A task dependency means one task must be completed before another becomes actionable. In Chorsu, blocked work stays out of Today. When its final prerequisite is completed, an otherwise active task becomes ready and returns in Today’s Just unblocked section. You do not have to keep checking a task you cannot do yet.

Start with the work that must happen first

Suppose you need to send a report, but its budget must be approved first. Create a task named Budget approval. That is the prerequisite. Send the report is the task that depends on it.

  1. Capture the dependent task. Open Quick Capture and write send the report after Budget approval.
  2. Resolve its project. Chorsu chooses a clear match or asks you to choose a project in the panel.
  3. Check the prerequisite. A uniquely matching task title can be linked automatically. If the match is unclear, choose the right task in the dependency picker. You can also type a title to create the prerequisite.
  4. Finish capture. Check that the confirmation shows the expected prerequisite. The report task remains blocked while that prerequisite is unfinished.
  5. Complete Budget approval when it is actually done. Once the report’s prerequisites are satisfied, it becomes actionable. With notifications enabled, Chorsu can notify you of the transition.
Chorsu confirmation showing Send the report blocked by Budget approval with a reminder for tomorrow at 9
This example combines a prerequisite with a time reminder. The dependency records what must be finished; the reminder records when you want a nudge.

What changed when we completed a prerequisite?

In our test, we used the task editor’s prerequisite picker to link Send final proposal to Receive client approval. Completing the approval task brought the proposal into Today’s Just unblocked section without moving it manually.

One approval relationship, tested September 6, 2026
ActionObserved result in Chorsu
Leave the approval task unfinishedThe proposal was blocked and did not appear in Today.
Mark the approval task completeThe proposal appeared in Just unblocked without being moved manually.
Send final proposal in Chorsu’s Just unblocked section after Receive client approval was completed
Original screenshot with fictional tasks. Window detail; open the full screenshot.

Chorsu’s maker ran this check in Chorsu 1.0.0 (Mac App Store build 3) on macOS 26.5.2. It tested one prerequisite, not multiple-prerequisite combinations or notification delivery. The approval was marked complete inside Chorsu; no email or external approval system was connected. See the comparison’s test method for the wider setup.

Use the picker when wording is not enough

You can add a relationship with + Dependency in Quick Capture. Search existing tasks, select the intended prerequisite, or create one in the chosen project. If two tasks have similar names, make the choice yourself rather than relying on an approximate match.

Why hasn’t a task returned to Today?

A completed prerequisite no longer blocks a task, but other conditions can still keep it out of Today. Check that:

  • Every linked prerequisite is complete. Completing just one of several is not enough.
  • The task and its project are active, rather than archived.
  • The task has not deliberately been put in Waiting or Someday. A completed prerequisite does not override those choices.

Dependencies, subtasks, and reminders solve different problems

A dependency describes readiness.
“Send the report” cannot happen until “Budget approval” is complete.
A subtask describes a smaller piece of work.
A checklist inside “Prepare the report” can break the work into steps. A nested item, by itself, does not establish a completion-triggered dependency.
A reminder describes time.
“Tomorrow at 9 am” gives you a scheduled nudge. It does not establish that another task has been finished.

Use a prerequisite for real blockers and a reminder for time-sensitive work. Keeping those meanings separate helps you avoid using arbitrary dates as a substitute for readiness.

For a dated example of automatic unblocking versus manually reviewing a waiting list, see our Things 3 and Chorsu comparison.

What Chorsu does not know

Chorsu does not watch your email, a teammate’s project tool, or an approval system. If someone approves the budget elsewhere, mark the prerequisite complete in Chorsu yourself. Its local task state is what drives the dependency.

The workflow is for your tasks on this Mac. It is not a shared project-management system or a promise that macOS will always display a notification banner. Check Chorsu’s lists for the current state of your work.

For setup help, see notifications and task support. For work shared with other people or devices, read the Chorsu and Todoist comparison.