TaskHolder

Support

Everything here describes what the app actually does. If something below doesn't match what you see, that's a bug — tell me.

Getting started

Install

Download the .dmg from the download page, open it, and drag TaskHolder to Applications. macOS 11 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel both supported.

If macOS says the app "is damaged": that message means the download lost its signature — usually an interrupted download. Delete it, empty the Trash, and download again. If it repeats, contact me rather than working around it.

Your first 14 days

Sign in once, and the full app is yours for 14 days — every feature, no card required. The trial is tied to your account, not to the machine, so reinstalling doesn't restart it and doesn't cut it short.

When it ends, TaskHolder asks you to buy a licence before you keep editing. Exporting your work always stays open, even after the trial ends. Your files are yours.

After you buy

One payment, yours forever — no subscription. The licence lives on your account, so signing in on a new Mac restores it. There is no licence key to lose and no "restore purchase" button to hunt for: signing in is the restore.

Using TaskHolder

Bring a plan in

Drop a Markdown file onto the canvas, or use ⌘I. Headings and lists become cards; the nesting you wrote becomes the hierarchy you see.

TaskHolder keeps the original text alongside the cards. When you export, it edits the lines you changed and leaves everything else byte-for-byte identical — your formatting, spacing and comments survive the round trip.

Shape it

Drag cards to reorder or re-parent. Double-click empty canvas to add a card. The tree on the left and the canvas are two views of the same thing — edit either one.

⌘N
New project
⌘O
Open project
⌘S
Save
⌘I
Import Markdown
⌘E
Export
⌘Z
Undo

On Windows and Linux, use Ctrl wherever this page says ⌘. All shortcuts are remappable in Settings → Shortcuts.

Send it back to work

Export with ⌘E as Markdown, JSON, YAML or plain text. Markdown is the one to use when you're handing the plan back to an AI agent.

Markdown vs .taskflow: Markdown is for reading and for handing off. .taskflow is the full project file — it keeps card positions, clips and everything else. Use it to save your work; use Markdown to share it.

Troubleshooting

These are the messages TaskHolder actually shows, and what each one means.

"Online recheck required"

Your licence was verified offline for as long as it's allowed to be. Connect to the internet and open TaskHolder — it rechecks by itself, usually within a few seconds.

You are not locked out while this shows. It means "we haven't been able to check recently", not "you didn't pay."

"System clock check required"

TaskHolder noticed the system clock moved backwards, which it can't tell apart from someone trying to extend a trial. Set your Mac to network time (System Settings → General → Date & Time → Set automatically), then reopen the app.

Your projects are untouched. Nothing is deleted by this check.

"Your trial has ended"

The 14 days are up. Buy a licence from that screen and the app unlocks the moment payment completes — no restart needed.

Already bought it? Press Recheck licence on the same screen. If it still says expired, make sure you're signed in with the account you paid with — the licence follows the account.

My Markdown didn't import the way I expected

TaskHolder reads structure from headings, numbered sections and list nesting. Documents that lean on bold text or indentation alone give it less to work with.

Nothing is lost either way — the original text is kept, and exporting returns it. If a document you care about imports badly, send it to me; those samples are how the parser gets better.

Something disappeared

Press ⌘Z first — one undo reverses one action, including deleting several cards at once.

If undo can't reach it, stop and contact me before doing more work in that project. Don't try to fix it by editing further — that can overwrite what's still recoverable.

Contact

A real person reads these — that's me, the developer. Replies within 24 hours.

Email support@taskholder.app

The button fills in your app version and OS automatically. Nothing else is collected, and your projects are never sent anywhere.

What helps me fix it faster

  • What you did, and what happened instead
  • The exact message, if there was one
  • Whether it happens every time or only sometimes
  • For import problems: the Markdown file, if you can share it

Looking for something shorter? The Q&A page answers the questions people ask before buying.