Loading the new Help Center

Introduction to labels

Available for:
Free
Premium
Business

Labels let you save time by batching similar tasks together. In Todoist, you can add as many labels as needed, and then pull up a list of tasks with any of these labels in seconds.

Create a label

  1. Click Filters & Labels in the sidebar. If you don't see this view, customize your sidebar to display it.
  2. Click the plus icon next to Labels.
  3. Type a label name and choose a color. You can also add it as a favorite.
  4. Click Add to confirm.

Add a label to a new task

labels-help-center.png

  1. Click Add task to create a new task.
  2. Click the Labels chip or type @ into the task field. If the Labels chip isn't visible, customize Quick Add to add it as a task action.
  3. Select the label(s) you want to add from the menu. If the label doesn't exist, finish typing the label name and click Create to create it.
  4. Click Add task to confirm.

Add a label to an existing task

  1. Click a task to open the task view.
  2. Click Labels on the right side of the task view.
  3. Select the label or type the label name in the Type a label field. If the label doesn't exist, enter the full label name and click Create to create it.

You’ll find your newly created label in the Labels list.

  1. Tap Browse at the bottom-right.
  2. Select Filter & Labels. If you don't see this view, customize the navigation to display it.
  3. Tap the plus icon next to Labels.
  4. Type a label name and choose a color. You can also add it as a favorite.
  5. Tap Done to confirm.

Add a label to a new task

  1. Tap the Dynamic Add button.
  2. Tap the Labels chip or type @ in the task name. If the Labels chip isn't visible, customize Quick Add and add it as a task action.
  3. Select the label(s) you want to add. If the label doesn't exist, type the full label name and tap Add Label.

Add a label to an existing task

  1. Tap a task to open the task view.
  2. Tap the Labels chip or type @ in the task name.
  3. Select the label(s) to add from the menu. If the label doesn't exist, type the full label name and tap Add Label.
  4. Tap Save to confirm.

You’ll find your newly created label in the Labels list.

  1. Tap Browse at the bottom-right.
  2. Select Filters & Labels. If you don't see this view, customize the navigation to display it.
  3. Tap the plus icon next to Labels.
  4. Type a label name and choose a color. You can also add it as a favorite.
  5. Tap the checkmark icon to confirm.

Add a label to a new task

  1. Tap the Dynamic Add button.
  2. Tap the Labels chip or type @ in the task name. If the Labels chip isn't visible, customize Quick Add and add it as a task action.
  3. Select the label(s) you want to add. If the label doesn't exist, type the full label name and tap Add Label.

Add a label to an existing task

  1. Tap a task to open the task view.
  2. Tap the Labels chip.
  3. Select the label(s) to add to the task or type @ in the task name. If the label doesn't exist, finish typing the label name and tap Add label.
  4. Tap the checkmark icon to confirm.

You’ll find your newly created label in the Labels list.

You can add special characters, like @ , " ( ) | & or !, when naming your labels.

Edit a label

As your workflow changes, so can your labels. Here’s how to change the label name or color:

  1. Click Filters & Labels in the sidebar.
  2. In the Labels section, click the label.
  3. Click the three dots icon to the right of the label.
  4. Select Edit label.
  5. Enter a new label name or click the Label color menu to choose a different color.
  6. Click Save to confirm.
  1. Tap the Filters & Labels view.
  2. In the Labels section, tap the label.
  3. Tap the three dots icon at the top-right.
  4. Select Edit Label.
  5. Enter a new label name or tap the Color menu to choose a different color.
  6. Tap Done in the top-right to confirm.
Change the color of a label through the label's context menu.
  1. Tap the menu icon at the bottom-left.
  2. Tap Filters & Labels.
  3. Tap Manage labels and select the label.
  4. Select the three dots icon at the top-right.
  5. Select Edit.
  6. Enter a new label name or choose a different color.

Handy labels to try out

Not sure how to get started? Here are a few examples to inspire you:

Category Label
Time to complete tasks
  • 5min
  • 30min
  • 60min

Time of day to start work
  • day
  • afternoon
  • evening
  • waiting (for all tasks you’re waiting for input or additional information, so you won’t forget to follow up)
Type of work
  • email
  • writing
  • design
  • dev
Progress
  • 25_percent
  • 50_percent
  • 75_percent
Type of project
  • home
  • personal
  • work
Work location
  • office
  • library
  • coworkingspace

Turn a shared label into a personal label

In Todoist, there are two types of labels you can create and add to tasks:

  • Personal labels are those you’ve created. These labels come in a variety of colors, and they’ll stay on your list unless you remove them from your label list.
  • Shared labels are those added by collaborators in shared projects, and are added to your shared list if there’s no exact match in your personal label list. Shared labels are displayed only in gray, and they’ll only stay in the shared labels list if there are any active tasks with this label.
Customer Experience Specialist Every member of the shared project can rename or delete a shared label. Their changes will apply to all the active tasks tagged with that label.

If you find yourself using a label often in your shared projects, here’s how to turn it into a personal label:

  1. Click Filters & Labels in the sidebar.
  2. Under Shared Labels, find the label you want to add.
  3. Click the three dots icon next to the label.
  4. Select Move to personal labels.
  1. Tap Browse at the bottom-right.
  2. Select Filters & Labels.
  3. Find the label in the Shared section.
  4. Tap the three dots icon at the top-right.
  5. Select Edit Label.
  6. Tap Move to Personal Labels.
  1. Tap Browse at the bottom-right.
  2. Select Filters & Labels.
  3. Select Manage labels at the bottom of the labels list.
  4. Tap Shared.
  5. Find the label.
  6. Tap the three dots icon.
  7. Tap Move to personal labels.

Delete a label

You may come across a label that no longer serves its purpose. No problem, you can simply delete it, so your labels list is neat and tidy:

  1. Click Filters & Labels in the sidebar.
  2. Find the label you want to delete.
  3. Click the three dots icon next to the label.
  4. Select Delete label. Click Delete again to confirm.
  1. Tap Browse at the bottom-right.
  2. Tap Filters & Labels.
  3. Find the label you want to delete.
  4. Tap the three dots icon at the top-right.
  5. Select Edit Label.
  6. Select Delete Label.
  7. Tap Delete Label to confirm.
Touch and hold a label to delete it using the context menu.
  1. Tap Browse at the bottom-right.
  2. Tap Filters & Labels.
  3. Tap the label you want to delete.
  4. Tap the three dots icon at the top-right.
  5. Select Edit label.
  6. Select Delete. Tap Delete again to confirm.

If you need to delete more than one label, here's how to bulk delete them:

  1. Tap Filters & Labels.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of your label list and tap Manage labels.
  3. Select the labels you want to delete.
  4. Tap the three dots icon at the top-right.
  5. Select Delete. Tap Delete again to confirm.
If you deleted a personal or shared label, they’ll still appear on completed tasks. Whenever you uncomplete a task with a deleted label, a new label is created and added back to your labels lists. This label will have the name it had when the task was completed.

Get started

Start organizing your tasks with personal or shared labels in Todoist! If you run into any trouble adding or managing labels, get in touch with us. We— David, Rikke, Marco, and any one of our other teammates—are eager to help you get back on track.