update-task-status

Update octomux task status

Move a task through the workflow board, add notes, rename the task, or link external references.

Workflow columns

Tasks flow through these columns in order (though any transition is allowed):

Column	When to use
backlog	Idea captured, not yet planned
planned	Scoped and ready to start
in_progress	Active work underway
human_review	Blocked on human review / feedback
pr	PR open, awaiting merge
done	Merged / shipped

Moving a task to a different column

Prefer the MCP tool when available (you're in the orchestrator); otherwise fall back to the CLI.

MCP (preferred):

mcp__octomux__set_task_status({
  task_id: '<task-id>',
  status: '<workflow_status>',
})

CLI fallback:

octomux task-move <task-id> <workflow_status>

Examples:

// Move to human review (MCP)
mcp__octomux__set_task_status({ task_id: 'abc123', status: 'human_review' })

// Mark as planned (MCP)
mcp__octomux__set_task_status({ task_id: 'abc123', status: 'planned' })

// Mark as done after merge (MCP)
mcp__octomux__set_task_status({ task_id: 'abc123', status: 'done' })

# Move to human review with a note (CLI fallback)
octomux task-move abc123 human_review --note "PR draft ready, need design sign-off"

# Mark as planned (CLI fallback)
octomux task-move abc123 planned --note "Scoped in sprint planning"

# Mark as done after merge (CLI fallback)
octomux task-move abc123 done

Notes:

• Moving to human_review or planned requires a note explaining why — use --note with the CLI, or mention it in your message when using the MCP tool
• The move is recorded in the task activity log automatically

Renaming a task

A task's title defaults to the first 80 characters of its initial prompt, which is usually unreadable on the board. Rename it once you understand what the task is actually about.