Task (go-task) - Modern Task Runner Cheatsheet

Task (go-task) - Modern Task Runner Cheatsheet

Task (a.k.a. go-task) is a task runner and build tool that aims to be a simpler Make alternative. You define tasks in a YAML Taskfile.yml — with dependencies, variables, includes, and up-to-date checks — and run them with task <name>. It is written in Go and ships as a single dependency-free binary, with cross-platform behavior and built-in file watching. It is a strong choice when your team prefers YAML over Make’s syntax.

Installation

Platform	Command
Script	sh -c "$(curl -sSL https://taskfile.dev/install.sh)"
macOS/Linux (Homebrew)	brew install go-task
Arch Linux	sudo pacman -S go-task
Go install	go install github.com/go-task/task/v3/cmd/task@latest
Windows (Scoop)	scoop install task
Verify	task --version

A Basic Taskfile

# Taskfile.yml
version: '3'

vars:
  BINARY: myapp

tasks:
  build:
    desc: Build the binary
    cmds:
      - go build -o {{.BINARY}} ./cmd/app

  test:
    desc: Run tests
    cmds:
      - go test ./...

  ci:
    desc: Lint, test, build
    deps: [test]
    cmds:
      - task: build

Running Tasks

Command	Description
task	Run the default task
task build	Run a named task
task test build	Run several tasks in order
task --list (-l)	List tasks with descriptions
task --list-all	List all tasks (incl. no-desc)
task --summary build	Show a task’s detail
task VAR=value build	Pass a variable
task -- arg1 arg2	Forward CLI args to the task ({{.CLI_ARGS}})

Dependencies & Ordering

Key	Behavior
deps: [a, b]	Run a and b (in parallel) before this task
cmds: [{task: x}]	Call another task as a step (sequential)
deps parallelism	Dependencies run concurrently by default
--parallel	Run given tasks in parallel

Up-to-Date Checks (Skip Unneeded Work)

tasks:
  build:
    sources:
      - "**/*.go"
    generates:
      - myapp
    cmds:
      - go build -o myapp ./cmd/app

Key	Effect
sources	Inputs to fingerprint
generates	Expected outputs
`method: checksum	timestamp
status: [ ... ]	Custom shell checks for up-to-date

If sources are unchanged, Task skips the command.

Variables & Templating

Feature	Example
Task/global vars	vars: { NAME: value }
Env vars	env: { CGO_ENABLED: "0" }
Dotenv	dotenv: ['.env']
Templating	{{.NAME}}, {{.CLI_ARGS}}, Go template funcs
Dynamic vars	sh: to compute a var from a command

Includes & Watching

Feature	How
Includes	includes: { docs: ./docs/Taskfile.yml } → task docs:build
Namespacing	Included tasks are called namespace:task
Watch mode	task --watch build (rerun on source changes)
-w	Short form of --watch

Common Workflows

# Discover what a project can do
task --list

# Run CI locally exactly as the pipeline does
task ci

# Iterate: rebuild on every source change
task --watch build

# Pass through arguments
task test -- -run TestLogin

Task vs Make vs just

Aspect	Task	Make	just
Syntax	YAML	Makefile	just recipes
Language	Go (single binary)	C (ubiquitous)	Rust
Up-to-date checks	Yes (sources/generates)	Yes (timestamps)	No (command runner)
File watching	Built-in (--watch)	No	No (pair with watchexec)
Best for	YAML fans, cross-platform	Classic build graphs	Simple command running

See also just for a command-runner alternative and watchexec for standalone file watching.

Resources

• Official Website
• GitHub Repository
• Taskfile Reference