How To Create A To-Do List In WordPress

Time is always in short supply, especially if you are running a growing business.

There are just so many things to do and remember. You have so many deadlines to meet, projects to complete, meetings to attend, fires to put out, appointments to make, schedules to keep and so on. The “doing” never seems to stop.

Now … add the extra workload of trying to promote and grow your business online and keeping your website updated with new content and things can start to feel unmanageable and overwhelming.

Whether you run a business, website, blog, or manage a team, it’s important to be able to organize and prioritize your activities, keep track of your progress and daily accomplishments, and, if necessary, assign responsibilities to team members efficiently.

A ”tried and true” tool that can help you save time, alleviate stressful workloads, and allow you to gain some control is to use a “to-do” list.

The Benefits Of Using A To Do List

A “to-do” list can help you track your progress as you work to get tasks completed. Your to-do list can be very detailed and specific, or act as a reminder of the things that need doing today, tomorrow, this week, this month, etc.

Here are just a few of the benefits of using to do lists:

Free The Brain

Creating a to do list means that you won’t have to try and remember stuff or store unnecessary information inside your mind. Once tasks are recorded on a to do list, your brain is free to process information and you can focus on other things that could be more important.

Better Manage Your Time

Prioritizing tasks on your list helps you save time and better manage your workload. You can develop a better perspective on what is truly urgent vs what’s not, and what steps have to be completed first.

Reschedule Quickly

Having a to-do list helps you better deal with events. If you suddenly find that a meeting has been cancelled or extra time becomes available because some task was completed sooner than expected, you can quickly reschedule and reorganize and continue moving forward with little to minimal loss of focus.

Ensures Accountability

Without accountability there is no commitment to completion, and no motivation to take meaningful action. Lack of accountability can also let excuses creep in and take over your productivity.

Improved Collaboration

Using to do lists and other project management tools is essential for working with others on some of your larger or more complex projects.

As you can see, there are many benefits to using to-do lists, both in business and in your personal life. Create a list, prioritize your list items and work towards completing the tasks you have listed and your business productivity and efficiency will surely increase.

What about using a to do list on your WordPress website?

In this tutorial we are going to show you how to easily create to do lists in WordPress to improve business efficiency and productivity using a great little plugin for WordPress called Cleverness To-Do List.

Cleverness To Do List

Plugin URL

http://wordpress.org/plugins/cleverness-to-do-list/

Plugin Description

This WordPress plugin provides users with a to do list feature.

Plugin Features

Note: the plugin features listed below are discussed in more detail in the tutorial section.

You can set up Cleverness To Do List to assign private to-do lists for individual users, to have all users share your to-do list, or to have a master list with individual item completions.

The shared to do list includes different settings. You can assign to-do items to specific users (this includes emailing new to do items to the user) and optionally to have those items only viewable by that user. You can also assign different permission levels to different users. There are also settings available to display deadline and progress fields. Category support is also included in the front-end administration.

A new menu item is added to the backend to manage your lists and your to do list is also displayed on a dashboard widget.

A sidebar widget is available as well as shortcode to display the to-do list items on your blog. There are two short codes for front-end list administration. Category management is accessed via the back-end.

If you plan to set up a multi-author site you can use the to-do lists plugin to create custom to do lists for your post planners if you also download a copy of the Post Planner plugin.

Cleverness To-Do List Plugin Installation

Log into your WordPress administration section and click on Plugins > Add New …

In the Install Plugins screen, type in “cleverness” into the search field and click Enter on your keyboard …

Locate the Cleverness To-Do List entry in the Search Results tab and click Install Now …

Click “Activate Plugin” …

Note: You can also activate the plugin in the Plugins area …

Once you have activated the plugin, click on Settings …

Note: The ‘Settings’ screen can also be accessed by choosing To-Do List > Settings from your admin menu …

This brings you to the ‘Settings’ section …

Let’s go through the plugin setup process …

Configuring The Cleverness To-Do List Plugin

The Settings screen is divided into four sections:

• To-Do List Settings – This area lets you specify the plugin’s main settings.
• Advanced Settings – The options in this area let you customize To-Do lists, assign tasks to other users and perform database maintenance tasks.
• User Permissions – This area is where you set up user permissions and capabilities for Master and Group List types.
• Import/Export – The options in this section let you import and export your to-do list data and plugin settings.

