How To Create To-Do Lists In WordPress
Time always seems to be in short supply, especially if you are running a hectic business or managing a team.
There are just so many things to do and remember. You have so many deadlines to meet, urgent tasks to complete, priorities to attend to, fires to extinguish, appointments to make, schedules to keep and so on. The “doing” never seems to stop.
Now … add the extra workload of promoting and growing your business online and maintaining your website or blog updated with fresh content and everything suddenly begins to feel unmanageable and out of control.
Whether you run a business, website, blog, or manage a project, you need to be able to organize and prioritize your activities, monitor your progress and daily accomplishments, and, if necessary, assign tasks and responsibilities to members of your team effectively.
One simple proven tool that can help you save time, create a sense of order and manageability, and allow you to take control is to use a “to-do” list.
Benefits Of Using A To-Do List
A “to-do” list helps you monitor your progress when trying to complete tasks. Your to-do list can be minutely detailed or specific, or just serve as a concise reminder of what needs to be done today, tomorrow, this week, this month, etc.
Here are some of the benefits of using to do lists:
To-Do Lists Create Order
Having to do lists help you create order, keep things organized and reach your goals faster.
Better Manage Your Time
Prioritizing tasks on your list helps you save time and better manage your workload. You can gain a better perspective on what’s more important vs what is not, and what tasks should be done first.
Quickly Reschedule Or Reorganize
Using to-do lists let you better deal with sudden situations. If a meeting suddenly gets cancelled or extra time becomes available when some part of the process gets completed sooner than expected, you can quickly reschedule and reorganize and keep working with little to minimal loss of focus.
Relieve Stress
Stress can come from feeling overwhelmed by the fact that there is so much to do and so little time to do it all in. Using a to-do list allows you to work on important tasks that have to get done immediately, and push out items that can be worked on at a later time. This can help reduce stress.
Collaborate Better With Others
Creating to-do lists and other project management tools is essential for getting other people involved on some of your larger or more complex projects.
As you can see, there are many benefits to using a to-do list, both in business and in your personal life. Creating to-do lists, prioritizing tasks and working towards completing the items on your list improves productivity and efficiency in your business.
What about using to do lists on your website?
In this detailed tutorial we are going to show you how to create a to do list in WordPress to improve business efficiency and productivity using a customizable, multi-featured to-do list plugin for WordPress called Cleverness To-Do List.
Cleverness To-Do List
Download The Plugin
http://wordpress.org/plugins/cleverness-to-do-list/
Plugin Description
This plugin provides users with a to-do list feature.
Features
Note: the plugin features described below are discussed in more detail in the tutorial section.
You can configure the plugin with private to do lists for individual users, to have all users share the same to-do list, or to have a master list with individual item completions.
The shared to do list option includes different settings. You can assign to-do items to specific users (this includes emailing a new to do item to assigned users) and optionally to have those items only seen by that user. You can also assign different permission levels to different users. There are also settings to display deadline and progress fields. Category support is also included as front-end administration.
A new menu item is added to the admin backend to help you manage your lists and the to do lists can also be displayed on a dashboard widget.
A sidebar widget is also available as shortcode to display the to do list items on your site. There are 2 shortcodes for front-end administration of your list. Category management is accessible via the back-end admin section.
If you plan to set up a multi-author site you can use this to-do lists plugin to create custom to-do lists for your post editors if you also download the developer’s premium plugin, Post Planner.
How To Install The Cleverness To-Do List Plugin
From your WordPress admin area, go to the menu and select Plugins > Add New …
In the Install Plugins screen, type in “cleverness” into the search field and hit Enter on your keyboard …
Locate the item in the Search Results section and click Install Now …
Click Activate Plugin …
Note: You can also activate this plugin in the Plugins screen …
Once you have activated the plugin, click on Settings …
Note: The plugin’s ‘Settings’ area can also be accessed by choosing To-Do List > Settings from the admin menu …
This takes you to the plugin ‘Settings’ section …
The section below shows you how to go through the plugin setup process …
How To Set Up The Plugin
The Settings screen is divided into 4 tabs:
- To-Do List Settings – This area is where you can specify the plugin’s main settings.
- Advanced Settings – In this section you can customize your to-do lists, assign tasks to other users and perform plugin database maintenance tasks.
- User Permissions – This area is where you configure user permissions and capabilities for Master and Group List types.
- Import/Export – The options in this section let you export and import to-do plugin and list data settings.
Let’s now take you through each of these tabs.
To-Do List Settings
To-Do List Categories
Select ‘Enabled’ to organize lists into categories, otherwise leave this option set to ‘Disabled’.
Note: If you enable this option, a ‘Categories’ item is added to the To-Do List plugin menu …
This lets you add categories that you can use to organize your lists (see ‘Plugin Usage’ section further below for more details) …
You can create ‘public’ and ‘private’ categories for your to-do lists.
