Todoist Automations is where you can connect your favorite apps and build workflows that handle repetitive tasks for you. With an AI assistant like ChatGPT or Claude, you can create, test, and publish an automation by describing what you want in plain language. Your assistant asks any follow-up questions and makes changes based on your responses, so no coding knowledge is required.
Before you start, connect Todoist Automations to your AI assistant, like ChatGPT or Claude. You create and make changes to automations through your AI assistant, not directly in the Todoist Automations app.
Describe your automation
When you're ready, here's how to create your first automation:
- Open your connected AI assistant. If you're specifically using ChatGPT, open a new chat and select @Todoist Automations.
- Describe what you want the automation to do in plain language. Try requests like:
- “Create an automation that sends me a daily summary of my upcoming tasks.”
- “Create an automation that reminds me about overdue tasks every morning.”
- “Set up an automation that sends me a weekly summary of completed tasks.”
- “Set up an automation that creates a Todoist task when I receive an important email.”
- “Give me examples of automations I can create.”
Your AI assistant will start putting the automation together.
Answer your assistant’s questions
Your AI assistant guides you through the setup, and asks for any details it needs to create your automation. For example, it may ask when the automation should run, which tasks or projects to include, or how you’d like to receive the results.
Answer each question in the chat. Ask your assistant to connect any apps the automation needs to work with (for example: “Connect my Gmail account.”).
Review the setup your assistant describes. If something looks off, describe it and ask your assistant to adjust the automation.
Test your automation
Testing lets you check how the automation works before it goes live. During the test, your connected apps aren't changed, so the automation won't send actual messages or create tasks. Each test counts as a run. Here's how to start a test run:
- Ask your AI assistant to test the automation (for example: “Test my automation”).
- Ask to see the results after the run (for example: “Show me the results of the test.”).
- Ask for changes if the results aren’t what you expected (for example: “Help me make changes before publishing”).
Publish your automation
If the test results look good, have your AI assistant publish your automation. Use a prompt like “Publish my automation”.
Once it’s published, your automation will appear in the All Automations page in Todoist Automations.
Check your automation’s activity
If you'd like to see how your automation's performing, check its activity in Todoist Automations:
- Open Todoist Automations.
- Click All Automations in the sidebar.
- Select your automation card from the list. You’ll see the automation’s details page.
- Check the History panel to see every past run and its outcome.
If you need to change your automation, return to your connected AI assistant and describe what you’d like to update. See Manage an existing automation for everything else you can do from the automation’s details page.
Get in touch
Ready to put your time back where it belongs? Open your connected AI assistant and describe the first task you’d like to spend less time on.
If you have an idea for an automation, but you're not sure how to set it up, or you run into any issues while creating your automation, get in touch with us.