Add --dry-run to an Asana CLI update command to preview it without applying the change. The CLI can still send read requests to find the task and validate inputs.
This guide uses the unofficial Asana CLI v0.1.2. Awesome CLI’s maintainer also maintains the CLI. If it is not installed yet, follow the setup guide.
Read the task you want to change
Use the task’s GID, the identifier Asana assigns to it:
asana task view 1234567890123456
Replace the example ID with your task’s GID. Check the task name and current values before preparing the update.
Preview the update
This command previews a name change:
asana task update 1234567890123456 --name "Review launch checklist" --dry-run
Add --json if you want the preview data in a format a script can read:
asana task update 1234567890123456 --name "Review launch checklist" --dry-run --json
Check the command’s flags as well as its output. The preview is not a field-by-field diff and does not reserve the task. Someone else can change it before you apply the update.
When you want to apply it, run the command without --dry-run:
asana task update 1234567890123456 --name "Review launch checklist"
Read the task again to check the result.
Change only the fields you intend to edit
The update command supports name, notes, due date and assignee. It also has flags to clear notes, the due date or the assignee. Check the installed version’s help:
asana task update --help
For this name change, the CLI sends the name field to Asana. It does not send every field from the task it read. Asana’s update API documentation recommends sending only the fields you want to change.
See the task update reference for flags and examples. Dry-run support belongs to this CLI; an API request sent by another tool does not acquire a preview step from it.