Let’s now take you through each of these tabs.

To-Do List Settings

Categories

Select ‘Enabled’ to organize lists into categories, otherwise leave this option set to ‘Disabled’.

Note: If you enable this option, a ‘Categories’ item gets added to the To-Do List plugin menu …

This allows you to add categories that you can use to organize your to-do lists (see ‘Plugin Usage’ section further below for more details) …

You can set up ‘public’ and ‘private’ categories for your lists.

Categories set to ‘private’ are not visible when using the sidebar widgets or short codes (only when ‘Sort Order’ is set to ‘Category’)

List View

List View allows you to choose how lists are viewed. There are three types of list views:

• Individual – Selecting this option lets each user create and manage their own private to-do list.
• Group – Use this option if you want all users to be able to share the same to-do list.
• Master – This option allows you to create a master list for all users, where users have their own individual items to complete. If you choose the ‘Master’ list view, make sure that you configure the User Permissions appropriately in the ‘User Permissions’ tab (see further below).

Sort Order

‘Sort Order’ lets you specify how to order to-do list items.

If you select Alphabetical, Category or ID options, items will be first sorted by priority.

Show Added By

Enabling this option (‘Yes’) lets you display which of your users has added an item to your to-do list.

Note: This setting only works when ‘List View’ is set to ‘Group’.

Show Date Completed

If this option is enabled (‘Yes’), completion dates will display for to-do items.

Show Deadline

Enabling this option (‘Yes’) lets you specify deadlines for your to-do tasks …

Show Progress

If this option is enabled (‘Yes’), you will be able to specify task progress indicators for your to-do items …

Show Admin Bar Menu

If enabled (‘Yes’), the ‘To-Do List’ menu will display in your WP Admin bar …

Use WYSIWYG Editor

Enabling this option lets you add and edit items on your to-do list using the WordPress WYSIWYG Editor …

Use Auto Paragraphs

Enable this option (‘Yes’) to display content in your to-do lists using paragraphs.

Integrate with Post Planner

If you are running a multi-author site or blog, you can integrate the Cleverness To-Do List plugin with a plugin called WordPress Post Planner, from the same developer that provides you with a complete WordPress editorial solution …

For more information about using this plugin, visit this site: WordPress Post Planner – Plugin For WordPress

Once you are done configuring your plugin options in this section, remember to click the ‘Save Changes’ button …

Advanced Settings

After configuring the settings in the To-Do List Settings tab, click on the ‘Advanced Settings’ tab to proceed …

This brings you to the ‘Advanced Settings’ screen …

This section lets you customize your To-Do lists, assign to-do tasks to users and carry out plugin database maintenance.

Let’s step through how to configure the plugin’s ‘Advanced Settings’ section …

To-Do List Advanced Settings > Customize The To-Do List

This section of the ‘Advanced Settings’ screen allows you to customize your To-Do List …

The following options can be configured in this section:

Date Format

This section lets you specify how to display dates in your to-do list (e.g. month/day/year, day/month/year, etc.)

Note: To learn more about how to format dates in WordPress, visit the relevant section of the WordPress Codex below:

WordPress Codex – Formatting Date And Time

Priority Labels

This section lets you customize the labels for highest (important), normal and lowest priority items …

Items given the highest priority are color-coded in red and lowest priority items display in a lighter shade of grey …

Show To-Do Item ID

If this option is enabled (‘Yes’), the items’ IDs will show on your to-do list …

Show Date To-Do Was Added

If this option is enabled (‘Yes’), the date the to-do list was added will display on the table of items …

To-Do List Advanced Settings > Assign To-Do Items Settings

If you have chosen ‘Group’ or ‘Master’ View for your to-do list, you can configure the options in this area and assign to-do items to other users …

You can configure the following settings in this section:

Assign To-Do Items to Users

Enable this option to assign tasks to other users …

Note: This setting must be set to ‘Yes’ for the settings below it to work.

