Ever walked out of a meeting with notes scattered across three different apps, or snapped a quick photo of a whiteboard before someone erases it? Todoist can take all that unstructured content and turn it into actual tasks – pulling out dates, priorities, and more so you don’t have to.
Whether it’s bullet points from your meeting notes or that grocery list your partner scribbled on a napkin, just paste or upload it into Quick Add and Todoist handles the rest.
How it works
Capture tasks from an image
- Open Quick Add.
- Click the Attachment button.
- Add your image.
- Click the scan icon next to the attachment.
- Click Add task(s).
Capture tasks from text (using copy/paste)
- Open Quick Add.
- Paste your text (multiple lines or >500 characters). This will open a prompt.
- Click Scan text for tasks.
- Click Add task(s).
Capture tasks from text (clicking the text icon)
- Open Quick Add.
- Click the text icon next to the Ramble icon. The Text Scan screen appears.
- Drop in your content.
- Click Process text.
- Click Add task(s).
Capture tasks from a file
- Open Quick Add.
- Click the Attachment button.
- Add your file.
- Click the scan icon next to the attachment.
- Click Add task(s).
Capture tasks from text (using copy/paste)
- Open Quick Add.
- Paste your text (multiple lines or >500 characters). This will open a prompt.
- Tap Scan Text.
- Tap Done to add all tasks.
Capture tasks from a file
- Open Quick Add.
- Tap the Attachment button.
- Add your file.
- Tap the scan icon next to the attachment.
- Tap Done to add all tasks.
Capture tasks from text (using copy/paste)
- Open Quick Add.
- Paste your text (multiple lines or >500 characters). This will open a prompt.
- Tap Scan text.
- Tap Done to add all tasks.
What you can capture
📝 Text input
Paste anything – formatted text, bullet points, content from emails, or notes from other apps. Up to 25,000 characters at once.
📸 Images
Upload JPEG, PNG, or WebP files up to 7MB and 4000×4000px. Photos of typed text or clear handwriting work best.
📄 Documents
Upload PDF, MD, or TXT files up to 7MB.
What gets extracted
See the table below for a list of supported and unsupported attributes:
| Supported attributes | Unsupported attributes |
|---|---|
| Task name | Sub-task |
| Description | Custom reminder |
| Date and time | |
| Project | |
| Priority | |
| Section | |
| Label | |
| Deadline (paid feature and text-to-task only) | |
| Duration (paid feature and text-to-task only) | |
| Assignee |
Privacy and security
Your data stays secure: Text and files are processed securely and aren’t stored or used for training. Only the resulting tasks and their details are saved in Todoist.
Comparison with other capture methods
Text/File capture vs. Ramble
Ramble captures your spoken thoughts in real-time – you talk, it transcribes, and creates tasks as you go. Text and file capture works with content you’ve already gathered. Both help you dump unstructured information into Todoist quickly, just in different ways.
Use Ramble when you’re brainstorming or want to talk through your thoughts. Use text and file capture when you’ve got existing notes, photos, or content from other sources.
Troubleshooting
Feature not showing up?
Double-check that you are on a Pro or Business plan.
Tasks not being recognized properly?
- For text: Try using bullet points or numbered lists for better recognition
- For images: Make sure your file is under 7MB and the text is clear and legible
- For handwriting: Results may vary depending on clarity – typed text generally works better
Share your feedback
We invite you to use the 👍 👎 in-app icons when using text or file capture to share your feedback with us.
If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps in this article and are still facing issues, get in touch with us.