Todoist AI MCP Server

Official

Overview Schema Source Related Servers Discussions Admin

update-tasks

Destructive

Update existing Todoist tasks by sending only changed fields—content, due dates, priorities, projects, sections, labels, deadlines, and assignments—to keep task details accurate.

Instructions

Update existing tasks including content, dates, priorities, and assignments. Send only the fields that change.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "tasks": "<tasks>"
    },
    "name": "update-tasks"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`tasks`	Yes	The tasks to update (max 25).

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`tasks`	Yes	The updated tasks.
`failures`	Yes	Tasks that could not be updated, with the reason for each.
`totalCount`	Yes	The total number of tasks updated.
`updatedTaskIds`	Yes	The IDs of the updated tasks.
`appliedOperations`	Yes	Summary of operations performed.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedv13.10.1Nov 5, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / dueString / description

Previous value: -"The new due date for the task in natural language (e.g., \"tomorrow at 5pm\"). Use \"remove\" to clear the due date."New value: +"The new due date for the task in natural language (e.g., \"tomorrow at 5pm\"). Use \"remove\" to clear the due date. Replaces any recurrence, so it is refused on a recurring task unless replaceRecurrence is true. To move a task, use reschedule-tasks."

addedInput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / replaceRecurrence

Added value: +{
+  "description": "True only when the user asks to change or drop a recurring task's recurrence rule.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

Changed2 schema fields changedv13.8.4Nov 2, 2026
- removedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / recurring / anyOf
```
Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "boolean"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  }
-]
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / recurring / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "boolean",
+  "string"
+]
```

Changed2 schema fields changedv13.8.0Oct 29, 2026

removedOutput schema / properties / appliedOperations / properties / failureCount / description
```
Removed value: -"The number of tasks that failed to update."
```

changedOutput schema / properties / failures / description

Previous value: -"Tasks that could not be updated, with the reason for each. A failure here does not affect the other tasks in the batch."New value: +"Tasks that could not be updated, with the reason for each."

Changed2 schema fields changedv13.3.0Sep 18, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / duration / description

Previous value: -"The duration of the task. Use format: \"2h\" (hours), \"90m\" (minutes), \"2h30m\" (combined), or \"1.5h\" (decimal hours). Max 24h."New value: +"The duration of the task. Use format: \"2h\" (hours), \"90m\" (minutes), \"2h30m\" (combined), \"1.5h\" (decimal hours), or \"3d\" (whole days; days cannot be combined with hours or minutes). Todoist apps only display durations under 24 hours: a longer or day-based duration is stored and reported by this server, but the apps show the task as having no duration."

changedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / duration / description

Previous value: -"e.g. \"2h30m\"."New value: +"e.g. \"2h30m\", or \"3d\" for a day-based duration."

Changed1 schema field changedv13.2.7Sep 16, 2026
- addedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / isDeleted
```
Added value: +{
+  "description": "True when deleted; absent otherwise.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}
```

Changed2 schema fields changedv13.0.0Aug 20, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

Changed21 schema fields changedv12.5.3Aug 7, 2026
- removedOutput schema / properties / failures / items / properties / code / description
```
Removed value: -"The error code, if available."
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / failures / items / properties / error / description
```
Removed value: -"The error message."
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / failures / items / properties / item / description
```
Previous value: -"The item that failed (usually an ID or identifier)."New value: +"Usually the ID of the item that failed."
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / addedAt / description
```
Previous value: -"When the task was created (ISO 8601 format)."New value: +"ISO 8601."
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / assignedByUid / description
```
Removed value: -"The UID of the user who assigned this task."
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / checked / description
```
Previous value: -"Whether the task is checked/completed."New value: +"Whether the task is completed."
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / completedAt / description
```
Previous value: -"When the task was completed (ISO 8601 format)."New value: +"ISO 8601."
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / content / description
```
Previous value: -"The task title/content."New value: +"Task title."
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / deadlineDate / description
```
Previous value: -"The deadline date of the task (ISO 8601 format)."New value: +"ISO 8601."
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / description / description
```
Removed value: -"The task description."
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / dueDate / description
```
Previous value: -"The due date of the task (ISO 8601 format)."New value: +"ISO 8601."
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / duration / description
```
Previous value: -"The duration of the task (e.g., \"2h30m\")."New value: +"e.g. \"2h30m\"."
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / id / description
```
Removed value: -"The unique ID of the task."
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / isUncompletable / description
```
Previous value: -"Whether the task is uncompletable (organizational header)."New value: +"An organizational header, not a real task."
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / labels / description
```
Removed value: -"The labels attached to this task."
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / parentId / description
```
Removed value: -"The ID of the parent task (for subtasks)."
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / priority / description
```
Previous value: -"The priority level: p1 (highest), p2 (high), p3 (medium), p4 (lowest)."New value: +"p1 is highest, p4 lowest."
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / projectId / description
```
Removed value: -"The ID of the project this task belongs to."
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / recurring / description
```
Previous value: -"Whether the task is recurring, or the recurrence string."New value: +"False when not recurring, otherwise the recurrence string."
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / responsibleUid / description
```
Removed value: -"The UID of the user responsible for this task."
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / sectionId / description
```
Removed value: -"The ID of the section this task belongs to."
```

