvas, every tool one click away.
For connection behavior, see PrimeFlow Connections and Edges.
Color theme support
External App nodes follow the canvas color theme and any per-node appearance override. Appearance is canvas-only.
Things worth knowing
Nothing is embedded
Clicking an External App node hands off to your operating system, which opens the app in the usual way. PrimeTask doesn't render the app inside the canvas.
The app needs to be installed on your computer
Deep links open the installed app. If the app isn't installed, your system usually offers to install it or fall back to a web URL if the scheme supports one.
URL schemes are per app
Every app that supports deep links documents its URL scheme. Copy the deep link from the app the same way you'd copy a share link.
Desktop only
External App nodes run on macOS and Windows, the platforms PrimeTask ships on.
A confirmation appears before a launch
A quick confirmation shows the destination before the app opens so you never click into something by accident.
System-wide external integration settings live in Settings
PrimeTask has settings for the app handlers it uses across the app. See External Integrations Settings and Integrations Settings.
Common questions
"How do I find an app's deep link?"
Most apps have a "Copy link" or "Share" action on their items that gives you a link starting with the app's URL scheme (obsidian://, figma://, linear://, vscode://, and so on). Paste that link into the External App node.
"Will it work if the app isn't installed?"
The app needs to be installed for the deep link to open it. Your operating system usually offers to install the missing app or redirects to a web URL if the app provides one.
"Can I use an app that isn't in the preset list?"
Yes. Use the Custom option and paste the URL scheme. Anything that works as a URL from your operating system works on a canvas.
"What happens if I click a node and I don't have the app?"
Your operating system handles the URL - usually with an "install" prompt, a browser fallback, or a simple error. The canvas isn't affected.
"Is this Pro?"
Yes. External App nodes are part of the Pro tier. See License Settings.
Where to go next
| If you want to… | Read this |
|---|---|
| Configure system-wide app handlers | External Integrations Settings |
| Connect integrations across PrimeTask | Integrations Settings |
| Travel between canvases in PrimeTask | PrimeFlow Portal Nodes |
| Save web pages as bookmarks on a canvas | PrimeFlow Media and Link Nodes |