Categories marked ‘private’ will not be visible when using widgets or short codes (only when ‘Sort Order’ is set to ‘Category’)
List View
List View lets you choose how to-do lists are viewed. There are 3 types of list views available:
- Individual – Choose this option if you want each user to create and manage their own private to-do list.
- Group – Use this option if you want all users to be able to share one to-do list.
- Master – This option allows you to have a master list for all users, where users have their own individual items to complete. If using the ‘Master’ list view, make sure to configure the User Permissions appropriately in the ‘User Permissions’ tab (this is covered further below).
Sort Order
‘Sort Order’ lets you specify how to order list items.
If you select Alphabetical, Category or ID options, items will be sorted first by priority.
Show Added By
If this option is enabled (‘Yes’), you can display which users have added an item to your to-do list.
Note: This setting only applies when ‘List View’ is set to ‘Group’.
Show Date Completed
Enabling this option (‘Yes’) displays completion dates for your to-do items.
Show Deadline
If this option is enabled (‘Yes’), you can specify deadlines for your to-do tasks …
Show Progress
If this option is enabled (‘Yes’), you can specify task progress indicators for your to-do items …
Show Admin Bar Menu
If this option is enabled (‘Yes’), the ‘To-Do List’ menu displays in your WordPress Dashboard Admin bar …
Use WYSIWYG Editor
If enabled, you will be able to add and edit items on your to-do list using the WordPress WYSIWYG Editor …
Use Auto Paragraphs
Enable this option 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 …
To learn more about using this handy plugin, go here: WordPress Post Planner – Plugin For WordPress
Once you have configured your plugin options in this section, remember to click the ‘Save Changes’ button …
Advanced Settings
After configuring the general settings, click on the ‘Advanced Settings’ tab to proceed …
This brings you to the plugin’s ‘Advanced Settings’ screen …
In this area you can customize your To Do lists, assign to-do tasks to other users and perform database maintenance.
Let’s take you 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 lets you customize your To Do List …
The following options can be configured in this section:
Date Format
Here you can specify how to display dates in your to-do lists (e.g. month/day/year, day/month/year, etc.)
Note: To learn more about how to format dates in WordPress, refer to the date section of the WordPress Codex below:
WordPress Codex – Formatting Date And Time
Priority Labels
In this area you can customize your labels for prioritizing important, middle (normal) and lowest items …
Items given the highest (important) priority are shown in red and lowest priority items display in a lighter shade of grey …
Show To-Do Item ID
Enabling this option (‘Yes’) displays the item’s ID on your list …
Show Date To-Do Was Added
If enabled (‘Yes’), the date the to-do list was added displays on your To-Do Items table …
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
If this option is enabled, you can 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
Enable this option (‘Yes’) to display tasks only to users who have been assigned those items. Leave this option disabled (‘No’) to display items to all users.
User Roles to Show
Check the boxes in this section (Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, Subscriber) to display the type of users that can be assigned to-do items. Leave the check box unticked for any roles that you do not want to assign to-do items.
Email Assigned To-Do Items to User
If this option is enabled (‘Yes’), WordPress automatically sends an email to users with their assigned to-do items …
Leave this option disabled if you don’t want emails sent out to users.
Note: If you disable this option, 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 displayed in the email subject.
If you don’t want to display to-do categories in the subject of your emails, then leave this option disabled.
Show Who Assigned the To-Do Item in Email
Enable this option (‘Yes’) to display the user who assigned the to-do item in the email. This option is useful if, for example, your website has several project managers assigning to-do items to users …
From Field for Emails Sent to User
This field allows you to customize the “From” field when sending out emails. Enter your company name, your domain, your name, or anything you like in this field …
From Email
Type in the email address that you want to display as the “sent from” address …
Subject Field for Emails Sent to User
Add a subject field for the email that will be sent automatically to users when new items have been assigned to your to-do list …
Text in Emails Sent to User
Enter 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
This area of the ‘Advanced Settings’ tab lets you perform database maintenance operations associated with plugin data directly from your plugin settings area itself without the need to log into your web server …
This is useful if, for example, you notice that previously deleted to-do items are still showing on your site.
You can perform the following tasks in this section:
- Delete Tables – Delete custom database tables that are no longer being used.
- Delete All To-Do Items – Delete all of your to-do items.
Any database operations carried out from this screen cannot be reversed. If you are comfortable to perform database operations in this section, then we recommend backing up your database first.