Show a User Only the To-Do Items Assigned to Them

If enabled (‘Yes’), you can display to-do items only to users who have been assigned those items. Leaving this option disabled (‘No’) will display to-do items to all users.

User Roles to Show

Checking the boxes in this area Editor displays the type of users that can be assigned items. If you don’t want to assign to-do items to a role, then leave its check box unticked.

Email Assigned To-Do Items to User

When this option is enabled, WordPress will automatically send users an email with their assigned to-do items …

Leave this option disabled (‘No’) if you don’t want to send out emails to users.

Note: If you disable this option, you can skip the remaining items in this section.

Add Category to Subject

If you have enabled categories in your plugin settings and select ‘Yes’ for this option, the to-do category will display on the subject of your emails …

Leave this option disabled (‘No’) if you don’t want categories to show the subject of your emails.

Leave this option disabled (‘No’) if you don’t want to display to-do categories in the email subject.

Show Who Assigned the To-Do Item in Email

Enable this option to display the user who assigned the to-do item in the email. This option is useful if, for example, your website has various project managers assigning to-do items to users …

From Field for Emails Sent to User

Use this field to customize the “From” field when sending out emails. You can enter the name of your company, your domain, your name, or anything you like in this field …

From Email

In this field, add the email address that you want displayed as the “sent from” email address …

Subject Field for Emails Sent to User

Enter a subject field for the email that will be sent out automatically to users when new items have been added to your to-do list …

Text in Emails Sent to User

In this field, add the body of the email message that will be sent out automatically to users when a new item has been assigned to your to-do list.

To-Do List Advanced Settings > Database Cleanup

In this section of the ‘Advanced Settings’ tab you can perform database maintenance tasks associated with plugin data inside the plugin settings area itself without the need to access your server …

This function is useful if, for example, you notice that old items are still showing up on your site.

You can perform the tasks below:

• Delete Tables – Delete custom database tables that you no longer use.
• Delete All To-Do Items – Delete all to-do items.

Any actions that you perform on your database from this screen cannot be undone. If you are sure that you want to proceed with any of the database operations available in this section, then we recommend backing up your WP database first.

If you don’t want to perform manual backups, then get professional support services, or use a backup plugin. Learn about a WordPress backup plugin that can automate your site backups here:

• Back Up, Duplicate & Keep Your WP Web Sites Protected With Backup Creator WP Plugin

User Permissions

In this section you can configure user permissions and capabilities for Group and Master List types …

If you are using the Individual List type, the only configurable item that applies in this section is the View To-Do List option …

If you are setting up user permissions and capabilities for Group and Master List types, select the highest level capabilities that you want users to have access to for each option …

The default general capabilities of each user role are set up as follows:

• Subscribers: Read
• Contributors: Edit Posts
• Authors: Publish Posts
• Editors: Edit Others Posts
• Administrators: Manage Options

Note: When working with the Master list type make sure that you only allow non-administrators to view and complete items, otherwise they will have the ability to edit the Master list.

Let’s review the settings for the User Permissions tab:

View To-Do List

Here you can permit the selected capability to view to-do items in the dashboard widget and on the To-Do List page under the ‘Tools’ section.

Complete To-Do Item Capability

This enables the selected capability to mark items as completed or uncompleted.

Add To-Do Item Capability

This setting allows the selected capability to add new to-do items.

Edit To-Do Item Capability

This option allows the chosen capability to modify existing items.

Assign To-Do Item Capability

Here you can permit the selected capability to delegate items to individual users.

View All Assigned Tasks Capability

This enables the selected capability to view all tasks even if “Show Each User Only Their Assigned Tasks” is set to ‘Yes’.

Delete To-Do Item Capability

Here you can allow the chosen capability to delete individual items.

Delete All To-Do Items Capability

Here you can allow the selected capability to purge all the completed to-do items.

Add Categories Capability

This option permits the chosen capability to add new categories.

Import/Export

Being able to import and export to-do list data can be very useful. For example, you may need to copy over data from one website to another, or store the data for backup or reporting purposes.

