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Introduction to labels

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Save time by batching similar tasks together using labels. You’ll be able to pull up a list of all tasks with any given label in a matter of seconds. You can add any labels you like, but here are a few popular ones to get started with:

  • @email – Use this label to create a list of all the email tasks across all your projects so you can answer them all at once.
  • @waiting – Add this label to all the tasks you’re waiting on something to get started so you won’t forget to follow up.
  • @15_min – Check this label when you have an extra 15 minutes to knock out a small task or two.

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When creating a label, you can’t use a space, @ " ( ) | & ! or , in the label name. If you use any of these characters, they'll automatically be replaced with an underscore. For example, if you try to name a label Emails @Work, your label will automatically be named Emails__Work.

Add a label to a task

How to add a label to a new task

  1. Click the + icon to create a new task.
  2. Type @ into the task field (or click the label icon on the right).
  3. In the menu that appears, select the label(s) you want to add. Keep typing the label name to narrow down the results.
  4. If a label you type doesn't exist yet, you'll get an option to create it. Finish typing and click Label not found. Create Label_name.
  1. Tap the + icon to create a new task.
  2. Tap the label icon (or just type @).
  3. In the list that appears, select the label(s) you want to add. Keep typing the label name to narrow down the results.
  4. To create and add a new label to the task, finish typing the new label's name and then tap Add label "Label_Name".

How to add a label to an existing task

You can also add labels to multiple tasks at once by following the instructions in this article.
  1. Click on any task to edit it.
  2. Type @ into the task field, or click Labels in the right-hand side.
  3. In the menu that appears, select the label you want to add. Keep typing the label name to narrow down the results.
  4. If a label you type doesn't exist yet, you'll get an option to create it. Finish typing and click Label not found. Create Label_name.
  1. Tap on any task to select it.
  2. Tap the Label chip.
  3. In the list that appears, select the label(s) you want to add. Keep typing the label name to narrow down the results.
  4. When you've added the label(s) you want to add, tap Done in the bottom-right corner.
  5. To create and add a new label to the task, finish typing the new label's name and then tap Add label "Label_Name".
  1. Tap on any task to select it.
  2. Tap the Label chip.
  3. In the list that appears, select the label(s) you want to add. Keep typing the label name to narrow down the results.
  4. Once you've selected the labels you wish to add to the task, tap Done.
  5. To create and add a new label to the task, tap the task name. Type @ and write the name of your new label. Tap Add label to save the new label.

Some examples to get you inspired!

There are endless ways to use labels. Here are a few examples to inspire you:

How long will your tasks take to complete?

  • @5min
  • @30min
  • @60min
You can add these labels to every task in the project to make it easier to estimate the total project completion time. 

When do you want to work on this task?

  • @day
  • @afternoon
  • @night
  • @waiting (if you’re waiting for something to happen before you can start)

What type of work are you doing?

  • @email
  • @writing
  • @design
  • @dev

How much progress have you made with this task?

  • @25_percent
  • @50_percent
  • @75_percent

Is this a home project, a personal project or a work project?

  • @home
  • @personal
  • @work

Where do you want to work on this task?

  • @office
  • @house
  • @gym
If you add a space in your label's name, the space will automatically be replaced by an underscore. For example, if you try to create a label with the name Work Emails, your label will instead be called Work_Emails. 

Edit a label

Change the name of a label

  1. Access the Filters & Labels view (listed under your Upcoming view).
  2. Scroll down to Labels and select the label you want to change the name of.
  3. Select the three dots icon in the top-right corner.
  4. Select Edit label.
  5. You can now change the name of your label!

Change the color of a label

  1. Select Filters & Labels in the left-hand menu in Todoist.
  2. Scroll down to Labels.
  3. Find the label you want to change the color of.
  4. Click the three dots icon to the right of the label.
  5. Select Edit label.
  6. Below Label color, click on the drop-down menu and select your color of choice.
  7. When you’re finished, click Save.
  1. Open the Filters & Labels view (you will find it under Upcoming).
  2. Scroll down to your labels, and tap the label you want to change the color of.
  3. Tap the three dots icon in the top-right corner.
  4. Select Edit label.
  5. Tap on the current color name and select your color of choice.
  6. When you're finished, tap the checkmark icon in the top-right corner.
    1. Open the Filters & Labels view (you will find it under Upcoming).
    2. Scroll down to your labels, and tap the label you want to change the color of.
    3. Tap the three dots icon in the top-right corner.
    4. Select Edit Label.
    5. Tap Color and select your color of choice.
    6. When you're finished, tap Done in the top right.
You can also change the color of a label through the label's context menu.

