SOURCE-BASED ANALYSIS · NO HANDS-ON RATING
Use labels for a question that crosses projects
Todoist describes labels as a way to categorize related tasks across projects. That is useful when the project tells you the outcome but you also need a shared execution context. Decide what decision a label supports before adding it to every task.
Example: batch telephone work
Imagine a consultant has three projects: a website launch, supplier onboarding and an event. Each contains one task that requires a telephone call. Keeping the tasks in their respective projects preserves the context. A common call label can provide a second way to gather those actions during a quiet half-hour.
Define call narrowly: a task whose next action is to place a call. Do not also use it for waiting for a reply, reviewing a recording or writing notes from a completed conversation. Otherwise the batch becomes a mixed inbox and its usefulness declines.
Write a vocabulary card
| Label concept | Include | Exclude |
|---|---|---|
| Call | A call you need to make | A call already completed |
| Waiting | A named external response | Unstarted work you own |
| Review | An identifiable decision to make | Anything merely interesting |
These names are an illustrative taxonomy, not required Todoist defaults. Use the label control in your current app rather than depending on an old shortcut remembered from another version.
Try the vocabulary on real-looking tasks
- Create one synthetic action in each of the three projects.
- Apply the proposed label only where its definition fits.
- Open the label view and check that each item can be acted on in that context.
- Ask someone else to label the same sample independently.
- Merge or clarify labels where the two classifications disagree.
Prevent label drift
Give one person responsibility for the shared vocabulary, even if everyone can suggest additions. Review labels with no clear action attached. Two tags called Follow up and Follow-up may look harmless while splitting a queue that people expect to be complete.
A label is a classification choice, so its absence can be a human omission rather than proof that no action exists. Periodically compare a small project sample with the cross-project queue. Keep the system only if it saves decisions during execution. If it creates more maintenance than useful batching, simplify the vocabulary instead of adding more filters on top of inconsistent labels.
For the complete learning path, visit the Todoist practical guide hub.
Sources and verification
Official documentation checked on 2026-10-29. Worked examples are hypothetical planning exercises, not measured product benchmarks.