Batch Flow
Your tasks, grouped so the day stops fighting you
A scattered day can feel busy without accomplishing much. Tell DeftBrain what's on your plate, and we'll group your tasks into a schedule that works with your energy instead of against it.
See what Batch Flow gives you
Real output from an actual run on the task list below. Part of the result is shown; nothing is reworded.
The day
Six tasks: reply to client emails (15 min), write Q3 project proposal (45), pick up dry cleaning (20, out), review team pull requests (30), call the dentist to reschedule (5, phone), draft the newsletter (60). Morning person, mixed day, 4 hours, starting at 9:00.
Real run, 2026-10-08 — one of the tool's own built-in examples.
The plan
Six tasks are grouped into three batches ordered to match a morning-person energy curve: deep creative and analytical desk work first while focus is sharpest, a quick phone errand next as energy begins to ease, then an outdoor physical task last. Context switches drop from five (random order) to two (batched transitions).
Batches
- 9:00 AM - 11:45 AM — Deep Desk Work: Write Q3 project proposal; Draft the newsletter; Review team pull requests
- 11:55 AM - 12:30 PM — Communication Wrap-Up: Reply to client emails; Call the dentist to reschedule
- 12:35 PM - 1:10 PM — Out-and-About Errand: Pick up dry cleaning
Before the first batch
- Close all unrelated tabs before starting. Open only the proposal doc, newsletter draft, and PR queue — one at a time, in that order. Put the phone on Do Not Disturb.
- Before sitting down, take two minutes to write the single outcome you want from each task on a sticky note and place it in view.
In a Nutshell
- When
- A scattered list and a day of constant gear-shifting ahead.
- You give
- Everything on your plate, unfiltered. Or paste a raw list.
- You get
- Tasks grouped by the kind of thinking each needs, sequenced to minimize switching.
- The edge
- It groups by cognitive mode, not topic or deadline. Switching between creative and analytical work is what costs you the day.
Good to Know
- The 'Paste List' mode is fastest — just dump your notes app or inbox and BatchFlow will extract tasks automatically
- Use 'Compare' (Sprint vs Marathon) when you're unsure how hard to push — it shows two different pacing strategies for the same tasks
- Add even vague time estimates ('~30 min') to the task detail field — it makes batch durations much more accurate
- The 'Weekly Rhythm' feature is worth setting up once — it gives you a repeatable weekly batching pattern for recurring tasks
- If the same tasks keep getting deferred across sessions, the '⚠️ Stuck tasks' analysis will diagnose why and suggest a fix
- After 3+ sessions, 'Insights' shows your actual batching patterns — which modes you favor, your real completion rate, and where you lose the most time
Questions people ask
How do I batch tasks to stop switching all day?
Group tasks that use the same place, tools and kind of thinking, and put the hardest batch where your energy is highest. Errands and calls go together; deep writing goes in one block.
Does it pad my time estimates?
Yes — it adds a margin to each estimate, because tasks usually run longer than planned, and places breaks between batches.
Can it handle fixed appointments?
Yes. Add meetings or pickups and it plans the batches around them.