Manage tasks with To Do in Outlook
Applies To
Outlook on the web Outlook.com New Outlook for WindowsThe To Do app is integrated into Outlook to help you plan your day, track tasks and add to-do items to your calendar. You can choose to display your upcoming calendar events and tasks with My Day on Outlook's Mail, Calendar, People and Groups screens, or dig deeper by opening To Do within Outlook to manage task details.
When you open To Do, you can create, edit, and manage tasks. Keep everything on track by setting due dates and reminders for each task and starring your most important tasks. Use steps to break down your larger tasks in to more manageable pieces and notes to record extra details.
Open To Do to display all of your tasks in new Outlook
To view and manage your tasks, select 
The To Do page includes any task lists that you create, default tasks lists, and smart lists. Smart lists include My Day, Important, Planned, All, Completed, Assigned to me, and Flagged Email, and Due Today.
Select a task in any list to see all of the available options for that task. You can do things like add additional steps, add a task to My Day, make tasks repeating, add a due date or reminder, and add a note or file.
Turn off smart lists and change your settings by selecting Settings when To Do is open within new Outlook.
Add a task to a list
You can add new tasks by selecting a tasks list, then choosing the plus sign next to Add a task and entering a description of your task. If you add a task to a smart list, the task will be saved in Tasks and linked to the smart list you were in when you created it.
Note: You can also view and manage your tasks on the go by installing the To Do app.
Add due dates and reminders to your tasks
You can select a task in any list to see its details, where you can add additional steps, add it to My Day, add a due date or reminder, make it repeating, pick a category, add a file, or add a note. Scheduled tasks will automatically appear in the Planned smart list, where you can see your tasks due today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Start by selecting To Do from the left navigation pane in new Outlook.
Add a reminder
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Select a task.
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Select Remind me and choose when you'll be reminded: later today, tomorrow, next week, or a date and time you pick.
Add a due date
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Select a task to see its detail view.
-
Select Add due date and choose when the task will be due: today, tomorrow, next week, or a date you pick.
Set a due date to repeat
-
Select a task.
-
Select Repeat and choose when your task will repeat: daily, on weekdays, weekly, monthly, yearly, or a custom repetition.
Add steps, importance, notes, and tags to your tasks
Add steps to your task
Use steps to break your larger tasks down in to smaller, more actionable pieces.
To add a step:
-
Select the task to open detail view, select + Add step, and begin typing your next step.
-
When you've finished, select Enter on your keyboard to save and close.
To help keep you on track, a counter beneath each task's name displays the total number of steps the task contains and how many have been completed so far.
Add importance
Add priority to your tasks by starring your important tasks in each list. Once starred, you can view all of your prioritized tasks in the important smart list. You can also sort each list by importance to have your starred tasks automatically move to the top of the list.
Add notes
If you have any extra information you’d like to add to your task, you can add a note. Select the task to open detail view, and then tap or select within Add a note.
Add tags
Keep your tasks organized across different lists by adding hashtags (like #work or #school) to your tasks' names. You can add tags when creating tasks or when editing them.
You can quickly see all the tasks, notes, and steps that share a tag by selecting that tag or searching for it in the search bar. For example, search for #work.
Add categories to your tasks
Categorizing your tasks helps you view and group them in To Do using the same categories you use in new Outlook. There are two ways to add a category to a task depending on how you prefer to assign categories: either add a category to a task in To Do, or add a category to a flagged email in Mail so the flagged email shows up in To Do's Flagged email list.
Add a category to a task in To Do
-
Select a task in any list to display its details.
-
Select Pick a category to choose one or more you've already created in new Outlook.
-
Select a task in any list to see its details.
-
You’ll see all the categories you’ve applied to a task in the list view.
-
To remove a category, select X on the category label, or move your cursor to the category selection and delete it.
Add a category to a flagged email
Categories on flagged emails sync between To Do tasks and new Outlook email, so you only need to modify a category in one location for it to be updated in the other. You can either flag an email that already has a category assigned, or assign a category after you've flagged it. Flagging the email will place the message in the Flagged email list, and from there you can view the task or move it to another list.
Turn the Flagged email list on or off in To Do Settings.
Important: Only Flagged emails that have been assigned a category in new Outlook will sync their categories with To Do. If you create a task from a message with a category previously assigned in new Outlook, the category will not sync to To Do unless you flag that message.
Create or edit categories for tasks and emails
If you want to create new categories to assign to tasks, go to new OutlookSettings > Accounts > Categories. Learn more about creating or editing categories in Outlook.
Add files to your tasks
Add more context by uploading an image, document or other file to your task. Microsoft To Do supports all file types, though file uploads are limited to 25 MB per task.
-
Select To Do from the left navigation pane in new Outlook.
-
Select the task you want to add a file to.
-
Choose + Add a file from the task details pane and follow the prompts to upload a file from your device.
