Labels and filters
Projects say where a task belongs. Labels say what kind of task it is, across all projects: @call, @errand, @waiting, @deep-work. Filters then let you ask questions like "every call I need to make this week".
On this page
Add a label to a task#
Pick whichever is quickest:
- Type it in quick add:
Phone the bank @call. - Select a task and press L, start typing, and press Enter. The picker stays open so you can add more.
- Open the task and use Labels in the panel.
If the label doesn't exist yet, typing its name and pressing Enter creates it. Labels show as small colored chips on the task. To remove one, open the task and select the × on the chip.
See everything with one label#
The Labels group in the sidebar lists your labels with the number of open tasks for each. Select one to see all its tasks, grouped by project.
All next to Labels (or g l) opens the full list. From there, or from a label's ⋯ menu in the sidebar, you can:
- Rename it or change its Color. Every task shows the new name immediately.
- Move up or Move down in the list.
- Merge into… another label: tasks with the first label get the second one instead, and the first is deleted. Handy when you end up with both "Errand" and "errand".
- Delete label: it's removed from every task.
If two of your devices created the same label while offline, both copies appear with a duplicate marker and an offer to merge them.
Labels are personal. In a shared project, other members don't see the labels you add.
Find tasks with a filter#
Open Filter in the sidebar (or press g f) and type a query. Results appear as you type, grouped by project.
A query combines small pieces:
| Piece | Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
@name |
has this label | @call |
#name |
in this project | #Work |
##name |
in this project or its sub-projects | ##Work |
p1 … p4 |
priority | p1 |
today, tomorrow, overdue, no date |
due then, or not at all | overdue |
due <= 7 days |
due within the next week | due before friday |
search: text |
words in the title or notes | search: invoice |
completed |
include completed tasks | #Home & completed |
Join them with & (and), | (or) and ! (not), and use brackets to group:
(@call | @errand) & due <= 7 daysThat reads: tasks labeled call or errand, due within the next seven days. A few more:
#Work & p1 & due <= tomorrow: the most important work for today and tomorrow.overdue & no project: overdue tasks still sitting in the Inbox.@waiting & !#Work: everything you're waiting on, outside work.
Names with spaces go in quotes: #"Client A". Upper and lower case don't matter. If you mistype, a message under the box says where, and the previous results stay visible.
Press Enter to jump from the box to the first result, and Esc to go back. ↑ and ↓ in the box bring back your recent queries.
The full language, with ten worked examples, is in Filter queries.
Save a filter as a view#
When a query is useful, keep it: press s in the results, give it a name, and it appears under Views in the sidebar with a live count. Saved views sync to your other devices. See Views for grouping, sorting and dashboards.
Tips#
- Labels for context work well:
@call,@computer,@errand,@home. Then a view like@errand & due <= 2 daysis your shopping list. - A
@waitinglabel plus a pinned "Waiting on others" view makes follow-ups hard to forget. - Filters run on your device. They're instant, and they work offline.