Todoist uses the asterisk symbol '. ' to ensure tasks can't be checked by turning them into headers. Now you are able to do this en masse! Simply add '. ' or '!. ' in front of a project, section, or top item, to automatically turn all the items it contains into respectively headers or checkable tasks. Todoist is the tool that finally met my needs. Todoist is the epicenter of my productivity. Almost everything I do goes through Todoist. I use Todoist to get anything I need to do out of my head and in a place where I won’t forget to do them, and I’m in good company. Forbes agrees with me. So does Mike Vardy the Productivityist.

• Best Way To Use Todoist
• The Ultimate Guide To Using Todoist
• Using Todoist For Grocery List
• How To Use Todoist App
• Using Todoist With Evernote
• Using Todoist For Notes

There are surprisingly many (19!) ways to add tasks in Todoist. Here you will get a detailed overview of all of them.

The ability to quickly add a task to your task manager is vital for ensuring what David Allen refers to as “one trusted system.” The fact that you quickly can add a task or idea in almost any situation is one of the reasons why I like Todoist.

You can add tasks in Todoist using the keyboard on your phone or computer. With the help of Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri you can use your voice to add tasks. You can also add tasks by email or automate the process using IFTTT.

Typing in tasks in Todoist

Whether you are using the web version, the Windows 10 app, or the Mac version, you can start by clicking on the Add Task link. Then you can type in whatever you want in the task window. By clicking on the different icons in the bottom right corner, you can add or select project, label, reminder, priority, and comment.

Using the keyboard shortcut

In Todoist, hitting the Q button on your keyboard will automatically bring up the Quick Add Task window. This is a free-floating window with the same design as the Add Task window.

How to add tasks in Todoist using only the keyboard

In either one of these windows, it is possible to add a task, with a project, label, priority, and date – all without using the mouse. Here is how:

1. Hit Q on your keyboard to bring up the window.
2. Type in the task.
3. Hit the space-key, after that #. This brings up your project list.
4. Start typing the project name until the project you want shows up.
5. If needed, use the arrow keys to set the focus on the correct project.
6. Hit Enter to select a project.
   1. If you are using a shared project, and want to assign the task to a project member, hit the + sign.
   2. Select the person, and hit Enter.
7. Hit the space-key, after that @. This brings up a list of your labels.
8. Select in the same manner as with projects.
9. If you want to add a priority, hit the space-key, after that P.
10. Type in priority between 1 and 3.
11. To add a date, hit the space-key, after that type the date or day. See below, for details on dates.

Adding dates

Todoist understands natural language when it comes to days, months, etc. For adding a specific date, type in the date in your preferred format or use the calendar to select a date.

The really neat thing is that you can type in all of this in the task field, without having to use your mouse.

Adding comments

A thing I find a bit annoying is that if you want to add more than one comment, or if you want to add attachments or emails, you will not get the functionality needed for this by using the comment function from Add Task windows.

The workaround here is to set the date to today’s date (Today.) Then you add the comments, files, or emails, and then change the date to the date that you want this task to be done.

38 keyboard shortcuts that will improve productivity in Todoist and Evernote

Emailing tasks to a project in Todoist

You can email a task to any project in Todoist, including your inbox. This is done using the unique email address associated with each project. You can find this address by clicking on the Project Actions icon and then selecting Email tasks to this project.

Adding emails from Outlook

Using the Todoist Outlook add-in, you can easily add emails as an attachment or as a task. What is outstanding with this add-in is that the email keeps the connection to Outlook, making it possible to open the email directly from the Todoist Outlook add-in.

Add the email itself as a task

1. Click on the email in Outlook.
2. With the email in focus, click on the + in the Todoist Outlook add-in.
3. Click on the Add email as task link at the bottom of the Quick Add Task window.
4. Add project, label, priority, and date as needed.
5. Click the Add Task button.

Add the email as an attachment to a task

1. Click on the email in Outlook.
2. Click on the grey comment icon to the right of the task.
3. Hit the + button under Add comment.
4. Click the Add Comment button.
5. Close the task using the X in the upper right corner.

To download the Outlook add-in, go to https://en.todoist.com/downloads.

Adding emails from Gmail

With the Todoist Gmail add-in, it’s very easy to create tasks based on your email.

1. Click on the Todoist icon in Gmail. This brings up the Quick Add Task window.
2. Follow instructions as for Typing in tasks in Todoist.

