Checkboxes and to-dos

Add a checkbox and check it

⌘Return is one key for the whole life of a to-do. The first press adds the box, and each press after that checks and unchecks it.

1. 1

   Add it

   With the caret in a note, press ⌘Return. The note gets an empty box.

2. 2

   Check it

   Press ⌘Return again, or click the box. Clicking toggles that note without starting an edit. A checked note is struck through.

3. 3

   Keep going

   Press Return in a to-do and the note after it is an unchecked to-do too. This happens wherever the caret is, so the text after the caret moves into the new to-do. At the very start of a to-do that has text, Return inserts a plain note above it instead.

4. 4

   Empty to-do

   Press Return in an empty to-do and its box is removed. The note stays where it is.

5. 5

   Take the box away

   Choose Note ▸ Remove Checkbox. The text and everything under the note stay.

6. 6

   Type the box

   At the start of a note, type [ ] and press Space for an open to-do, or [x] and Space for a checked one. This needs Convert Markdown as you type, which is on by default.

Work on several to-dos at once

Select several notes and ⌘Return adds a box to every one of them, or toggles the boxes they already have. It is one undo step.

To select them, press Esc to select the note you are editing and extend with ⇧ ↓, or drag in the empty space beside the text. See Select and move notes.

The Insert command list also has Check all, Uncheck all and Sort checked to bottom. They act on the child notes of the note you are editing. Mark as done and Mark as not done act on that note. These run from the list or with Return, never from Space.

In a code note

Copy, paste and the Markdown copy

Copying to-dos writes each box as [ ] or [x] at the start of its line. Pasting lines that begin with those marks makes to-dos again. See Copy and paste.

The Markdown copy adds todo: to the note's frontmatter, and writes [ ] or [x] before a to-do that sits in a list.

Count the to-dos on a page

The footer at the foot of each page counts the notes on it. When the page has to-dos, the footer also counts them and how many are done, for example: 3 notes in total · 1 to-do · 0 done.

Combine it

• Done column in a tableWhen any row has a checkbox, the Table view shows a checkbox column. Space toggles it from the keyboard.
• A search for what is openAdd a Checkbox condition set to Not done, and a checked note drops out of the results.
• Mark as done from the palettePress ⌘K and type Mark as done. Choosing it checks the note you are editing.
• Today's to-dosQuick Capture adds lines to Today. Open Today, select them and press ⌘Return.

Limits

• Built-in pages, and notes that are a supertag, field or saved search, cannot take a checkbox.