Use Task Quick Add in Todoist

Available for

  • Beginner
  • Pro
  • Business

We haven’t come up with a way to add tasks telepathically (yet), but the Todoist Quick Add is the next best thing.

Quick Add is the smartest and fastest way to:

  • Add a new task
  • Set a due date and time for a task
  • Attach a label to a task
  • Set the priority level for a task
  • Add a task to a project
  • Add a task to a section
  • Assign a task to a collaborator
  • Add a reminder to a task

Just type (or dictate) all the details into a single line. The smart Quick Add will automatically recognize and highlight each piece of information and add it to your task accordingly. Particularly handy when adding tasks on your mobile device.

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Note

We currently don’t support writing due dates in Czech and Turkish. Let us know if you'd like us to add these languages in the future.

Use Quick Add

If you're using the Todoist web app or the desktop apps, click Add task or press the keyboard shortcut Q to open Quick Add.

If you're using Todoist for iOS or Android, tap or drag the Dynamic Add button to any spot in your project or view.

Type your task name and:

Type the date and time into the task field using natural language like “tomorrow at 4pm” or “every other Tuesday starting March 3”. The Quick Add will automatically recognize the due date and add it when you save your task. Here’s a list of example date formats you can use.

The smart Quick Add might recognize a piece of information that’s actually a part of your task name. For example, for the task “Create monthly report”, “monthly” will automatically be highlighted as a due date. Just click or tap the word to turn it into plain text. Learn how to turn off smart date recognition entirely.

Type @ followed by the label name. For example, @email. You’ll be able to choose from a list of existing labels, or create an entirely new one.

Type p1, p2, or p3 to indicate the priority level of the task.

Type “!” in the task name field, directly followed by the desired time for the reminder. 

You can set a reminder for a specific time (like “!3pm”), for after a certain amount of time has passed (e.g. “!2h”), or to make sure you get notified an X amount of time before your task is due (e.g. “!30mb” or "!30min before"). Todoist will even understand when you add a reminder for “!later” (i.e. 4 hours later), “!tomorrow” (i.e. the next day at 9:00 AM), or "!ev sat 9am" (i.e. every Saturday at 9 AM). Find the full list of supported reminder shortcuts in this article

Type in the symbol # immediately followed by the project name. For example, “#Work”. You’ll be able to choose from a list of existing projects, or create an entirely new one.

Once you've assigned your task to a project, you can also specify which section the task should go under. You just have to type in the symbol / immediately followed by the section name. For example, if you want your task to go under the section Admin in your Work project, you can type “#Work /Admin”.

Type in the symbol + immediately followed by the person’s name. For example, “+Lucile”. You’ll be able to choose from a list of current project collaborators.

This is only possible in shared projects so you’ll need to specify a shared project (using the # symbol) first and then add an assignee.

Set a global Quick Add shortcut

Context switching can quickly disrupt your focus, especially when work’s spread out across different apps.

The global Quick Add shortcut is a powerhouse for capturing ideas and tasks the moment they strike. Use it to jot down tasks without breaking stride in your work — even if you’re in a different app.

In Todoist for macOS or Windows, use the global keyboard shortcut to open Quick Add while the app is minimized. Use the default keyboard shortcuts or set your own in the Advanced settings:

  1. Open Todoist for macOS or Windows.

    If you're using Todoist with a web browser, switch to the desktop apps.

  2. Click your avatar in the top-left.
  3. Select Settings
  4. Select the Advanced tab. 
  5. In Keyboard shortcuts, find Quick Add Task
  6. Click the dismiss icon.
  7. Set your unique global keyboard shortcut to open Quick Add. 

Get help

If you're having trouble using Quick Add or using your global keyboard shortcut in Todoist, get in touch with us.