Changed5 schema fields changedv12.3.1Aug 3, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / parentId / description

Previous value: -"The new parent task ID (for subtasks)."New value: +"Make the task a subtask of this task ID. Omit unless the parent should change."

changedInput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / projectId / description

Previous value: -"The new project ID for the task. Project ID should be an ID string, or the text \"inbox\", for inbox tasks."New value: +"Move the task to this project ID, or the text \"inbox\" for the inbox. Omit unless the project should change: moving a task to a project also lifts it out of its section and out from under its parent."

changedInput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / sectionId / description

Previous value: -"The new section ID for the task."New value: +"Move the task to this section ID. Omit unless the section should change: moving a task to a section also lifts it out from under its parent."

addedOutput schema / properties / appliedOperations / properties / redundantMovesSkipped

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Moves not performed because the task was already in the requested destination. A non-zero count means container fields were sent that did not need to be.",
+  "type": "number"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / appliedOperations / required

Previous value: -[
-  "updateCount",
-  "skippedCount",
-  "failureCount"
-]New value: +[
+  "updateCount",
+  "skippedCount",
+  "failureCount",
+  "redundantMovesSkipped"
+]

Changed6 schema fields changedv12.2.4Aug 3, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / tasks / description

Previous value: -"The tasks to update."New value: +"The tasks to update (max 25)."

addedInput schema / properties / tasks / maxItems
```
Added value: +25
```

addedOutput schema / properties / appliedOperations / properties / failureCount

Added value: +{
+  "description": "The number of tasks that failed to update.",
+  "type": "number"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / appliedOperations / required

Previous value: -[
-  "updateCount",
-  "skippedCount"
-]New value: +[
+  "updateCount",
+  "skippedCount",
+  "failureCount"
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / failures

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Tasks that could not be updated, with the reason for each. A failure here does not affect the other tasks in the batch.",
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "properties": {
+      "code": {
+        "description": "The error code, if available.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "error": {
+        "description": "The error message.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "item": {
+        "description": "The item that failed (usually an ID or identifier).",
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "item",
+      "error"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "tasks",
-  "totalCount",
-  "updatedTaskIds",
-  "appliedOperations"
-]New value: +[
+  "tasks",
+  "totalCount",
+  "updatedTaskIds",
+  "failures",
+  "appliedOperations"
+]

Changed1 schema field changedv10.5.0Jul 10, 2026
- addedOutput schema / properties / tasks / items / properties / addedAt
```
Added value: +{
+  "description": "When the task was created (ISO 8601 format).",
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
First observedv10.4.2Jul 9, 2026

TDQS

A3.5/5.0

Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare destructiveHint=true, idempotentHint=false and openWorldHint=true, so the risk profile is covered. The description adds patch semantics (only changed fields are sent), which is genuinely useful context beyond annotations, but says nothing about what gets overwritten (labels, recurrence), batch atomicity across up to 25 tasks, or failure behavior when some IDs are invalid.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Two sentences, both load-bearing, with the core verb first and the patch-usage rule second. No redundant restatement of title or annotations.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness3/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists and the input schema is exhaustive, so much of the burden is carried. Still, for a destructive batch mutation of up to 25 tasks with non-idempotent semantics, the description omits the warnings an agent would most need (irreversible field replacement, partial-failure behavior) and never routes to reschedule-tasks as the schema's dueString field does.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100% and the per-field documentation is unusually rich (duration formats, priority enum strings, "remove" sentinels, parent/section lift-out behavior). The description merely echoes the field families the schema already documents in detail, so it adds little meaning beyond the structured data.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ("Update existing tasks") and enumerates the field families affected (content, dates, priorities, assignments). It does not name the obvious sibling, reschedule-tasks, even though one of its own parameters (dueString) points at that alternative, so an agent cannot distinguish the two from the description alone.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

"Send only the fields that change" gives a clear partial-update idiom, which is real usage guidance for a patch tool. However, there is no statement of when to prefer this over reschedule-tasks or reorder-objects, and no exclusions or prerequisites (e.g., that user must be a collaborator) at the description level.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.