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April 24, 2025 23:27
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Todoist Essential Cheat Sheet

A handy reference for Todoist, covering core keyboard shortcuts, productivity tips, and key features to manage your tasks efficiently.

Basic Navigation & Actions

Global Shortcuts

Q

Open Quick Add (from anywhere)

Ctrl + A or Cmd + A

Select all visible tasks

Ctrl + J or Cmd + J

Move task(s) up in list

Ctrl + K or Cmd + K

Move task(s) down in list

Ctrl + Shift + S or Cmd + Shift + S

Search tasks, projects, labels, filters

Ctrl + Z or Cmd + Z

Undo last action

Ctrl + Y or Cmd + Shift + Z

Redo action

Esc

Close pop-ups, exit editing mode

Task Actions

Enter

Save changes (when editing)

Ctrl + Enter or Cmd + Enter

Complete selected task(s)

Delete

Delete selected task(s)

E

Edit selected task

M

Move task to project (when selected)

D

Set due date (when selected)

P

Set priority (when selected)

L

Add label (when selected)

C

Add comment (when selected)

Quick Add Syntax Tips

Start typing and Todoist understands natural language for dates and times.

Example:
Buy milk tomorrow 3pm -> Task “Buy milk” due tomorrow at 3 PM.

#Project Name - Assign to a project.

Example:
Plan meeting #Work -> Task “Plan meeting” in “Work” project.

##Section Name - Assign to a section within a project.

Example:
Review report ##Planning -> Task “Review report” in section “Planning”.

@Label Name - Assign a label.

Example:
Call bank @urgent -> Task “Call bank” with label “urgent”.

p1, p2, p3, p4 - Set priority level.

Example:
Finish draft p1 -> Task “Finish draft” with Priority 1 (Red).

!! at the start of a recurring task creates a non-completable task (track instead of complete).

Example:
!!Check inbox every morning -> Task “Check inbox” recurring daily, cannot be completed.

[[task name]] - Link to an existing task. (Requires enabled setting)

Example:
Follow up on [[Discuss Project A]] -> Creates a new task linked to the task named “Discuss Project A”.

: - Add a description (new line after task name).

Example:
Prepare presentation : Include Q3 metrics

Navigation Pane Shortcuts (Desktop)

G + I

Go to Inbox

G + T

Go to Today

G + U

Go to Upcoming

G + F

Go to Filters & Labels

G + M

Go to project list

J or Down Arrow

Navigate down task list

K or Up Arrow

Navigate up task list

H or Left Arrow

Collapse subtasks/sections

L or Right Arrow

Expand subtasks/sections

Task Details & Organization

Date & Time (Natural Language)

Use simple phrases for due dates and times:

  • today, tomorrow, monday, next week

Specific times:

  • today 3pm, tomorrow 10:00, friday morning

Recurring dates:

  • every day, every monday, every other week,
  • every 3rd friday, every last day of the month

Relative recurring dates:

  • every! monday (relative to completion date)
  • every monday starting tomorrow

Time ranges:

  • every day 9am-5pm

Combine with priorities, labels, projects:

  • Review document tomorrow 9am p1 #Work @review

Disable smart recognition: Put task in quotes:

  • "Call John tomorrow" (If “tomorrow” is part of the task name, not date)

Use hyphens for dates: YYYY-MM-DD or MM/DD/YYYY

  • 2023-12-31, 12/31/2023

Priorities & Labels

p1

Priority 1 (Red)

p2

Priority 2 (Orange)

p3

Priority 3 (Blue)

p4

Priority 4 (No color, default)

@labelname

Assign a label (create if new)

@label1 @label2

Assign multiple labels

#ProjectName

Assign to a project (create if new)

#ProjectName ##SectionName

Assign to a section within a project

Subtasks & Comments

Create a task, then indent it under another task to make it a subtask.

Keyboard: Select task(s), then Ctrl + Right Arrow or Cmd + Right Arrow to indent. Ctrl + Left Arrow or Cmd + Left Arrow to outdent.

Subtasks must belong to the same project as their parent task.

Subtasks can have their own due dates, priorities, and labels.

Completing a parent task does not automatically complete its subtasks by default (can be changed in settings).

Add comments to tasks to store notes, files, or discussions.

Keyboard: Select task, press C, or click the comment bubble.

Comments support markdown for formatting (bold, italics, lists, code blocks).

Markdown Examples:
*bold*, _italics_, - list item, code

Attach files to comments (up to 20MB per file on Free plan).

Keyboard: In comment editor, Ctrl + U or Cmd + U to upload.

Mention collaborators in comments using @username to notify them.

Project & Section Tips

Organize tasks into projects. Projects can be nested (sub-projects).

Keyboard: When adding/editing project, indent it under another project.

Use Sections within projects to create columns or groups of tasks.

Add Section: Click Add Section in a project view or use ##SectionName in Quick Add.

Drag and drop tasks between sections or projects.

Archive projects instead of deleting if you might need them later.

Color-code projects for visual organization.

Projects can be shared with collaborators (requires paid plan).

Advanced Features & Tips

Filters (Query Syntax)

Create custom views using filters with powerful query syntax.

Access: Go to Filters & Labels, click Add filter.

Basic:
today - tasks due today
tomorrow - tasks due tomorrow
next 7 days - tasks due in the next 7 days
no date - tasks with no due date

Projects & Labels:
#Project Name
##Section Name
@Label Name

Priorities:
p1, p2, p3, p4

Combinations (AND, OR, NOT):
p1 & today - Priority 1 tasks due today
#Work | #Personal - Tasks in Work OR Personal projects
today & !#Work - Tasks due today NOT in Work project

Attributes:
assigned to: Name (for shared projects)
created: today, created before: 2023-01-01
due: monday, due before: tomorrow

Other:
view: board - Display as a board (can be added to filter query)
shared - Tasks in shared projects
assigned to: me

Example Complex Query:
p1 | (today & @urgent) & !#Errands
(Priority 1 tasks OR tasks due today with label @urgent) AND NOT in the Errands project.

Combine multiple conditions using & (AND) and | (OR). Use parentheses () for grouping.

Tips for Effective Use

Adopt a system: GTD (Getting Things Done), PARA, or a simple priority matrix. Todoist is flexible.

Inbox Zero for tasks: Process your Inbox regularly. Assign due dates, projects, and labels.

Use Recurring Tasks for habits and routine items (e.g., Review weekly report every Friday).

Break down large tasks into smaller subtasks. This makes them less daunting and easier to start/complete.

Leverage Filters to create focused views (e.g., “Work tasks due today”, “@waiting tasks”).

Use Labels for contexts (@home, @office), energy levels (@deep-work, @quick-task), or areas of focus (@writing, @research).

Schedule time for a weekly review to clean up tasks, plan the week ahead, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

Karma & Productivity

Todoist Karma tracks your productivity based on completing tasks on time, using advanced features, and reaching goals.

Earn points by:

  • Completing tasks on time
  • Using features like recurring due dates, labels, and priorities
  • Reaching daily/weekly task completion goals

Lose points by:

  • Having tasks become overdue

Set daily and weekly goals in settings (Settings > Productivity).

Karma levels range from Beginner to Enlightened.

View your productivity trends and Karma history in the Productivity section.