- Use Gmail’s built-in Tasks for a simple solution to convert emails into a to-do list.
- Forward emails to Todoist to organize tasks and add due dates.
- Turn messages into tasks automatically with Outlook’s built-in task manager.
Your emails are where work begins but it’s rarely where it ends. Important messages often contain tasks, deadlines, or follow-ups that can easily be missed if they stay buried in your inbox. Turning emails into to-do items helps keep your workflow organized and ensures nothing gets missed.
Here are three easy ways to convert emails into a to-do list using tools you likely already have.
Use Gmail’s Built-In Tasks Feature
If you’re a Gmail user, you already have a lightweight to-do list built right in. Google Tasks allows you to turn any email into a task with just a few clicks and no extensions or integrations required. To convert emails to tasks in Gmail:
Step 1: In Gmail, open the email you want to turn into a task.
Step 2: Click the three-dot menu and select ‘Add to Tasks’.
Step 3: Click on the task that appears and review the due date and details.
You can also drag an email directly into the Tasks panel if it’s already open. This method is faster, and perfect for simple task management tied to your inbox.
Forward Emails to Todoist
Todoist is a popular task manager that integrates well with email. It gives you more flexibility than Google Tasks, especially if you want labels, filters, recurring due dates, and project organization. To use emails with Todoist:
Step 1: Open Todoist.
Step 2: Click the profile picture, then ‘Settings’.
Step 3: Go to Integrations, and click ‘Add integrations’.
Step 4: Find your email browser and click ‘Add’.
Step 5: Open your email app and open the email you want.
Step 6: Click the Todoist icon that appears.
Step 7: Fill in the details.
How to Use the Subject Line in Todoist for Categories and More
When you forward an email to Todoist, the subject line becomes the task name, but you can also use it to quickly organize your task. By adding special characters, you can assign the task to a project, apply labels, and set a due date. Here’s how:
- Using ‘#ProjectName’ adds the task to a specific project
- Using @label –applies a label
- Using
today’,tomorrow’, or a date sets the due date
Example
`Submit expense report tomorrow #Work @Finance’
Use Microsoft Outlook’s Tasks Feature
For those in the Microsoft system, Outlook offers a powerful built-in task manager that works seamlessly with your email. You can flag messages for follow-up or convert them into tasks with reminders and categories. To turn an email into a task in Outlook:
Step 1: Open Outlook and then right-click the email and select ‘Create task’.
Step 2: Click ‘Add Reminder’.
Step 3: Choose a due date, priority, and category as needed.
If you’re using Microsoft To Do, flagged emails from Outlook will also appear in your To Do list automatically.
How Outlook To Do and Flagged Emails Work
Microsoft To Do is a task management app that syncs with Outlook. When you ‘flag an email’ in Outlook, it’s automatically added to the ‘Flagged Email’ list in Microsoft To Do. This creates a task linked to the original email, so you can access it easily. You can then set due dates, reminders, and add notes right within To Do.