Adding tasks from your browser

Todoist have add-ins for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. The instructions should be identical for all browsers.

Add tasks in Todoist from Chrome

1. Click on the Todoist icon in your browser. This will open a small window similar to the web version of Todoist.
2. Either click on the + icon, click on Add Task or use the Q key on your keyboard.
3. Follow the instructions for Typing in tasks in Todoist.

You can find all the add-ins by visiting https://en.todoist.com/downloads

How to use Chrome productively: Extensions and keyboard shortcuts

Add tasks in Todoist from your Android phone or tab

This can be done by tapping on the + icon in the lower right corner. You can also use a dedicated widget. When tapped, this will bring up the Add Task window. See the instructions for Typing in tasks in Todoist. Be aware that the keyboard shortcut does not work here.

Adding tasks from a Samsung phone with a Bixby button

If you have a Samsung Galaxy S8, S9, Note8, or Note9, you have a dedicated button for Bixby, Samsung’s smart assistant. If you do not use Bixby, there are several apps that let you deactivate or reassign this button for other purposes.

I have used the bxActions app to make this button bring up the Add Task window on my Samsung Galaxy Note8.

Add a task using Braintoss

Braintoss is a great app that let you add a task to your Todoist inbox in the form of a text, image or audio recording. See the below blog post for details.

How to set up Braintoss for Todoist to capture ideas on the move

Add tasks in Todoist using Google Assistant

Using Google Assistant, you can add tasks by following these steps:

1. a. Say “OK Google, let me talk to Todoist.” or
   b. Long press the Home button on your phone and say “Let me talk to Todoist.”
2. Say “Add a task Buy cat food.”
3. After adding the task, the Todoist assistant will inform you that “The task has been added. Any changes?” At this point, you can move it to a project, add a label or set the task’s priority.
4. You can move it to a project such as “Shopping” by saying:
   1. “Move it to shopping.“
   2. “Move to shopping.“
   3. “Project shopping.”
5. You can add a label to the task, such as “Important”:
   1. “Add label important.”
   2. “Add important label.”
   3. “Label important.”
6. You can set the priority of the task as well:
   1. “Set priority 4.”
   2. “Priority 3.”
   3. “Set priority to 1.”

Add an email as a task from Nine Email

Nine Email is the best Android-based email app I have found as an alternative for Newton.
The app lets you share the email text as a task or comment in Todoist.

Adding a task from your Android Wear wearable

I haven’t tried this myself, but it’s supposed to work like this:

1. Say “OK Google, start to do list. Add task. Buy cat food.”
2. The task Buy cat food is then added to your Todoist Inbox.

Add tasks in Todoist from your iPhone or iPad

You can add a task to Todoist from the widget on your iOS device. See the instructions for Typing in tasks in Todoist. Be aware that the keyboard shortcut does not work here.

Add tasks using Siri

To add tasks using Siri, call up Siri and use one of the following sentences:

• “Add [task name] in Todoist.”
• “Add a task named [task name] in Todoist.”
• “Remind me to [task name] in Todoist.”

To add a due date and time and/or a project to any task, use the following format:

• “Add [task name] [due date and time] in Todoist.”
• “Add [task name] to my [project name] list in Todoist.”

Add task via voice command on Apple Watch

1. Open the Todoist app by tapping the Todoist logo on your Apple Watch.
2. Force touch anywhere inside the app, and you will see the option to Add Task.
3. Once you see the voice recognition waves, say the task details and tap Done.
4. On the next screen, you can select the task’s project.
5. When you are finished, tap Save.

Add tasks in Todoist using Google Home

The Google Home is powered by Google Assistant. To add a task to Todoist, start with saying
“OK Google, let me talk to Todoist.” Then, follow the instructions for Google Assistant.

Best Way To Use Todoist

Using Amazon Echo and Alexa to add tasks in Todoist

Todoist can be enabled as a skill in Alexa. When this is done, you will be able to use your voice to add tasks in Todoist. I have not tried this myself and will, therefore, recommend Todoists article on how to do this, as well as Toms Guide also on how to set up Todoist with Alexa.

Add multiple tasks by using copy and paste

What is the easiest way to add multiple tasks to Todoist? Use a text editor.

