eyaltoledano/claude-task-master · error

Invalid tasks data in ${tasksPath}

Error message

Invalid tasks data in ${tasksPath}

What it means

expandAllTasks() reads the tasks file with readJSON() and requires the result to contain a tasks property. A null result (unreadable/invalid JSON) or an object without tasks means there is nothing to expand, so it throws with the file path in the message.

Source

Thrown at scripts/modules/task-manager/expand-all-tasks.js:88

				});

	let loadingIndicator = null;
	let expandedCount = 0;
	let failedCount = 0;
	let tasksToExpandCount = 0;
	const allTelemetryData = []; // Still collect individual data first

	if (!isMCPCall && outputFormat === 'text') {
		loadingIndicator = startLoadingIndicator(
			'Analyzing tasks for expansion...'
		);
	}

	try {
		logger.info(`Reading tasks from ${tasksPath}`);
		const data = readJSON(tasksPath, projectRoot, tag);
		if (!data || !data.tasks) {
			throw new Error(`Invalid tasks data in ${tasksPath}`);
		}

		// --- Restore Original Filtering Logic ---
		const tasksToExpand = data.tasks.filter(
			(task) =>
				(task.status === 'pending' || task.status === 'in-progress') && // Include 'in-progress'
				(!task.subtasks || task.subtasks.length === 0 || force) // Check subtasks/force here
		);
		tasksToExpandCount = tasksToExpand.length; // Get the count from the filtered array
		logger.info(`Found ${tasksToExpandCount} tasks eligible for expansion.`);
		// --- End Restored Filtering Logic ---

		if (loadingIndicator) {
			stopLoadingIndicator(loadingIndicator, 'Analysis complete.');
		}

		if (tasksToExpandCount === 0) {
			logger.info('No tasks eligible for expansion.');

View on GitHub (pinned to c0c98d367c)

Solutions

1. Verify the tasks file exists at the reported path and is valid JSON with a top-level tasks array.
2. Run `task-master models --setup` no — instead re-generate the file via `task-master init` or `parse-prd` if it is missing.
3. Confirm the correct tag is active (task-master use-tag) so readJSON resolves the right file.

Example fix

// before
{ "projectName": "app" }            // no tasks key
// after
{ "projectName": "app", "tasks": [ { "id": 1, "title": "...", "description": "...", "status": "pending" } ] }

const fs = require('fs');
const raw = fs.readFileSync(tasksPath, 'utf8');
const data = JSON.parse(raw);
if (!data || !Array.isArray(data.tasks)) throw new Error(`${tasksPath} must contain a tasks array`);

function isTasksData(v) {
  return !!v && typeof v === 'object' && Array.isArray(v.tasks);
}

try {
  await expandAllTasks(context);
} catch (err) {
  if (err.message.startsWith('Invalid tasks data in')) {
    console.error(`Fix or regenerate the tasks file at ${tasksPath}.`);
  } else throw err;
}

When it happens

Trigger: readJSON(tasksPath, projectRoot, tag) returns null because the file does not exist or contains invalid JSON, or returns a JSON object lacking a tasks key (e.g. a complexity report or config file passed as tasksPath).

Common situations: Tasks file deleted or moved; syntax error introduced by manual editing; wrong tag resolution pointing to a nonexistent per-tag file; passing --file with the wrong document.

Related errors

• Invalid tasks data in ${tasksPath}
• No tasks found in the tasks file
• No valid tasks found in ${tasksPath}
• MFA_VERIFICATION_FAILED
• Failed to initialize services: ${(error as Error).message}

AI-assisted analysis of eyaltoledano/claude-task-master@c0c98d367c (2026-08-29). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e917d0548710a29a. Report an issue: GitHub.