The then field in Pomo’s configuration allows you to run arbitrary commands when sessions complete. This enables powerful automation workflows beyond simple sound notifications.
Basic syntax The then field accepts an array of commands. Each command is itself an array where:
First element: executable name or path
Remaining elements: command arguments
work : then : - [ command1 , arg1 , arg2 ] - [ command2 , arg1 ]
All commands in the then array run in parallel as separate goroutines (see actions/actions.go:27-29).
Multiple commands example You can chain multiple actions together:
work : duration : 25m then : # Play a sound - [ paplay , ~/sounds/complete.wav ] # Speak a message - [ spd-say , "Work session complete" ] # Log to a file - [ sh , -c , "echo $(date): Work session completed >> ~/pomo.log" ] break : duration : 5m then : - [ paplay , ~/sounds/break-over.wav ] - [ notify-send , "Pomo" , "Break time is over!" ]
Advanced use cases Integration with external services Send webhooks or API calls when sessions complete:
work : then : # Send a webhook to Zapier/IFTTT - [ curl , -X , POST , "https://maker.ifttt.com/trigger/pomo_complete/with/key/YOUR_KEY" ] # Post to Slack - [ curl , -X , POST , "-H" , "Content-Type: application/json" , "-d" , '{"text":"Completed a Pomodoro!"}' , "YOUR_SLACK_WEBHOOK" ]
Logging and analytics Track your productivity automatically:
work : then : # Append to CSV log - [ sh , -c , "echo $(date +%Y-%m-%d,%H:%M:%S),work,25 >> ~/productivity.csv" ] # Update a counter file - [ sh , -c , "expr $(cat ~/pomo_count.txt) + 1 > ~/pomo_count.txt" ]
Smart home integration Control IoT devices based on your work sessions:
work : then : # Turn on smart lights (using Home Assistant) - [ curl , -X , POST , "-H" , "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" , "-H" , "Content-Type: application/json" , "-d" , '{"entity_id":"light.desk"}' , "http://homeassistant.local:8123/api/services/light/turn_on" ] break : then : # Dim the lights - [ curl , -X , POST , "-H" , "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" , "-H" , "Content-Type: application/json" , "-d" , '{"entity_id":"light.desk","brightness":100}' , "http://homeassistant.local:8123/api/services/light/turn_on" ]
Task management integration Update your task tracker:
work : then : # Add time entry to Toggl - [ python3 , ~/scripts/toggl_track.py , "--duration" , "25" ] # Update Notion database - [ node , ~/scripts/notion-update.js ]
Custom scripts Run your own automation scripts:
work : then : - [ python3 , ~/scripts/backup_notes.py ] - [ bash , ~/scripts/git_commit_work.sh ] break : then : - [ python3 , ~/scripts/stretch_reminder.py ]
Execution model Parallel execution All commands run simultaneously in separate goroutines:
// From actions/actions.go:27-29 wg . Go ( func () { runPostCommands ( ctx , task . Then ) })
This means if you have multiple commands, they don’t wait for each other:
then : - [ sleep , "3" ] # Starts immediately - [ echo , "Hello" ] # Also starts immediately, doesn't wait for sleep
Command timeout Each command has a 5-second timeout (defined in actions/actions.go:15). Commands exceeding this limit are automatically terminated.
var CommandTimeout = 5 * time . Second
For long-running tasks, consider:
Running them in the background with &
Using nohup to detach from the parent process
Triggering a background service instead of running directly
Context cancellation Commands are cancelled when the next session starts:
// From actions/actions.go:69 c := exec . CommandContext ( ctx , cmd [ 0 ], cmd [ 1 :] ... )
When you start a new session, the context is cancelled and all running commands receive a termination signal.
Error handling If a command fails, Pomo logs the error but continues execution:
// From actions/actions.go:71-74 if err := c . Run (); err != nil { log . Printf ( "failed to run command ' %q ': %v \n " , cmd , err ) }
Enable debug logging to see command execution details: Check debug.log for command output and errors. Shell commands and pipes To use shell features like pipes, redirects, or environment variables, invoke a shell:
work : then : # Use sh -c for shell features - [ sh , -c , "echo 'Work done' | tee -a ~/pomo.log" ] # Or bash for bash-specific features - [ bash , -c , "source ~/.bashrc && my_custom_function" ] # Windows: use PowerShell - [ powershell , -Command , "Get-Date | Out-File -Append pomo.log" ]
Best practices
Test commands manually first
Always test your commands in the terminal before adding them to config: paplay ~/sounds/bell.wav curl -X POST "https://api.example.com/webhook"
Keep commands fast
Remember the 5-second timeout. For longer tasks, trigger background processes: then : - [ sh , -c , "nohup ~/long-script.sh &" ]
Handle errors gracefully
Use shell error handling if needed: then : - [ sh , -c , "command || echo 'Failed' >> ~/errors.log" ]
Use absolute paths
Prefer absolute paths or ~/ for home directory: # ✅ Good - [ python3 , ~/scripts/my_script.py ] # ❌ Avoid - [ python3 , scripts/my_script.py ]
Troubleshooting
Ensure the executable is in your PATH or use absolute paths: # Find the full path which paplay # Output: /usr/bin/paplay
Then use the full path: then : - [ /usr/bin/paplay , ~/sounds/bell.wav ]
Command runs but doesn't work
Enable debug logging to see what’s happening: Check debug.log in the current directory for detailed execution logs.
Common mistakes: # ❌ Wrong - missing outer array then : [ echo , hello ] # ✅ Correct - array of command arrays then : - [ echo , hello ] # ❌ Wrong - string instead of array then : - "echo hello" # ✅ Correct - command array then : - [ echo , hello ]