To access this function, click on the ‘Import/Export’ tab in your plugin settings area …

Here you can import or export your list data and plugin settings …

Exporting To-Do List Data

To export and download your data settings click on the ‘Download Export File’ …

This opens up a window allowing you to view or download your data as plain text to a storage medium (e.g. your hard drive) …

In addition to exporting data from the ‘Import/Export’ tab, you can also export data by going to your WordPress admin menu and choosing Tools > Export …

You can include to-do list data in a WordPress export file (in XML format), either by checking ‘All content’ (includes everything – posts, pages, etc…), or just select ‘To-Do’ from the ‘Choose what to export’ section and click on the ‘Download Export File’ button to save your file to an internal or external hard drive…

Importing To-Do List Data

To import a list data file, click on the ‘Browse’ button next to the ‘Choose File to Import’ field …

Locate the file and click ‘Open’ …

After your data file has been uploaded to your settings area, click on ‘Import Settings’ …

Your file will be imported.

After configuring all of the plugin settings, you can start create and edit your lists.

Plugin Usage

To create a new to-do list, go to your WordPress admin menu and select To-Do List > To-Do List …

This brings up the ‘To-Do List’ screen …

Add New To Do Items

There are a number of ways to add new to-do items to your list.

For example, you can add a new item to your to-do list from your admin bar …

You can also add a new item to your to-do list inside the ‘To-Do List’ dashboard section by clicking on the ‘Add To-Do item’ link …

You can click on the ‘Add New Item’ link in the ‘To-Do Items’ section (note: only use this option if your To-Do list contains many items, as the link is only going to take you to the “Add New To-Do Item” section at the bottom of the screen) …

The above methods will bring you to the ‘Add New To-Do Item’ section.

Depending on the way you have configured your plugin’s settings, some options may not display when when you add new to-do items.

Configure the options you have enabled for your to-do items, enter appropriate values and information into the relevant fields and click on the ‘Submit To-Do Item’ button to add the item to your list …

Note: If you are using a list type that lets you assign items to users, select a user from the drop-down list and assign them the item …

You can also assign multiple users to the same item (click on ‘x’ to remove a user) …

Once After adding a new item, the item will be listed as an entry in the ‘To-Do Items’ table …

Repeat the above process to keep adding new items to your list …

Editing And Deleting Items

To edit or delete an item, click on the ‘Edit’ or ‘Delete’ buttons next to each item under the ‘Action’ column …

Depending on your configuration settings (discussed earlier), users assigned to tasks may also receive an email notification in their inboxes …

Once you have created your to do list, users can view it from their user dashboard …

When the user assigned with the item completes the task and clicks on the item checkbox …

… the item is then removed from the “To-Do” list …

And gets listed the ‘Completed Items’ table located in the main screen of the ‘To-Do List’ plugin …

Additional Plugin Information

The Cleverness plugin provides additional functions that let you display a to-do list on your WordPress site using widgets, and display a list on any page or post using shortcodes.

Using The Cleverness To-Do List Plugin Widget

To add to-do lists to your site using widgets, go to the ‘Widgets’ page (Appearance > Widgets) and drag the ‘To-Do List’ widget to the location in your sidebar (or footer) menu where you would like the to-do list to appear …

Configure the widget settings and click the ‘Save’ button to update your settings …

The list will now display on your site where you have added the widget (e.g. the sidebar menu, footer, etc.)

To learn more about how to use WordPress widgets, see the tutorial below:

• Using Widgets In WordPress

Using Plugin Shortcodes

Cleverness To-Do List also lets you add lists to your site using shortcodes.

To access the plugin’s shortcode documentation, click on To-Do List > To-Do List from your admin menu …

Click the ‘Help’ tab on the top right hand corner of your screen …

Click on the ‘Shortcodes’ menu entry to access the Shortcode Documentation section …

This documentation section explains different ways to configure and use shortcodes to display lists and checklists on your pages and posts.

Once you know what type of information you would like to add to your site, create or edit a new or existing post or page and either type or paste the shortcode inside the content editor …

Publish your page or post and you should see the list showing exactly where you have added the shortcode …

For more details about this plugin, visit the plugin website:

• Cleverness To-Do List WordPress Plugin

Congratulations! Now you know how to add a to-do list in WordPress.

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