---
slug: /reference/schema
sidebar_position: 3
toc_min_heading_level: 2
toc_max_heading_level: 5
---
# Schema Reference
| Attribute | Type | Default | Description |
|------------|------------------------------------|---------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `version` | `string` | | Version of the Taskfile. The current version is `3`. |
| `output` | `string` | `interleaved` | Output mode. Available options: `interleaved`, `group` and `prefixed`. |
| `method` | `string` | `checksum` | Default method in this Taskfile. Can be overridden in a task by task basis. Available options: `checksum`, `timestamp` and `none`. |
| `includes` | [`map[string]Include`](#include) | | Additional Taskfiles to be included. |
| `vars` | [`map[string]Variable`](#variable) | | A set of global variables. |
| `env` | [`map[string]Variable`](#variable) | | A set of global environment variables. |
| `tasks` | [`map[string]Task`](#task) | | A set of task definitions. |
| `silent` | `bool` | `false` | Default 'silent' options for this Taskfile. If `false`, can be overridden with `true` in a task by task basis. |
| `dotenv` | `[]string` | | A list of `.env` file paths to be parsed. |
| `run` | `string` | `always` | Default 'run' option for this Taskfile. Available options: `always`, `once` and `when_changed`. |
| `interval` | `string` | `5s` | Sets a different watch interval when using `--watch`, the default being 5 seconds. This string should be a valid [Go Duration](https://pkg.go.dev/time#ParseDuration). |
| `set` | `[]string` | | Specify options for the [`set` builtin](https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/The-Set-Builtin.html). |
| `shopt` | `[]string` | | Specify option for the [`shopt` builtin](https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/The-Shopt-Builtin.html). |
## Include
| Attribute | Type | Default | Description |
|------------|-----------------------|-------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `taskfile` | `string` | | The path for the Taskfile or directory to be included. If a directory, Task will look for files named `Taskfile.yml` or `Taskfile.yaml` inside that directory. If a relative path, resolved relative to the directory containing the including Taskfile. |
| `dir` | `string` | The parent Taskfile directory | The working directory of the included tasks when run. |
| `optional` | `bool` | `false` | If `true`, no errors will be thrown if the specified file does not exist. |
| `flatten` | `bool` | `false` | If `true`, the tasks from the included Taskfile will be available in the including Taskfile without a namespace. If a task with the same name already exists in the including Taskfile, an error will be thrown. |
| `internal` | `bool` | `false` | Stops any task in the included Taskfile from being callable on the command line. These commands will also be omitted from the output when used with `--list`. |
| `aliases` | `[]string` | | Alternative names for the namespace of the included Taskfile. |
| `vars` | `map[string]Variable` | | A set of variables to apply to the included Taskfile. |
:::info
Informing only a string like below is equivalent to setting that value to the
`taskfile` attribute.
```yaml
includes:
foo: ./path
```
:::
## Variable
| Attribute | Type | Default | Description |
| --------- | -------- | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| _itself_ | `string` | | A static value that will be set to the variable. |
| `sh` | `string` | | A shell command. The output (`STDOUT`) will be assigned to the variable. |
:::info
Static and dynamic variables have different syntaxes, like below:
```yaml
vars:
STATIC: static
DYNAMIC:
sh: echo "dynamic"
```
:::
:::info
In a variables map, variables defined later may reference variables defined
earlier (declaration order is respected):
```yaml
vars:
FIRST_VAR: "hello"
SECOND_VAR: "{{.FIRST_VAR}} world"
```
:::
## Task
| Attribute | Type | Default | Description |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `cmds` | [`[]Command`](#command) | | A list of shell commands to be executed. |
| `deps` | [`[]Dependency`](#dependency) | | A list of dependencies of this task. Tasks defined here will run in parallel before this task. |
| `label` | `string` | | Overrides the name of the task in the output when a task is run. Supports variables. |
| `desc` | `string` | | A short description of the task. This is displayed when calling `task --list`. |
| `prompt` | `[]string` | | One or more prompts that will be presented before a task is run. Declining will cancel running the current and any subsequent tasks. |
| `summary` | `string` | | A longer description of the task. This is displayed when calling `task --summary [task]`. |
| `aliases` | `[]string` | | A list of alternative names by which the task can be called. |
| `sources` | `[]string` | | A list of sources to check before running this task. Relevant for `checksum` and `timestamp` methods. Can be file paths or star globs. |
| `generates` | `[]string` | | A list of files meant to be generated by this task. Relevant for `timestamp` method. Can be file paths or star globs. |
| `status` | `[]string` | | A list of commands to check if this task should run. The task is skipped otherwise. This overrides `method`, `sources` and `generates`. |
| `preconditions` | [`[]Precondition`](#precondition) | | A list of commands to check if this task should run. If a condition is not met, the task will error. |
| `requires` | [`Requires`](#requires) | | A list of required variables which should be set if this task is to run, if any variables listed are unset the task will error and not run. |
| `dir` | `string` | | The directory in which this task should run. Defaults to the current working directory. |
| `vars` | [`map[string]Variable`](#variable) | | A set of variables that can be used in the task. |
| `env` | [`map[string]Variable`](#variable) | | A set of environment variables that will be made available to shell commands. |
| `dotenv` | `[]string` | | A list of `.env` file paths to be parsed. |
| `silent` | `bool` | `false` | Hides task name and command from output. The command's output will still be redirected to `STDOUT` and `STDERR`. When combined with the `--list` flag, task descriptions will be hidden. |
| `interactive` | `bool` | `false` | Tells task that the command is interactive. |
| `internal` | `bool` | `false` | Stops a task from being callable on the command line. It will also be omitted from the output when used with `--list`. |
