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 fastest way to add a new task, complete with due dates, labels, reminders, and more.
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
- Click Add task or press the keyboard shortcut Q to open Quick Add.
- Type any task details in the task name field.
Add task details
| Add | By typing |
| Due date or due time |
The date and time into the task field using natural language like tomorrow at 4pm or every other Tuesday starting March 3. Here’s a list of example date formats you can use. |
| Labels | @ 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. |
| Priority | p1, p2, or p3 to indicate the priority level of the task. |
| Reminders |
! in the task name field, directly followed by the desired time for the reminder. For example !14:00 or !30 min before. Learn more about reminders. |
| Collaborator |
+ 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.) |
| Project | # 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. |
| Section | 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. |
Quick tip
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.
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:
- Click your avatar in the top-left.
- Select Settings.
- Select the Advanced tab.
- In Keyboard shortcuts, find Quick Add Task.
- Click the dismiss icon.
- Set your unique global keyboard shortcut to open Quick Add.
Get in touch
If you're having trouble using Quick Add or using your global keyboard shortcut in Todoist, get in touch with us. We— Omar, Stacey, Carol, or any one of our other teammates—look forward to lending a hand!
