Email to task list: every ask in your inbox, in one to-do list
Your real to-do list is hidden inside your inbox: a client asking for a file, a form due Friday, a colleague waiting on a number. This prompt has your todo.is agent read your recent Gmail, pull out each task someone asked of you or you promised, and turn them into one prioritized list with due dates and links back to the email.
The prompt
- Read my Gmail from [TIME RANGE], including my sent emails, and turn it into a task list. Find every request someone made of me and every promise I made ("I will send...", "by Friday"). For each task write: a short action starting with a verb, who it is for, due date (from the email, or "none"), estimated effort (5 min, 30 min, 1 hour+), and a link to the email. Group by [GROUPING]. Merge duplicates from the same thread and skip tasks already done (where I replied with the answer). Mark the top 3 for today. Send the list to [WHERE TO SEND], and save it as an Excel file. If I say yes, add tasks with a deadline to my Google Calendar as reminders.
What to change
- [TIME RANGE]: e.g. "the last 7 days" or "since my last task list".
- [GROUPING]: e.g. "due date", "client or project" or "work and personal".
- [WHERE TO SEND]: Here in todo.is, or WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack or email.
Example result
- Task list from your email (last 7 days)
- 14 tasks found. 3 were already done, so 11 open.
- Top 3 for today
- 1. Send the signed NDA to Rui Costa, Halden Foods. Due today. 5 min.
- 2. Give Dana the Q4 headcount numbers. Due today 15:00. 30 min.
- 3. Reply to the school about the trip form. Due Friday. 5 min.
- Overdue (1)
- • Send the logo files to Marta (you promised "by Monday" on 6 Oct). 5 min.
- This week (4)
- • Review the floor plan draft for Rosa Kim. Due Thu 12:00. 1 hour+
- • Book the meeting room for the Northwind workshop. Due Thu. 5 min.
- • Send the PO number to Fennel Studio accounts. Due Fri. 5 min.
- • Confirm the speaker slot with Priya Shah. Due Fri. 5 min.
- No deadline (4)
- • Intro Ivy to Sam (you said "happy to"). 5 min.
- • Answer Tom about coffee next week. 5 min.
- • Read the release notes the product team sent. 30 min.
- • Pick a date for the laptop swap with IT. 5 min.
- Already done (skipped)
- • Sent the invoice to Pine & Field (you replied on 9 Oct)
- • Confirmed the boiler check with the landlord
- • Shared feedback with Daniel Ross
- The Excel file
- Columns: Task, For, Due date, Effort, Group, Status, Email link. Mark tasks as done there, or just tell me "done: NDA".
How to do it with todo.is
- Connect Google in todo.is so your agent can read your inbox and sent mail.
- Copy the prompt, pick a time range and how you want tasks grouped, then paste it on the Today screen.
- Read the list and start with the top 3. Click a link to jump straight to the email.
- Make it a habit: add "every weekday at 8:30, since the last run" and it becomes a daily recurring to-do.
Tips for a better result
- Include your sent mail. The promises you made ("I'll send it tomorrow") are the tasks people forget most.
- Effort estimates help you batch: clear all the 5-minute tasks in one go before deep work.
- Ask for verbs at the start of each task. "Send logo files" is easier to act on than "Marta logo".
- Tell your agent when a task is done so the next list stays short and accurate.
email to task list: FAQ
- How do I turn emails into tasks? Read each email, write the action as a short task with a due date, and link it to the email. Your todo.is agent does this for your whole inbox at once and gives you one list.
- Can it find tasks I promised in my sent emails? Yes. It reads your sent mail for phrases like "I will send" or "by Friday" and adds them as your tasks.
- Can it add the tasks to Google Calendar? Yes. If you say yes, it adds tasks with deadlines to your Google Calendar as events or reminders.
- Does it work with Google Tasks or other to-do apps? It sends the list as a message and an Excel file. You can import the file into many to-do apps, or just work from the list your agent sends.
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