If you don’t want to do manual backups, then get support services from a WordPress professional, or use a backup plugin. You can read about a WordPress backup plugin that can fully automate your backup process here:
User Permissions
Here you can configure user permissions and capabilities for Group and Master List types …
If you choose Individual List, the only setting that is applicable for this section is the View To-Do List option …
If you are configuring user permissions and capabilities for Group or Master List types, select the highest level capabilities that you want users to have access to for each option …
The default general capabilities for each user role are as follows:
- Subscribers: Read
- Contributors: Edit Posts
- Authors: Publish Posts
- Editors: Edit Others Posts
- Administrators: Manage Options
Note: When using the Master list type make sure that you only allow non-administrator users to view and complete items, otherwise they will be able to edit the Master list itself.
Let’s now review the settings for the User Permissions tab:
View To-Do List
Here you can allow the chosen capability to view items in the dashboard widget and on the To-Do List page under the ‘Tools’ section.
Complete To-Do Item Capability
Here you can allow the selected capability to mark to-do items as completed or uncompleted.
Add To-Do Item Capability
Here you can permit the chosen capability to add new to-do items.
Edit To-Do Item Capability
Here you can enable the selected capability to edit existing to-do items.
Assign To-Do Item Capability
This option enables the selected capability to delegate items to individual users.
View All Assigned Tasks Capability
This permits the chosen 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 enable the selected capability to delete individual to-do items.
Delete All To-Do Items Capability
Here you can allow the selected capability to purge all the completed items.
Add Categories Capability
This setting enables the selected capability to add new categories.
Import/Export
Being able to import and export to-do list data can be useful. For example, you may want to transfer data from one website to another, or export the data for backup or reporting purposes.
To access this function, click on the ‘Import/Export’ tab in your plugin settings area …
Now you can easily import or export your data and plugin settings …
Exporting To-Do List Data
You can export and download your list data settings by clicking on the ‘Download Export File’ …
This opens up a window allowing you to view or save the data in a plain text file (e.g. Notepad) to a storage device …
In addition to exporting to-do list data from the ‘Import/Export’ tab, you can also export data by going to your WordPress main menu and selecting Tools > Export …
You can include to-do list data in an export file (in XML format), either by selecting ‘All content’ (includes everything – posts, pages, etc…), or selecting ‘To-Do’ from the ‘Choose what to export’ section and clicking 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 previously saved to-do list data file and click ‘Open’ …
After uploading the data file, click on ‘Import Settings’ …
The data from the existing to-do file will be imported.
Now that you have configured all plugin settings, you can begin create and edit your lists.
Plugin Usage
To create a new to do list, go to your WordPress admin menu and click on 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.
For example, you can add new to-do items from your admin toolbar …
You can also add a new item to your to-do list in your Dashboard 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 further down the screen) …
All the above methods will take you to the ‘Add New To-Do Item’ section.
Depending on how you have set up your plugin, you may or may not see certain options displayed when adding new to-do items.
Select the options you have enabled for your to-do items, enter appropriate information into the relevant fields and click on the ‘Submit To-Do Item’ button to add the to-do item …
Note: If you are using a list type that allows you to assign tasks to specific users, select a user from the drop-down list and assign them the item …
You can also make multiple users responsible for the same item (click on ‘x’ to delete users) …
Once you have added an item, the item will display as an entry in the ‘To-Do Items’ table …
Repeat this process to keep adding items to your list …
Editing And Removing To Do Items From Your List
To edit or delete an item, click on the ‘Edit’ or ‘Delete’ buttons associated with each item under the ‘Action’ column …
Depending on your configuration settings (discussed earlier), users assigned to tasks may also receive email notifications …
Once you have created your to do list, users can view the list from their own dashboard …
When a user assigned with completing an item ticks the item check box …
… the item is then removed from the “To-Do” list …
And gets listed the ‘Completed Items’ section located in the ’To-Do List’ page …
Additional Plugin Information
The Cleverness To-Do List plugin offers added functionality that lets you display to-do lists on your website using widgets, and add lists to any page or post using short codes.
Using The Plugin Widget
To add to-do lists to your site using widgets, go to the ‘Widgets’ section (Appearance > Widgets) and drag the ‘To-Do List’ widget to the location in your sidebar menu where you want your to-do list to show …
Configure the settings in the widget and click the ‘Save’ button to update your settings …
The list will display where you have placed the ‘to-do-list’ widget (e.g. the sidebar menu, footer, etc.)
To learn more about using WordPress widgets, see the tutorial below:
Short Codes
You can also create to-do lists and checklists to your site using shortcodes.
To access the documentation on using short codes, click on To-Do List > To-Do List from your dashboard menu …
Click the ‘Help’ tab on the corner of your screen …
Click on the ‘Shortcodes’ tab to access the Shortcode Documentation …
This section explains different ways to configure and use short codes to display lists on your posts and pages.
Once you know what information you want to display on your site, create a new page or post and either type or paste the shortcode into the content area …
After publishing your post or page, you will see the list displayed in the location where you added the short code …
Visit the plugin website here to download this plugin:
Congratulations! Now you know how to create and add to-do lists in WordPress.
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