A novel and task‐specific nano‐magnetic Schiff base ligand with phosphate spacer using 2‐aminoethyl dihydrogen phosphate instead of usual coating agents, i.e. tetraethoxysilane and 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane, for coating of nano‐magnetic Fe3O4 is introduced. The nano‐magnetic Schiff base ligand with phosphate spacer as a novel catalyst was synthesized and fully characterized using infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, thermogravimetry, derivative thermogravimetry, vibrating sample magnetometry, atomic force microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. The resulting task‐specific nano‐magnetic Schiff base ligand with phosphate spacer was successfully employed as a magnetite Pd nanoparticle‐supported catalyst for Sonogashira and Mizoroki–Heck C–C coupling reactions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the synthesis and applications of magnetic nanoparticles of Fe3O4@O2PO2(CH2)2NH2 as a suitable spacer for the preparation of a designable Schiff base ligand and its corresponding Pd complex. So the present work can open up a new and promising insight in the course of rational design, synthesis and applications of various task‐specific magnetic nanoparticle complexes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.