Docs

Weave Format

Overview

A weave is a markdown file with specific conventions. Loomline reads this file to build your task board, outline, and focus system. If the format is wrong, the parsing fails. This page documents exactly what works and what doesn’t.

Required Structure

Every weave must have:

  1. A single # Title heading (H1) at the top.
  2. At least one ## Section heading (H2) below it.
# My Project

## Focus
- [ ] Task one

## Backlog
- [ ] Task two

What Fails

  • No H1 heading → Loomline can’t determine the project name.
  • Multiple H1 headings → Only the first is used; the rest are treated as body text.
  • H3 or deeper headings (###, ####) → These are treated as body text, not sections.

Threads (Tasks)

A thread is a checkbox line at the root level of a section (no indentation):

- [ ] This is a thread
- [x] This is a completed thread

Rules

  • Must start with - [ ] (unchecked) or - [x] (checked).
  • Must use a hyphen -. Asterisks * and plus signs + are auto-converted on import.
  • Must have a space after the closing bracket: - [ ] Text, not - [ ]Text.
  • Uppercase [X] is auto-converted to lowercase [x].

What Fails

  • Numbered lists (1. [ ] Task) → Not recognized as threads.
  • Plain bullets without checkboxes (- Task) → Treated as body text, not threads.
  • Checkboxes inside blockquotes → Treated as note content.

Steps (Subtasks)

A step is a line indented exactly two spaces under a thread:

- [ ] Parent thread
  - [ ] Step one
  - [ ] Step two
  - [ ] Step three

Indentation Rules

  • Two spaces is the required indent for steps.
  • Tabs are auto-converted to two-space indents on import.
  • Four spaces are normalized to two spaces on import.
  • Steps must be checkboxes (- [ ] or - [x]).
  • Plain indented bullets ( - Some text) are normalized to step format.

Nesting Depth

Steps are one level deep. Loomline does not support sub-steps:

- [ ] Thread
  - [ ] Step (works)
    - [ ] Sub-step (ignored — treated as body text)

What Fails

  • Three or more levels of nesting → Only the first indent level is parsed as steps.
  • Steps without a parent thread above them → Treated as body text.

Thread Notes

A blockquote after a thread (or after its steps) becomes a thread note:

- [ ] Redesign settings page
  - [ ] Audit current options
  - [ ] Sketch new layout
> Current page has too many tabs. Users are confused about
> where appearance options live. Consider a single scroll view.

Rules

  • Must use > blockquote syntax.
  • Must appear after the thread or its steps, not before.
  • Multiple consecutive > lines are joined into one note.
  • Blockquotes at the top of a section (not after a thread) are treated as section notes, not thread notes.

What Fails

  • Indented blockquotes ( > text) → Auto-fixed to remove leading whitespace.
  • Note: or Notes: prefix lines → Auto-converted to blockquote format on import.

Special Sections

Two section names have special behavior:

## Focus

Tasks here appear in the Focus column on the Threads board. Limited to three visible threads. If you add more than three, the board shows the first three and a status bar warning appears.

## Backlog

Tasks here appear in the Backlog column. No limit.

All Other Sections

Tasks under any other ## Heading also appear in the Backlog column on the board. The section name is preserved — when a task moves to Focus and back, it returns to its original section.

Sections Without Tasks

Sections can contain plain text without any tasks:

## Why
This project exists to simplify onboarding for new users.

## Notes
Met with the design team on Tuesday. They want fewer steps
in the signup flow. Current flow has 7 screens — target is 3.

These sections appear in Structure mode but don’t generate board cards.

Blank Lines

  • Blank lines between sections: fine.
  • Blank lines between a thread and its steps: auto-removed on import.
  • Blank lines between two threads: auto-removed in Focus and Backlog sections.
  • Blank lines before a blockquote note: preserved.

Full Example

# Website Redesign

## Why
The current site hasn't been updated in two years. Bounce rate is 60%.

## Focus
- [ ] Redesign homepage
  - [ ] New hero section
  - [ ] Update navigation
  - [x] Choose typography
> Client wants a "modern but warm" feel. Reference: stripe.com

- [ ] Fix mobile responsiveness
- [ ] Write new copy for About page

## Backlog
- [ ] SEO audit
- [ ] Set up analytics
- [ ] Create blog template
  - [ ] Design post layout
  - [ ] Build RSS feed

## Notes
Budget approved for Q3. Designer starts June 1.