Get started with Todoist

Whether you’re managing a project or planning an exercise routine, Todoist can help. Learn the basics to stay on top of work and life.

Start with a project

Todoist projects keep all your tasks organized so you can achieve your goals — large and small.

To create a project, select the plus icon next to My Projects in the sidebar. Add your project’s name, pick a color, and choose to see it as a list, a board, or a calendar (available to Pro and Business users only).

After setting up your project, the sky's the limit as to how you'd want to use it:

• Make a teaching plan.
• Track a marketing campaign.
• Share a grocery list.

And so much more!

Add your first task

All projects begin with a single step, but don’t stop there! Add every task that comes to mind.

Just select Add task while in your new project. Write your task’s name. Then choose Add task.

The most achievable tasks tend to be:

• Super specific and clear
• Actionable
• Less than an hour long

Stay on schedule

Life’s smoother if you know when what needs to happen. Todoist can auto-detect dates, nearly any way you write them!

When you’re typing your task’s name, write out your task’s date, too.

Todoist understands things like:

• Buy grapes today
• Paint the deck this weekend
• Edit marketing report Sept 15 at 2pm
• Attend professional development class every 3rd Tues for 6 months starting in April

Get the whole list of dates.

Split big tasks into sub-tasks

Small tasks are far easier to complete than big ones, so break large goals into manageable to-dos.

Create a sub-task by selecting any task and choosing Add sub-task. Type your sub-task’s name and date, as usual.

Back in your project, you can use the arrow next to your main task to view or hide your sub-tasks.

Helpful hints:

• Divide tough tasks into short, easy ones
• Track all of your progress
• Collapse for calm, expand to complete

Organize tasks into sections

Tidy up your long task lists with sections. You can neatly divide your project any way that works for you.

It’s easy! Hover below your list of tasks and select the Add section line that appears.

Get things out of your head

Not sure which project a new task should go in? Add the task to your Inbox — the home for tasks without projects (yet).

Find your Inbox at the top of the sidebar. Any task that isn’t added to a specific project is added there by default.

Then, move tasks easily from your Inbox to projects. Select the task you’d like to move, and you'll see the task view. Use the project icon to choose the right project.

Plan your future

Find every task scheduled for today, this week, or any week in your Today and Upcoming views.

You’ll find both views below your Inbox in the sidebar.

• Today view shows you all the tasks scheduled for today in all of your projects.
• Upcoming view lets you see every task scheduled in the future.

Prioritize your day

It’s easy to get lost in your task list when there’s a lot on your plate. Keep your focus with color-coded priority levels.

To use priority levels, select a task. From your task view, use the flag icon to choose red priority 1, orange priority 2, blue priority 3, or white priority 4.

Your highest priority tasks will appear near the top of your Today and Upcoming views. That way, you know what to work on first.

Pro tips:

• Pick only a few must-do tasks each day
• Do your hardest task first
• Reschedule any tasks you don’t check off

Set deadlines for big plans

Add a deadline to tasks with a firm deadline you need to plan ahead for. The quickest way to add a deadline is to type it while you’re creating the task. Use curly brackets when you’re creating a new task to add a deadline. For example, typing {next Friday} will set the deadline for, that’s right, next Friday. Learn more about the deadlines in this article.

Celebrate your accomplishments

Small steps add up to big achievements over time. So take a moment to look back on all the progress you’ve made.

Check things off your list by ticking the circle next to the task you have completed. Don’t worry, you can uncomplete tasks, too.

To see every task you've checked off, click the three dots icon at the top of your project. Then, choose Completed tasks in the menu.

Todoist helps you:

• Track your successes
• Note the challenges
• Reward yourself for a job well done!

Happy doing!

Now you know the basics of Todoist. That means you’re ready to take control of work and life. Open Todoist!