# Capture syntax (/docs/reference/capture-syntax)



Quick add turns one line of text into a structured work item. The **same parser** powers the
web quick-add bar, the Slack `/task` command, and the MCP `quick_add_issue` tool, so the
grammar below holds everywhere.

## Markers [#markers]

A marker only counts at the **start of a whitespace-delimited word**. `foo@bar.com` and `C#`
are left untouched, because their markers are not at the start of a word.

| Marker | Meaning  | Value                                                                                      |
| ------ | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `@`    | Assignee | A user handle, e.g. `@sara`. Multiple `@` tokens accumulate.                               |
| `#`    | Label    | A label name, e.g. `#bug`. Multiple `#` tokens accumulate.                                 |
| `!`    | Priority | One of `URGENT`, `HIGH`, `MEDIUM`, `LOW`, `NONE` — case-insensitive.                       |
| `^`    | Due date | ISO `YYYY-MM-DD` or a natural-language phrase (`^tomorrow`, `^next friday`, `^in 3 days`). |

Everything that is not a recognized token becomes the **title**, in order. A bare marker with
nothing after it (a lone `@` or `#`) is plain title text.

## Escapes [#escapes]

A backslash before a marker at the start of a word makes it literal text: `\@`, `\#`, `\!`,
`\^`. The backslash is dropped and the rest of the word goes into the title — `\#standup`
puts the word `#standup` in the title instead of creating a label.

## Date phrases [#date-phrases]

* A `^` date phrase may span **up to 4 words in total** (the `^` word plus up to 3 following
  words), so `^next friday` and `^in 3 days` resolve as one date.
* The parser tries the longest run first and only accepts a phrase when the date parser
  matches it **as a whole** — so `^friday ship it` consumes only `^friday`, and `ship it`
  stays in the title.
* A date phrase never swallows another marker: in `^fri #bug` the phrase stops at `#bug`.
* Relative dates resolve **forward** from the current date (`^friday` is the next Friday).

## Conflict rules [#conflict-rules]

* Multiple `!` tokens: the **latest wins**.
* Multiple `^` tokens: the **latest wins**.
* Multiple `@` and `#` tokens: all of them **accumulate**.

## Unresolved tokens never fail a capture [#unresolved-tokens-never-fail-a-capture]

A token that looks like a marker but cannot be resolved — an unknown user handle, a priority
that is not one of the five values, a date phrase nothing can parse — is returned as an
*unresolved token* and surfaced to you (in the UI, the Slack reply, and the MCP result), but
the item is **still created**. Capture never fails because of a bad token.

## There is no estimate token [#there-is-no-estimate-token]

The grammar has exactly four markers. There is **no `~estimate` token** — estimates are set
on the item itself, not in the capture line.

## Worked examples [#worked-examples]

| Input                                        | Title                                  | Assignees      | Labels     | Priority               | Due             | Unresolved                                        |
| -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | -------------- | ---------- | ---------------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| `Fix login bug @sara #auth !high ^friday`    | `Fix login bug`                        | `sara`         | `auth`     | `HIGH`                 | next Friday     | —                                                 |
| `Email foo@bar.com about the C# build`       | `Email foo@bar.com about the C# build` | —              | —          | —                      | —               | —                                                 |
| `\#standup notes for \@team`                 | `#standup notes for @team`             | —              | —          | —                      | —               | —                                                 |
| `Ship it !low !urgent`                       | `Ship it`                              | —              | —          | `URGENT` (latest wins) | —               | —                                                 |
| `Pay invoices ^2026-07-01`                   | `Pay invoices`                         | —              | —          | —                      | `2026-07-01`    | —                                                 |
| `^in 3 days review the contract @amir @lena` | `review the contract`                  | `amir`, `lena` | —          | —                      | 3 days from now | —                                                 |
| `^friday ship it`                            | `ship it`                              | —              | —          | —                      | next Friday     | —                                                 |
| `Call vendor !asap`                          | `Call vendor`                          | —              | —          | —                      | —               | `!asap` (priority)                                |
| `Plan offsite ^someday #planning`            | `Plan offsite`                         | —              | `planning` | —                      | —               | `^someday` (date)                                 |
| `Ping @nobody-here about it`                 | `Ping about it`                        | —              | —          | —                      | —               | `@nobody-here` (unknown user, item still created) |