Find a specific label

Search for a label

Type the label name into the search bar at the top of your Todoist. For example, typing “@urgent” into the search bar will pull up all the tasks with the label @urgent.

labels_search_web.png

In the web, macOS, or Windows apps, you can use the keyboard shortcut  f to start a new search.

View a list of all of your labels

You can find a full list of your existing labels by selecting Filters & Labels in your navigation menu (it will be right under your Upcoming view) and scrolling down to Labels.

You can also create filters using labels. For example, the filter query “today & @email” will pull up all of your tasks with the @email label that are also due today.

View all your labelled tasks

You can find a full list of your labels by accessing the Filters & Labels view (this will be located right under your Upcoming view) in the navigation pane. Once you've opened this view, scroll down to Labels. Select any label you want to get a full list of all tasks with that assigned label.

 

Use personal and shared labels

To keep your label list organized, there are two different types of labels:

  • Personal labels are the labels you use and have created yourself. These labels can have any of the available colors and will stay on your list unless you delete them or remove them from your personal label list.
  • Shared labels are the labels team members have created and use in shared projects. These labels will be gray by default and will only stay in the shared list if there are any active tasks with this label in a shared project. 

Turn a personal label into a shared label

Labels moved to the shared list will disappear if there are no active tasks with the label on them.

If you no longer want to use a label in private projects but still want to keep using it on active tasks in shared projects, you can move it to the shared list at any time.

  1. Right-click on the label you wish to turn into a shared label.
  2. Select Move to shared labels.
  1. Tap on the label you wish to turn into a shared label.
  2. Tap the three dots icon in the top-right.
  3. Select Edit Label.
  4. Select Move to Shared Labels.
  1. At the bottom of your label list, tap Manage labels.
  2. Select which label(s) you want to remove from your personal list.
  3. At the top right, tap the three dots icon.
  4. Select Move to shared.

Turn a shared label into a personal label

If you want to use a shared label in private projects, you can move it to your personal label list at any time.

  1. Right-click on the label you wish to turn into a personal label.
  2. Select Move to personal labels.
  1. Tap on the label you wish to turn into a personal label.
  2. Tap the three dots icon in the top-right.
  3. Select Edit Label.
  4. Select Move to Personal Labels.
  1. At the bottom of your label list, tap Manage labels.
  2. Scroll down and tap Shared.
  3. Select which label(s) you want to move to your personal list.
  4. Tap the three dots icon in the top-right.
  5. Select Move to personal.

Delete a label

Every now and then you may come across a label on your list that you no longer need. No problem, you can simply delete it! Here's how:

  1. Select Filters & Labels in the left-hand menu in Todoist.
  2. Scroll down to Labels.
  3. Find the label you want to delete.
  4. Click the three dots icon to the right of the label.
  5. Select Delete label.
  6. Click Delete to confirm.
  1. Open the Filters & Labels view (you will find it under Upcoming).
  2. Scroll down to your labels.
  3. Tap on the label you want to delete.
  4. Tap the three dots icon in the top-right corner.
  5. Select Edit label.
  6. Tap the three dots icon in the top-right corner.
  7. Select Delete.
  8. Tap Delete to confirm.
Exclusively on Android, it's also possible to bulk delete labels:
  1. Open the Filters & Labels view (you will find it under Upcoming).
  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 in the top-right corner.
  5. Select Delete.
  6. Tap Delete again to confirm.
    1. Open the Filters & Labels view (you will find it under Upcoming).
    2. Scroll down to your labels.
    3. Tap on the label you wish to delete.
    4. Tap the three dots icon in the top-right corner.
    5. Select Edit Label.
    6. Select Delete Label.
    7. Tap Delete Label to confirm.
You can also delete a label through its context menu.

FAQ

Will deleted labels still show up on completed tasks?

Yes, both personal and shared labels that have been deleted will still appear on completed tasks. Whenever you uncomplete a task with a label that’s been deleted, a new label will be created and added to your Shared label list, even if it was originally a personal label. This label will have the name it had when the task was completed.

What happens when I delete a personal label?

When you delete a personal label it will be removed from your personal label list, the shared label list of your collaborators, and it will also be removed from all active tasks.

What happens when I delete a shared label?

When deleting a shared label, it’s automatically removed from everyone’s shared label list and all active tasks. If the label was part of anyone’s personal label list, they will still have access to it and it will still show up on tasks that have the label in their private projects.

Can I change the color of a shared label?

No, shared labels are gray by default. In order to change it to a color of your preference, please add it to your personal label list.

Are collaborators in a shared project able to delete or rename a shared label?

Yes, every member of the shared project is able to rename or delete a shared label. The changes will apply to all of the active tasks containing that label. 

Can I rearrange Shared labels?

No, only personal labels can be rearranged.

Can I drag and drop labels from the Shared list to my personal labels?

No, it’s not possible to drag and drop labels between the personal and shared label lists.