For many of us, to-do lists are how we get things done. And that often means having the best to-do list app on hand to help you capture all your personal or work-related tasks.
Whether you jot down ideas into your app during a brainstorming call or set them up at the start of each week, a reliable app can help keep you organized. The only problem? Tasks come from all sorts of sources—from emails to meetings and beyond—so it’s easy for things to get buried at the bottom of your to-do list (or never make it there in the first place).
With a few Zaps—our word for our automated workflows—you can send information from one app to another automatically, so you don’t have to manage tasks in multiple apps.
Zapier is the leader in workflow automation—integrating with thousands of apps from partners like Google, Salesforce, and Microsoft. Use interfaces, data tables, and logic to build secure, automated systems for your business-critical workflows across your organization’s technology stack. Learn more.
Table of contents
You’ll need a Zapier account to use the workflows in this piece. If you don’t have an account yet, it’s free to get started. Learn more about how it works.
Add messages to your task management app
Let’s say your boss messages you, either in a Slack message or an email. Maybe she needs those monthly growth reports from you by the end of the week. You’ve got three options:
-
Stop what you’re doing, gather the reports now, and send them her way
-
Move on, let the message sit there gathering dust, and potentially forget to do it
-
Open up your to-do app, type out the details of the task, and keep it on your radar
No. 3 is more logical. But it can still take you away from your more pressing—or more important—work.
Instead, you can use a Zap to add emails or saved Slack messages to your to-do list app automatically based on specific criteria. That way, you can stay focused on your work while your (or your team’s) to-do list is always up to date.
Create to-do list items from your note-taking app
We take notes all the time, from meeting minutes to ideas. But keeping those organized or making them actionable requires copying and pasting, which can be inefficient. With one of our automatic workflows, you can turn new notes in apps like Evernote or OneNote into tasks. Assign tasks to yourself or other team members to make meeting or brainstorming follow-up streamlined.
Want to organize your notes before they land in your to-do list app? If you’ve typed them out in a hurry or you’d like to add clearer instructions for specific team members, you can add an AI step to do the heavy lifting for you.
With these Zaps, any new notes you create will be sent directly to an AI tool of your choice (like ChatGPT or Google AI Studio). AI will then reformat or enhance the content based on your instructions, adding context where needed, before seamlessly sending it to your to-do list app.
Create action items from your meetings
Meetings often come with regular tasks, like creating an agenda, completing follow-up items, or preparing ongoing reports. Make sure you and your meeting attendees never miss meeting prep and follow-up again with automation.
With these Zaps, you can automatically add new tasks to your to list app for appointments on your calendar.
If you use AI tools like Read AI or Fathom to take notes and plan follow-up tasks for projects as your meetings are happening, you can also automatically add them directly to your task management app.
That way, any action items that need your attention won’t slip through the cracks.
Collaborate on tasks with your team
Your trusty task management app might work perfectly for you, but your teammates could be using something entirely different. This can make it tricky to share updates or get a holistic view of your projects.
That’s where integrating with robust project management platforms or shared databases like Notion or Google Sheets can make all the difference. With Zapier, you can automatically add new tasks to specific projects or dashboards, flag incomplete tasks for collaboration, and even update project items whenever you complete a task in your task management app.
Cross-posting these updates across platforms ensures everyone stays aligned, reduces miscommunication, and keeps your projects moving forward seamlessly.
Schedule recurring tasks
We all have those tasks that we need to get done on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. In-app notifications and reminders are useful, but some don’t let you set recurring tasks. Our built-in scheduling tool can help you add that feature to your favorite task management app.
Create to-do items from form submissions
There may be times when you or someone else on your team needs to take action on form submissions. For example, you may be the point person for following up on customer feedback or new leads. Or you may need to send certain form responses to your support team for follow-up.
With one of our Zaps, you can add specific information from new form submissions into your task manager, so you always remember to follow up.
This article was originally published in August 2015 and was most recently updated in December 2024 by Elena Alston.