Quick Add
Configure PrimeTask's natural-language task overlay - toggles, templates, and the per-Space shortcut library.
The Quick Add settings card controls how PrimeTask's natural-language task creation overlay behaves. Quick Add is the fastest way to capture a task: press a keyboard shortcut anywhere in the app, type something like "Finish the proposal tomorrow 5pm !high #work @Website", and hit Enter. PrimeTask parses the due date, priority, tag, and project automatically and creates a fully-detailed task.
This settings card is where you enable or disable Quick Add, control its preview and batch-entry behaviour, and manage the per-Space templates that let you stamp out recurring task shapes with a single slash shortcut. For the full syntax reference and worked examples, see the Quick Add feature article in the Tasks section.
One overlay, many syntaxes
Quick Add recognises date, priority, tag, project, assignee, status, duration, and recurrence tokens in a single line. Most of it is available on every license; two tokens - link contact (&) and link company (%) - require Pro and a Space with PrimeCRM enabled.
What you can do
Turn Quick Add on or off
for this device
Toggle the preview
that shows parsed tokens while you type
Keep the overlay open
after creating a task, so you can capture a batch of tasks back-to-back without reopening
Create, edit, and delete templates
/shortcutCopy a template to another Space
each Space has its own template set, and you can clone templates across
Reference the full syntax
from a compact cheat sheet inside the card
Jump straight to the deep feature documentation
for examples and edge cases
How to open Quick Add settings
- Settings card: Open Settings from the sidebar, then open the Quick Add card.
- Settings search: Open Settings and type quick add, templates, or shortcut.
- Command palette: Press ⌘+K (or Ctrl+K), type quick add, and pick the entry.
To open the Quick Add overlay itself (rather than its settings), press the global shortcut - by default ⌘⇧A on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+A on Windows. For the full walkthrough of the overlay, read Quick Add.
Things worth knowing
Three toggles control how Quick Add behaves
- Enable Quick Add - master switch. Turn it off if you don't use the overlay and want to free up the shortcut for something else.
- Show preview panel - when on, PrimeTask shows what it has parsed from your input - due date, priority, tags, project, assignee - as you type. When off, you just see the raw text. Most users leave it on; it's the best way to learn the syntax and confirm PrimeTask understood what you meant.
- Keep open after creating - when on, hitting Enter creates the task and keeps the overlay open for another one. Great for a brainstorm dump at the start of the day. When off, the overlay closes after each task.
Batch-entry pairs well with the preview
When you're capturing a long list of tasks, turn on Keep open after creating and leave the preview on. You'll move fast, and the preview keeps you honest about what PrimeTask is actually parsing.
Templates - reusable task shapes triggered by a /shortcut
If you create similar tasks over and over - a weekly standup, a monthly invoice check-in, a bug report skeleton - a template saves you from typing the whole thing every time. A template has:
- A name - what you call it in the templates list
- A shortcut - e.g.
standup, triggered by typing/standupin Quick Add - A template text - exactly what Quick Add would parse if you typed it, including due dates, priorities, tags, assignees, and recurrence
- An optional description - a short reminder of what the template is for
There are two ways to create a template:
From this card
click Add in the Templates section, fill in the form, save.
From inside the Quick Add overlay
type save:name your template text here and PrimeTask turns it into a template on the spot.
Once saved, start typing /shortcut in the overlay and the template expands into its full text. You can then edit any part before hitting Enter.
Templates are per-Space
Each Space has its own template set. A template you save in your Work Space won't appear in your Personal Space automatically. Use the Copy to space control on any template to clone it to another Space.
Templates travel with the Space they belong to
A Quick Add template is part of the Space it was created in, so it moves wherever the Space moves. If the Space syncs via File Sync or iCloud Sync, the template appears on your other devices once sync catches up. If the Space is local-only, the template stays on that computer. See Spaces Overview for how Spaces and sync interact, and Spaces Settings for per-Space sync configuration.
The card includes a live syntax reference
The card has a compact cheat sheet listing every token Quick Add understands - due dates, times, priorities, tags, projects, assignees, statuses, durations, recurrence, and template shortcuts. It's meant for glancing at while you type, not as full documentation. For the deep reference with worked examples, open Quick Add from the Tasks section.