| `method` | `string` | `checksum` | Defines which method is used to check the task is up-to-date. `timestamp` will compare the timestamp of the sources and generates files. `checksum` will check the checksum (You probably want to ignore the .task folder in your .gitignore file). `none` skips any validation and always run the task. |
| `prefix` | `string` | | Defines a string to prefix the output of tasks running in parallel. Only used when the output mode is `prefixed`. |
| `ignore_error` | `bool` | `false` | Continue execution if errors happen while executing commands. |
| `run` | `string` | The one declared globally in the Taskfile or `always` | Specifies whether the task should run again or not if called more than once. Available options: `always`, `once` and `when_changed`. |
| `platforms` | `[]string` | All platforms | Specifies which platforms the task should be run on. [Valid GOOS and GOARCH values allowed](https://github.com/golang/go/blob/master/src/internal/syslist/syslist.go). Task will be skipped otherwise. |
| `set` | `[]string` | | Specify options for the [`set` builtin](https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/The-Set-Builtin.html). |
| `shopt` | `[]string` | | Specify option for the [`shopt` builtin](https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/The-Shopt-Builtin.html). |
:::info
These alternative syntaxes are available. They will set the given values to
`cmds` and everything else will be set to their default values:
```yaml
tasks:
foo: echo "foo"
foobar:
- echo "foo"
- echo "bar"
baz:
cmd: echo "baz"
```
:::
### Command
| Attribute | Type | Default | Description |
| -------------- | ---------------------------------- | ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `cmd` | `string` | | The shell command to be executed. |
| `task` | `string` | | Set this to trigger execution of another task instead of running a command. This cannot be set together with `cmd`. |
| `for` | [`For`](#for) | | Runs the command once for each given value. |
| `silent` | `bool` | `false` | Skips some output for this command. Note that STDOUT and STDERR of the commands will still be redirected. |
| `vars` | [`map[string]Variable`](#variable) | | Optional additional variables to be passed to the referenced task. Only relevant when setting `task` instead of `cmd`. |
| `ignore_error` | `bool` | `false` | Continue execution if errors happen while executing the command. |
| `defer` | [`Defer`](#defer) | | Alternative to `cmd`, but schedules the command or a task to be executed at the end of this task instead of immediately. This cannot be used together with `cmd`. |
| `platforms` | `[]string` | All platforms | Specifies which platforms the command should be run on. [Valid GOOS and GOARCH values allowed](https://github.com/golang/go/blob/master/src/internal/syslist/syslist.go). Command will be skipped otherwise. |
| `set` | `[]string` | | Specify options for the [`set` builtin](https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/The-Set-Builtin.html). |
| `shopt` | `[]string` | | Specify option for the [`shopt` builtin](https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/The-Shopt-Builtin.html). |
:::info
If given as a a string, the value will be assigned to `cmd`:
```yaml
tasks:
foo:
cmds:
- echo "foo"
- echo "bar"
```
:::
### Dependency
| Attribute | Type | Default | Description |
| --------- | ---------------------------------- | ------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `task` | `string` | | The task to be execute as a dependency. |
| `vars` | [`map[string]Variable`](#variable) | | Optional additional variables to be passed to this task. |
| `silent` | `bool` | `false` | Hides task name and command from output. The command's output will still be redirected to `STDOUT` and `STDERR`. |
:::tip
If you don't want to set additional variables, it's enough to declare the
dependency as a list of strings (they will be assigned to `task`):
```yaml
tasks:
foo:
deps: [foo, bar]
```
:::
### Defer
The `defer` parameter defines a shell command to run, or a task to trigger, at the end of the current task instead of immediately.
If defined as a string this is a shell command, otherwise it is a map defining a task to call:
| Attribute | Type | Default | Description |
| --------- | ---------------------------------- | ------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `task` | `string` | | The deferred task to trigger. |
| `vars` | [`map[string]Variable`](#variable) | | Optional additional variables to be passed to the deferred task. |
| `silent` | `bool` | `false` | Hides task name and command from output. The command's output will still be redirected to `STDOUT` and `STDERR`. |
### For
The `for` parameter can be defined as a string, a list of strings or a map. If
it is defined as a string, you can give it any of the following values:
- `source` - Will run the command for each source file defined on the task.
(Glob patterns will be resolved, so `*.go` will run for every Go file that
matches).
If it is defined as a list of strings, the command will be run for each value.
Finally, the `for` parameter can be defined as a map when you want to use a
variable to define the values to loop over:
| Attribute | Type | Default | Description |
| --------- | -------- | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| `var` | `string` | | The name of the variable to use as an input. |
| `split` | `string` | (any whitespace) | What string the variable should be split on. |
| `as` | `string` | `ITEM` | The name of the iterator variable. |
### Precondition
| Attribute | Type | Default | Description |
| --------- | -------- | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `sh` | `string` | | Command to be executed. If a non-zero exit code is returned, the task errors without executing its commands. |
| `msg` | `string` | | Optional message to print if the precondition isn't met. |
:::tip
If you don't want to set a different message, you can declare a precondition
like this and the value will be assigned to `sh`:
```yaml
tasks:
foo:
precondition: test -f Taskfile.yml
```
:::
### Requires
| Attribute | Type | Default | Description |
| --------- | ---------- | ------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `vars` | `[]string` | | List of variable or environment variable names that must be set if this task is to execute and run |