Add a checklist to a task

Break a task into up to 100 steps you can tick off, reorder and edit from the keyboard, and see the progress on the task row.

A checklist is an ordered list of small steps inside one task. Use it when the steps do not need their own dates or assignees. For steps that do, use sub-tasks.

#Add a checklist

• In the new task sheet or the edit sheet, open the + menu and choose Checklist.
• In the side panel of a task, the Checklist section is always there.
• Type a list after a colon, like "Groceries: milk, eggs and bread". Prior offers Turn into a checklist · 3 items, and the title becomes "Groceries".

Type an item in Add an item and press Enter. Each Enter adds the next one.

#Work with the items

• Tick an item with its circle. The checklist shows a bar and a count like "3 of 5 done", and the task row shows a small "3/5" chip that turns green when every step is done.
• Rename an item by clicking its text. It saves when you leave the item, not on every keystroke.
• Reorder by dragging the handle, or press Alt ↑ or Alt ↓ on an item. A screen reader announces the new position.
• Move between items with ↑ and ↓.
• Remove an item with its ×, or press Backspace on an empty item.

A checklist holds up to 100 items. When it is full, the field says "The checklist is full (100 items)". An item can be up to 400 characters long.

#Good to know

• Ticking items earns no XP in Game mode. Only completing the task does. Ticking the last item does not complete the task.
• Items have no dates, reminders or assignees. They are part of the task: they do not show as separate rows in your lists, but the command palette searches them.
• When you complete a repeating task, its next occurrence gets the same checklist with every item unticked. Duplicate does the same. See Recurring tasks.
• Automatic time blocking counts the ticked share of a checklist when it sizes a block, so a half-done task needs less time. See Time blocking.
• The checklist syncs with the task. If two devices edit the same checklist before they sync, the last one to reach the server is kept.
• Prior AI and connected assistants can add and tick checklist items too.

Updated 5 November 2026