1. Start by making a list in your favorite text editor. It can be Word, TextPad, Evernote, or any other application.
2. Make a list with each task on a separate line. Use a hard return (Enter).
3. Copy the text.
4. Click + Add Task in Todoist. You then get a question, “Do you want to add X tasks?”
5. Answer “Yes.” (If you answer “No” the text will be pasted as a continuous text in a single task.)

If you want to sign up for Todoist Premium, I would appreciate if you use this link. This will not cost you any extra but will give me two months Todoist Premium. Thank you!

Add tasks in Todoist using automation

Add tasks in Todoist using the free IFTTT service

IFTTT is short for IF That, Then This. With the help of IFTTT, you can create a two-step automation that automatically creates tasks in your Todoist inbox based on a trigger. I use IFTTT for the following:

• Every time I get a text message, a copy of the text is created as a task in my Todoist inbox.
• If I have an unanswered phone call, the task of calling back the given number is created in the Todoist inbox.
• When I get a new Twitter follower, I get a task in my Todoist inbox so that I can follow up if needed.

Add tasks in Todoist Zapier

Zapier is a more advanced alternative to IFTTT. In Zapier you can create a multi-step automation that creates tasks in Todoist. Zapier has a lot more possibilities than IFTTT, but you will have to pay for multi-step automations or extensive use.

Puh! That was 19 different ways to make you remember. Whats your favorite way?

I’ve long used Evernote for my resource and reference materials. all of my research is stored there, along with notebooks that contain living documents that I want to share with those who are helping build Productivityist and my virtual assistant. Pretty much everything that is any source of reference material is kept there, and even ideas for blog posts and other content spend some time in Evernote before making their way to Scrivener for bigger projects or Desk.pm for blog posts.

Todoist has been my task app for nearly a year, although it seems much longer. The majority of my tasks live in Todoist, with the exception of those being the ones in Asana (which I use for some of the projects I’m working on with others, including the Do Better With Asana project I’m part of with Jeremy Roberts of Cloud Productivity). All of my personal, professional, and Productivityist tasks otherwise live in Todoist.

So how do I use Todoist and Evernote together to create a workflow that is as frictionless as possible? I mean, they don’t speak to each other very well out of the box. And while there are some automation tools you can use to link them up – IFTTT and Zapier immediately come to mind – I tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to build automation before developing the best approach to the apps I’m using.

My way of getting Todoist and Evernote together isn’t all that difficult to assemble. It just involves working with the two apps with similar triggers and identifiers, as well as developing a routine that I get to know and follow every day.

1. I Build Common Threads

I break down Todoist in the following way:

1. Top tier projects are Areas of Responsibility.
2. Tiers below those top levels are projects of varying sizes.
3. Tasks are…well, tasks.
4. Labels are the equivalent of contexts to me (or modes).

I break down Evernote in the following way in order to create an easy shift from my task app to my reference app:

1. Notebook stacks are categorized by Areas of Responsibility.
2. Notebooks found in those stacks are projects of varying sizes.
3. Notes are…well, notes.
4. Tags are the equivalent of contexts to me (or modes).

See how I’ve created some common threads between the two apps? Now when I switch back and forth I spend less time getting used to the change of environment and more time making progress. (Note that I do keep Productivityist Coaching as a notebook stack because it contains notebooks that are local notebooks and not synced…for privacy reasons.)

Let me give you an example.

I’m currently working on my next book. I have a project called “My Next Book” in Todoist that lives under the top tier Area of Responsibility called “Professional.” When I look at the same project in Evernote, I’ll find “My Next Book” as a notebook inside the notebook stack called “Professional.” The difference is that tasks related to the project live in Todoist, while reference notes related to the project live in Evernote. I can also copy the URLs from either a Todoist task and put it into an Evernote note related to said task or copy the URL from the note from Evernote and place into a Todoist task if I want. I may do the former when I want to work on finalizing some research in Evernote so I can simply click on the Todoist task and mark it as complete without having to look for it in Todoist. I may do the latter when I’m in Todoist and want to access a related note found in a task quickly rather than wade through my Evernote notebook. The URLs simply speed up the process enough to keep me moving along at a faster clip.