Note: You can attach more than one file to a task, but can add them only one at a time.
Open To Do to display all of your tasks in Outlook on the web and Outlook.com
To view and manage your tasks, select
The To Do page includes any task lists that you create, default tasks lists, and smart lists. Smart lists include My Day, Important, Planned, All, Completed, Assigned to me, and Flagged Email, and Due Today.
Select a task in any list to see all of the available options for that task. You can do things like add additional steps, add a task to My Day, make tasks repeating, add a due date or reminder, and add a note or file.
Turn off smart lists and change your settings by selecting Settings when To Do is open within Outlook on the web or Outlook.com.
Add a task to a list Outlook on the web
You can add new tasks by selecting a tasks list, then choosing the plus sign next to Add a task and entering a description of your task. If you add a task to a smart list, the task will be saved in Tasks and linked to the smart list you were in when you created it.
Note: You can also view and manage your tasks on the go by installing the To Do app.
Add due dates and reminders to your tasks in Outlook on the web
You can select a task in any list to see its details, where you can add additional steps, add it to My Day, add a due date or reminder, make it repeating, pick a category, add a file, or add a note. Scheduled tasks will automatically appear in the Planned smart list, where you can see your tasks due today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Start by selecting To Do from the left navigation pane in Outlook on the web or Outlook.com.
Add a reminder in Outlook on the web or Outlook.com
-
Select a task.
-
Select Remind me and choose when you'll be reminded: later today, tomorrow, next week, or a date and time you pick.
Add a due date in Outlook on the web or Outlook.com
-
Select a task to see its detail view.
-
Select Add due date and choose when the task will be due: today, tomorrow, next week, or a date you pick.
Set a due date to repeat in Outlook on the web or Outlook.com
-
Select a task.
-
Select Repeat and choose when your task will repeat: daily, on weekdays, weekly, monthly, yearly, or a custom repetition.
Add steps, importance, notes, and tags to your tasks in Outlook on the web or Outlook.com
Add steps to your task
Use steps to break your larger tasks down in to smaller, more actionable pieces.
To add a step:
-
Select the task to open detail view, select + Add step, and begin typing your next step.
-
When you've finished, select Enter on your keyboard to save and close.
To help keep you on track, a counter beneath each task's name displays the total number of steps the task contains and how many have been completed so far.
Add importance
Add priority to your tasks by starring your important tasks in each list. Once starred, you can view all of your prioritized tasks in the important smart list. You can also sort each list by importance to have your starred tasks automatically move to the top of the list.
Add notes
If you have any extra information you’d like to add to your task, you can add a note. Select the task to open detail view, and then tap or select within Add a note.
Add tags
Keep your tasks organized across different lists by adding hashtags (like #work or #school) to your tasks' names. You can add tags when creating tasks or when editing them.
You can quickly see all the tasks, notes, and steps that share a tag by selecting that tag or searching for it in the search bar. For example, search for #work.
Add categories to your tasks in Outlook on the web or Outlook.com
Categorizing your tasks helps you view and group them in To Do using the same categories you use in Outlook on the web or Outlook.com. There are two ways to add a category to a task depending on how you prefer to assign categories: either add a category to a task in To Do, or add a category to a flagged email in Mail so the flagged email shows up in To Do's Flagged email list.
Add a category to a task in To Do
-
Select a task in any list to display its details.
-
Select Pick a category to choose one or more you've already created in Outlook on the web or Outlook.com.
-
Select a task in any list to see its details.
-
You’ll see all the categories you’ve applied to a task in the list view.
-
To remove a category, select X on the category label, or move your cursor to the category selection and delete it.
Add a category to a flagged email
Categories on flagged emails sync between To Do tasks and Outlook on the web email, so you only need to modify a category in one location for it to be updated in the other. You can either flag an email that already has a category assigned, or assign a category after you've flagged it. Flagging the email will place the message in the Flagged email list, and from there you can view the task or move it to another list.
Turn the Flagged email list on or off in To Do Settings.
Important: Only Flagged emails that have been assigned a category in Outlook will sync their categories with To Do. If you create a task from a message with a category previously assigned in Outlook, the category will not sync to To Do unless you flag that message.
Create or edit categories for tasks and emails in Outlook on the web or Outlook.com
If you want to create new categories to assign to tasks, go to Outlook on the web Settings > Accounts > Categories. Learn more about creating or editing categories in Outlook.
Add files to your tasks in Outlook on the web
Add more context by uploading an image, document or other file to your task. Microsoft To Do supports all file types, though file uploads are limited to 25 MB per task.
-
Select To Do from the left navigation pane.
-
Select the task you want to add a file to.
-
Choose + Add a file from the task details pane and follow the prompts to upload a file from your device.
Note: You can attach more than one file to a task, but can add them only one at a time.
See also
Create tasks with To Do in Outlook
Use My Day with To Do in Outlook
Drag a task to your calendar with To Do in Outlook
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