Google Tasks: Move a task — MCP tool
Google Tasks MCP tool: Repositions a task — order, subtask nesting, or another list.
Technical name: move_task
What task it solves
I want to reorder or re-nest a task.
Moves a task to a new position (previous), under a parent as a subtask (parent), back to the top level (omit parent), or into another task list (destination_tasklist).
When to use it
The ONLY way to change order or hierarchy — the position field is read-only, so patching it is impossible. Use it after create_task when the default placement is wrong, or to build parent/child structures.
What to provide
tasklist_id— required. The list the task is currently in.task_id— required. The task id from list_tasks or create_task output.parent— optional. New parent task id (subtask nesting); omit to place the task at the top level.previous— optional. Sibling task id to place the task after; omit for the first position.destination_tasklist— optional. Target task list id — moves the task (and its subtasks) to that list.
What it returns
The task with its new position (and parent when nested).
What changes in Google Tasks
The task's place in the user's Google Tasks changes — among siblings, in the tree, or across lists. Nothing is created or deleted; subtasks follow a moved parent.
Example request
Move "Write the summary" under "Send the report" as a subtask in Google Tasks.
Errors and limitations
parent and previous must be task ids in the target list. The Google Tasks UI shows one level of nesting. Tasks assigned from Docs/Chat cannot be moved to another list. As a write it is never auto-retried — verify with get_task after an ambiguous failure.
Access also depends on token permissions, quotas, and upstream API limits.
Related MCP tools
- Create a task —
create_task - List tasks —
list_tasks - Update a task —
update_task
Technical details
- Impact: changes data
- Group: Tasks
- Description source:
move_taskregistration insrc/tools/tasks.ts - Full technical reference
- All MCP capabilities