Label and tags are treated a bit differently, however. In Todoist I limit the amount of labels I use so that I can easily remember them and attach them to tasks. I’ve written about labels before and I strongly believe that “less is more” when it comes to labels in Todoist as long as they are clearly defined and refined as needed. In Evernote, I’m not as strict with that rule. After all, tags are effective search terms and I have far more notes to search in Evernote than I have tasks in Todoist. Why? Because notes don’t get completed – tasks do. So while I don’t go crazy with tags in Evernote, I do try to be mindful of them.

2. I Use Reminders In Both Apps Differently

First off, I rarely use reminders in any app, unless it’s for a specific appointment or a date-specific agreement. I actually use an app called Due for things like reminding me to pick up my son from daycare (that way I don’t get stuck in flow and fail to give myself enough time to get him) and things of that nature. But I do occasionally use reminders in Todoist and Evernote for very different use cases.

Todoist’s location-based reminders are great. I know other apps (most notably OmniFocus and Checkmark 2) have this feature, but I like the fact that once a location is entered in Todoist from a mobile device that it can be used regularly from all platforms in the future. Very helpful stuff. I don’t use the time-based reminders in Todoist very often because I’m generally proactive enough to not need such reminders. In the case that I do use them, they are usually for things like reminding me to send Productivityist Coaching Recap and/or Accountability Emails to clients in the Eastern Time Zone before they end their day (for example, “Send Client X Recap Email” today at 1 pm – which is actually 4 pm their time).

I use Evernote reminders to bring items related to my monthly themes back to the forefront at the start of each month. For example, I received an Evernote reminder on the first of this month to start working on my next book. It wasn’t a task so much as it was a note that displayed some content I’d written that was meant to jumpstart the book writing process.

The Ultimate Guide To Using Todoist

Other things I have started doing is copy the link of a Todoist task into Evernote related to starting of a certain big task or project, as shown below.

Since Todoist doesn’t have start date capabilities (or at least not start dates that seem easy to set up), the Evernote reminder would serve to remind me that I wanted to start working on that task on a specific date. I simply click on the link in the Evernote note (which would also contain pertinent information related to that task) and it takes me to the task.

At that time I’ll assign a due date (usually a repeating date until I finish it) and I’m good to go. It’s not the most automated of solutions, but I know it works every time and it appears to be unbreakable (which is exactly what I need in order to trust it).

3. I Use Both Email Accounts For The Apps Constantly

While both of my email clients allow for me to send tasks directly to Todoist and reference items to Evernote (I use Airmail on my Mac and Dispatch on iOS), the most reliable way to process email for me is to simply use the email addresses associated with Evernote’s default notebook and Todoist’s email addresses per project.

To be clear, I don’t use all of the email addresses Todoist allows. Instead, I use the following ones:

1. Inbox: This is where most of my tasks that arrive via email go. I simply go into Todoist and put them in the right projects later.
2. Team Inbox: These are where I put tasks that arrive via email that either myself or my wife need to work on. (I’ve contemplated adding my assistant to the mix here, but I’ve got another project that’s just for her right now.)
3. VA Tasks: Any tasks that arrive via email that I want to assign to my assistant go in here.

Why don’t I use all of the email addresses my various projects in Todoist allows? Because those project above will last while other projects won’t. I also only have to think of three email addresses that tasks need to wind up in – which is helpful when simply trying to process email quickly.

Using Todoist For Grocery List

In order to best align Evernote with Todoist, I renamed my default notebook “*Inbox” so that I am triggered to process it regularly. On some occasions, emails end up going to both Todoist and Evernote if they contain both a task and reference item. I’ll also make a habit of BCCing these apps when replying to people so that I can get tasks and/or reference items into the right apps and respond all in one fell swoop.

How To Use Todoist App

I’ve been a big fan of Evernote for a long time (having been a user since June 2008) and my fondness for Todoist continues to grow. With the recent addition of being able to link to tasks in Todoist, my productivity when working with both of these apps in tandem is further enhanced. If you’re looking to get more out of the productivity tag team of Todoist and Evernote, then pick any one of the ways I use them and start building that better workflow today.

If you want to wring as much productivity goodness out of Evernote as possible then I highly recommend you pick up Brett Kelly’s Evernote Essentials. Brett is my go-to guy for all things Evernote and he’s levelled up this product in a big way. You can check out all of the tiers of Evernote Essentials (appropriately aligned with how Evernote named its tiers) over at the Evernote Essentials website. There’s no better Evernote resource available so go and check out Evernote Essentials now!

Using Todoist With Evernote

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Using Todoist For Notes

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