# Extending Tasks with User Defined Attributes **URL:** \ **Category:** Documentation\ **Created:** [June 6, 2026, 1:55am UTC](https://community.wingtask.com/t/extending-tasks-with-user-defined-attributes/27 "2026-06-06T01:55:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![timcase](https://community.wingtask.com/user_avatar/community.wingtask.com/timcase/32/15_2.png) [@timcase](https://community.wingtask.com/u/timcase)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 1:55am UTC](https://community.wingtask.com/t/extending-tasks-with-user-defined-attributes/27/1 "2026-06-06T01:55:26Z")
# Extending Tasks with User Defined Attributes ## Overview User Defined Attributes (UDAs) are custom fields you add to your tasks. If the built-in fields — project, tags, due date, priority — do not cover everything you want to track, UDAs let you define your own. * * * ## How It Works ### What a UDA is A UDA is a named field with a type. Once defined, it behaves like any other task field. You can set it when creating or editing a task, filter tasks by it, and sort by it. Examples of UDAs you might create: - `energy` — Low, Medium, or High - `client` — a client name - `estimate` — a number of hours - `review_date` — a date to revisit the task ### Supported types | Type | Description | | --- | --- | | `string` | Any text value, optionally limited to a set of allowed values | | `numeric` | A number | | `date` | A date | `duration` and `uuid` types are not currently supported in WingTask. Support for these may be added in a future release. ### Allowed values For `string` UDAs, you can optionally specify a list of allowed values. When set, WingTask restricts the field to those values and presents them as a dropdown. Example: an `energy` UDA with allowed values `Low,Medium,High`. ### Default value You can optionally set a default value. When a new task is created, the UDA is pre-filled with that value. ### UDA icons in the task list Each UDA is automatically assigned a unique icon when it is created. WingTask draws from a set of geometric shapes — circle, triangle, square, rhombus, hexagon, and others — assigning one to each UDA in order. In the task list, each task shows a secondary row of small icons representing its attributes. When a task has a value set for a UDA, that UDA’s icon appears in this row alongside icons for other attributes such as project, tags, due date, and priority. Hovering over an icon shows a tooltip with the UDA’s label and current value. This makes it easy to see at a glance which tasks have a given UDA set without opening each task. ![uda_list](https://community.wingtask.com/uploads/default/original/1X/c91ac93546eeda9e7392d9dc919fdca8319c35c7.png) * * * ## Managing UDAs UDAs are managed in **Settings → UDAs**. ### Creating a UDA 1. Go to Settings → UDAs. 2. Click **New UDA**. 3. Enter a name, type, label, and optional allowed values or default. 4. Save. The name must be lowercase, start with a letter, and contain only letters, numbers, and underscores. It cannot match a built-in Taskwarrior field name. Once created, the UDA is available on all your tasks. ### Editing a UDA You can update the label, allowed values, and default value of an existing UDA. The name and type cannot be changed after creation. ### Deleting a UDA Deleting a UDA removes it from WingTask. Existing task data for that field is not removed from your Taskwarrior data — the value is preserved in the task but no longer displayed or editable in WingTask. ![new_uda_form](https://community.wingtask.com/uploads/default/original/1X/fef76ca24d6ede5b11b05fb7e89122b210de49b8.png) * * * ## UDAs and Taskwarrior WingTask passes your UDA definitions to Taskwarrior as `rc.uda.*` configuration at sync time. This means your UDAs are recognized when tasks sync. If you also use Taskwarrior on the command line, you will need to add the same UDA definitions to your Taskwarrior config (`~/.taskrc`) for those fields to be recognized there. Without the config, Taskwarrior will preserve the values in the task data but treat the fields as unknown attributes. Example `~/.taskrc` entry for a `string` UDA: ```auto uda.energy.type=string uda.energy.label=Energy uda.energy.values=Low,Medium,High ``` * * * ## Examples ### Example: Energy level A UDA to track how much energy a task requires: - Name: `energy` - Type: `string` - Allowed values: `Low,Medium,High` - Default: `Medium` Tasks show an Energy field with a dropdown. You can filter your task list to show only `energy:Low` tasks when you have limited capacity. * * * ### Example: Time estimate A UDA to track estimated hours: - Name: `estimate` - Type: `numeric` Tasks show an Estimate field where you enter a number. You can sort by estimate to see which tasks will take the most time. * * * ![uda_task_detail](https://community.wingtask.com/uploads/default/original/1X/11248fdc49144f842535a7a1855c781a36eee109.png) ## Notes - UDA names must be lowercase, start with a letter, and use only letters, numbers, and underscores. - Names cannot match built-in Taskwarrior field names such as `due`, `project`, `status`, or `priority`. - The name cannot be changed after creation. - Deleting a UDA in WingTask does not remove its data from your tasks. - `duration` and `uuid` types are not currently supported. - Each UDA is assigned a unique icon at creation time; it appears in the task list secondary row when the task has a value for that UDA. - If you use Taskwarrior on the command line, add matching `uda.*` entries to your `~/.taskrc` so those fields are recognized there. * * * ## Related Topics - [Working with Lists](https://community.wingtask.com/t/working-with-lists/24) - [Adding and Modifying Tasks with Taskwarrior Syntax](https://community.wingtask.com/t/adding-and-modifying-tasks-with-taskwarrior-syntax/30) - [Organizing with Projects](https://community.wingtask.com/t/organizing-with-projects/22)