What are categories?
Categories are structured labels that classify what type of work a task is. Every task has at most one category. Unlike tags, categories come from a predefined list — either your project’s category list or your general category list.Two levels of categories
Project categories — specific to a project. When a task belongs to a project, its category dropdown shows that project’s list. For example, a software project might have:Frontend, Backend, Database, CLI, DevOps, Design, AI, Marketing, Business.
General categories — apply to tasks not in any project. You define a list that works across all your personal tasks. Examples: Finance, Health, Personal, Work, Admin, Travel.
Managing project categories
From the CLI:Managing general categories
How categories are assigned
When you create a task through conversation, Tandem picks the best matching category from your list automatically. If nothing fits, it may suggest a new one. You can change the category on any task from the task detail view or via the CLI:Categories vs tags
Categories answer “what kind of work is this?” — one clear classification per task. Tags answer “what else is true about this task?” — open-ended, multiple allowed. Use abug tag rather than a Bug category so you can see where the bug lives (Frontend, Backend, etc.) and filter by tag to find all bugs across categories.