Todo Tool¶

AI self-accountability tool for managing todo lists during complex multi-step tasks.

Module ID¶

tool-todo

Installation¶

tools:
  - module: tool-todo
    source: git+https://github.com/microsoft/amplifier-module-tool-todo@main
    config: {}

Purpose¶

Provides cognitive scaffolding for AI agents to maintain focus through long, complex turns where context fills up and plans might get buried.

This is NOT for showing task progress to users - it's for AI self-management to prevent wandering or forgetting steps.

The Problem It Solves¶

Typical failure pattern:

1. AI gets complex task, creates plan [Step 1-5]
2. Completes steps 1-2, context fills with results (30k+ tokens)
3. At step 3: AI forgets original plan buried in context
4. Risk: AI wanders, declares done prematurely, abandons remaining steps

Solution:

• AI creates todo list using this tool
• Hook injects reminders before each turn
• AI sees: "✓1 done, ✓2 done, ☐3 pending..."
• AI stays on track, completes all commitments

Tool Interface¶

Actions¶

create: Replace entire list with new todos

{
  "action": "create",
  "todos": [
    {"content": "Research auth requirements", "activeForm": "Researching auth requirements", "status": "pending"},
    {"content": "Design auth flow", "activeForm": "Designing auth flow", "status": "pending"}
  ]
}

update: Replace entire list (AI manages transitions)

{
  "action": "update",
  "todos": [...]
}

list: Return current todos

{
  "action": "list"
}

Todo Item Schema¶

{
  content: string;    // Imperative: "Run tests"
  activeForm: string; // Present continuous: "Running tests"
  status: "pending" | "in_progress" | "completed";
}

Works With¶

Pairs with hooks-todo-reminder for automatic context injection:

tools:
  - module: tool-todo

hooks:
  - module: hooks-todo-reminder

Repository¶

→ GitHub