The cheat sheet only lists the link contact (&) and link company (%) tokens when PrimeCRM is turned on in your active Space, so the reference stays focused on what you can actually use right now.
The Quick Add shortcut is customisable
The default shortcut for opening the Quick Add overlay is ⌘⇧A on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+A on Windows. You can change it to anything you like from the keyboard shortcuts section in Settings - the Quick Add card always displays the current shortcut, so you don't need to remember which combination you chose.
Apple sync keywords - macOS only
Two special keywords tell PrimeTask to also push the task to an Apple system app as you create it:
!rem- also create the task in Apple Reminders!cal- also create the task in Apple Calendar
These work on macOS only, and only when the matching integration is set up. See Apple Reminders and Apple Calendar for setup walkthroughs.
CRM tokens need CRM and Pro
The two CRM token types - link contact (&name) and link company (%company) - only work when PrimeCRM is enabled in the active Space and your license is Pro. If either condition isn't met, the tokens are ignored and PrimeTask treats them as plain text. Turn CRM on for a Space from Spaces Settings.
Quick Add uses your Space's vocabulary
The !priority, #tag, ::status, and @project tokens resolve against whatever priorities, tags, statuses, and projects exist in the active Space. If you try !urgent but your Space doesn't have an Urgent priority, PrimeTask treats it as plain text. Manage your Space's vocabulary from Category Management Settings.
Common questions
"I want to stop using Quick Add - how do I disable the shortcut?"
Open Settings → Quick Add and turn Enable Quick Add off. The overlay stops opening and the shortcut is free for other uses. You can turn it back on any time without losing your templates.
"I made a template in my Work Space but I want it in Personal too."
On any template in the list, click the Copy to space control and pick the target Space. PrimeTask duplicates the template into the destination and leaves the original where it was. The two copies are independent after that - editing one doesn't change the other.
"Can I save a template without leaving the Quick Add overlay?"
Yes. Type save:name your template text directly in the overlay. PrimeTask creates a template named name with that text. Next time, type /name and it expands back.
"Why don't I see the contact (&) and company (%) tokens in the syntax reference?"
The card's reference only lists those tokens when PrimeCRM is turned on in your active Space. If CRM is off for the Space, the tokens drop out of the reference so you're not prompted to use something you haven't set up. Turn on CRM for the Space from Spaces Settings (Pro feature).
"I want to change the shortcut that opens Quick Add."
Every PrimeTask keyboard shortcut, including the Quick Add trigger, can be reassigned from the keyboard shortcuts section in Settings. The Quick Add card updates its displayed shortcut the moment you save a new combination.
"Where's the full list of things Quick Add understands?"
The card has a compact cheat sheet for when you're in a hurry. For the full guide with worked examples, edge cases, and the CRM token details, read Quick Add in the Tasks section.
"I just saved a template but it's not showing up on my other computer."
Templates live inside the Space they were created in. If the Space syncs (via File Sync or iCloud Sync), the template appears on the other device once sync catches up. If the Space is local-only, the template stays on this computer. See Spaces Overview for how Spaces and sync work together.
"Can I use Quick Add to create a recurring task?"
Yes. Quick Add supports the every keyword (e.g. every monday, every 2 weeks, every weekday) and will create a recurring task directly. For the full recurrence syntax and how recurring tasks behave after creation, read Recurring Tasks.
Where to go next
| If you want to… | Read this |
|---|---|
| Learn the full Quick Add syntax with examples | Quick Add |
| Understand the other ways to create tasks | Creating Tasks |
| Set up recurring tasks via Quick Add | Recurring Tasks |
| Customise statuses and priorities Quick Add references | Custom Statuses and Priorities |
| Manage the tags, statuses, and priorities in this Space | Category Management Settings |
Turn on PrimeCRM for a Space (unlocks & and %) | Spaces Settings |
| Understand how templates travel between Spaces | Spaces Overview |
Push tasks to Apple Reminders with !rem | Apple Reminders |
Push tasks to Apple Calendar with !cal | Apple Calendar |
| Browse all settings cards | Settings Overview |