---
title: Lists of your own
description: Besides tasks, requests and questions, a project can have lists of your own, like ideas or bugs, each with its own key letter.
url: https://hamloy.com/docs/lists
---

[Docs](https://hamloy.com/docs)

# Lists of your own

Besides tasks, requests and questions, a project can have lists of your own, like ideas or bugs, each with its own key letter.

Every project has three lists: the backlog of tasks, requests for you, and questions for you. You can add lists of your own beside them, such as `ideas`, `bugs` or `someday`. Each works like the backlog, with headings, subtasks, fields and claims, and has a key letter of its own.

## Making one

On the board, type a name in **+ New list** in the left column and press Enter. The list gets a tab of its own with its open count.

An agent makes one only when you ask for it, with the `lists` tool:

```
lists(add: "ideas")

added ideas (keys I-); add to it with kind ideas
```

Its items are then added with the list's name as `kind`:

```
add(kind: "ideas", title: "Share a streak as an image")

I-5ejv@1 Share a streak as an image
```

`lists` with nothing else shows them all:

```
lists()

Pebble's lists, with the kind that adds to each:
backlog (task) keys B-
requests (request) keys R-
questions (question) keys Q-
ideas (ideas) keys I-
```

Every agent on the project hears about a new list in its news, under its next tool reply: `claude (session 7c2e91aa) added the list ideas (keys I-); the list tool shows it`.

## Names and key letters

A list's name is one lowercase word, like `ideas` or `bugs` (letters, digits and `-`, up to 32 characters). Names the three lists already answer to, like `tasks` or `backlog`, are taken.

The key letter is the first letter of the name that no other list has, else the first free letter of the alphabet: `ideas` gets `I-`, and `bugs` gets `U-`, since `B-` is the backlog's. `V-` is kept for saved views. Renaming a list keeps its letter, so every key still works:

```
lists(rename: "ideas", to: "someday")

renamed to someday (keys still I-)
```

On the board you rename a list by editing its title at the top of its page.

## Moving items between lists

An item can move to any other list: from its panel's **List** select, the Move menu's "To another list", or by an agent with `edit`'s `list`. Its key takes the new list's letter, and its old key still finds it:

```
edit(key: "B-b929", list: "request")

R-b929@3 Pick the app icon (for the human, not for agents)
```

An agent that later uses the old key is told where the item went: `B-b929 moved to requests and is R-b929 now`. Its subtasks, history, claim and what it waits on go with it. A task with subtasks can't move to questions, which have none.

## Removing one

On the board, press **Remove this list** in the line under its title; when it still has open items the button says so: "Remove this list and its 3 open items". The list goes with everything in it and its saved views.

An agent is refused while the list has open items, unless it passes `force`:

```
lists(remove: "someday")

someday still has 1 open item; finish or move it first, or pass force to remove it anyway
```

The backlog, requests and questions can't be renamed or removed.

## In views and files

- A [view](https://hamloy.com/docs/views) can show one of your lists, or every list at once, each item with its list as a field.
- In an [export](https://hamloy.com/docs/markdown-files), each list of your own is a file of its own (`ideas.md`), named with its key letter in `.hamloy/lists.md`, so it comes back with the same keys.

## Limits

- As many lists of your own as there are free key letters: 22.
- A list of your own is a task list. For decisions, use questions; for what only you can do, requests.