name: update
description: Sync tasks and refresh memory from your current activity. Use when pulling new assignments from your project tracker into TASKS.md, triaging stale or overdue tasks, filling memory gaps for unknown people or projects, or running a comprehensive scan to catch todos buried in chat and email.
argument-hint: "[--comprehensive]"
Update Command
> If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see [CONNECTORS.md](../../CONNECTORS.md).
Keep your task list and memory current. Two modes:
- Default: Sync tasks from external tools, triage stale items, check memory for gaps
--comprehensive: Deep scan chat, email, calendar, docs — flag missed todos and suggest new memories
Usage
/productivity:update
/productivity:update --comprehensive
Default Mode
1. Load Current State
Read TASKS.md and memory/ directory. If they don't exist, suggest /productivity:start first.
2. Sync Tasks from External Sources
Check for available task sources:
- Project tracker (e.g. Asana, Linear, Jira) (if MCP available)
- GitHub Issues (if in a repo):
gh issue list --assignee=@me
If no sources are available, skip to Step 3.
Fetch tasks assigned to the user (open/in-progress). Compare against TASKS.md:
| External task | TASKS.md match? | Action |
|---|
| Found, not in TASKS.md | No match | Offer to add |
| Found, already in TASKS.md | Match by title (fuzzy) | Skip |
| In TASKS.md, not in external | No match | Flag as potentially stale |
| Completed externally | In Active section | Offer to mark done |
Present diff and let user decide what to add/complete.
3. Triage Stale Items
Review Active tasks in TASKS.md and flag:
- Tasks with due dates in the past
- Tasks in Active for 30+ days
- Tasks with no context (no person, no project)
Present each for triage: Mark done? Reschedule? Move to Someday?
4. Decode Tasks for Memory Gaps
For each task, attempt to decode all entities (people, projects, acronyms, tools, links):
Task: "Send PSR to Todd re: Phoenix blockers"
Decode:
- PSR → ✓ Pipeline Status Report (in glossary)
- Todd → ✓ Todd Martinez (in people/)
- Phoenix → ? Not in memory
Track what's fully decoded vs. what has gaps.
5. Fill Gaps
Present unknown terms grouped:
I found terms in your tasks I don't have context for:
1. "Phoenix" (from: "Send PSR to Todd re: Phoenix blockers")
→ What's Phoenix?
2. "Maya" (from: "sync with Maya on API design")
→ Who is Maya?
Add answers to the appropriate memory files (people/, projects/, glossary.md).
6. Capture Enrichment
Tasks often contain richer context than memory. Extract and update:
- Links from tasks → add to project/people files
- Status changes ("launch done") → update project status, demote from CLAUDE.md
- Relationships ("Todd's sign-off on Maya's proposal") → cross-reference people
- Deadlines → add to project files
7. Report
Update complete:
- Tasks: +3 from project tracker (e.g. Asana), 1 completed, 2 triaged
- Memory: 2 gaps filled, 1 project enriched
- All tasks decoded ✓
Comprehensive Mode (--comprehensive)
Everything in Default Mode, plus a deep scan of recent activity.
Extra Step: Scan Activity Sources
Gather data from available MCP sources:
- Chat: Search recent messages, read active channels
- Email: Search sent messages
- Documents: List recently touched docs
- Calendar: List recent + upcoming events
Extra Step: Flag Missed Todos
Compare activity against TASKS.md. Surface action items that aren't tracked:
## Possible Missing Tasks
From your activity, these look like todos you haven't captured:
1. From chat (Jan 18):
"I'll send the updated mockups by Friday"
→ Add to TASKS.md?
2. From meeting "Phoenix Standup" (Jan 17):
You have a recurring meeting but no Phoenix tasks active
→ Anything needed here?
3. From email (Jan 16):
"I'll review the API spec this week"
→ Add to TASKS.md?
Let user pick which to add.
Extra Step: Suggest New Memories
Surface new entities not in memory:
## New People (not in memory)
| Name | Frequency | Context |
|------|-----------|---------|
| Maya Rodriguez | 12 mentions | design, UI reviews |
| Alex K | 8 mentions | DMs about API |
## New Projects/Topics
| Name | Frequency | Context |
|------|-----------|---------|
| Starlight | 15 mentions | planning docs, product |
## Suggested Cleanup
- **Horizon project** — No mentions in 30 days. Mark completed?
Present grouped by confidence. High-confidence items offered to add directly; low-confidence items asked about.
Notes
- Never auto-add tasks or memories without user confirmation
- External source links are preserved when available
- Fuzzy matching on task titles handles minor wording differences
- Safe to run frequently — only updates when there's new info
--comprehensive always runs interactively