How To Create A To Do List In WordPress
Time always seems to be in short supply, especially if you run a growing business or manage any kind of project that requires people to collaborate.
There are just so many things to do and remember. You have clients to meet, project tasks to complete, meetings to attend, fires to extinguish, calls and appointments to make, schedules to keep and so on. The stress of trying to get things done on time never stops.
Now … on top of all this, add the extra dimension of trying to promote and grow your business online and maintaining your website updated with regular content and things can start to feel unmanageable and out of control.
Whether you are running a business, website, blog, or managing a team, it’s important to be able to organize and prioritize your daily activities, keep track of your progress and daily accomplishments, and, if necessary, delegate tasks to other people efficiently.
A simple “tried and true” tool that can help you save time, reduce stressful workloads, and allow you to gain some control is to use a “to do” list.
To-Do Lists – Benefits
A “to-do” list can help you measure your progress when trying to achieve your goals. Your to-do list can be very detailed and specific, or serve as a concise reminder of what needs to be done today, tomorrow, next week, next month, etc.
Here are just a few of the many benefits of using to-do lists:
Create Order
A to do list helps you create order, keep things organized and achieve your goals faster.
Better Manage Your Time
Prioritizing tasks on your list helps you save time and manage your workload more effectively. You can gain a clearer perspective on what is truly urgent vs what’s not, and what tasks should be done first.
Reschedule Or Reorganize Quickly
A to do list lets you better cope with changes in circumstances. If an appointment suddenly gets cancelled at short notice or extra time becomes available because some aspect of the project got completed sooner than expected, you can quickly reschedule and reorganize and keep working with little to minimal loss of focus.
Ensures Accountability
Without accountability there is no commitment to getting things completed, and no motivation to take meaningful action. Lack of accountability can also allow excuses to creep in and impact your productivity.
Collaboration
Creating 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. Creating to do lists, prioritizing tasks and working towards completing the items listed increases efficiency and productivity in your business.
Let’s turn now to using a to do list on your website or blog. More specifically, how to add to-do lists to WordPress.
In this detailed step-by-step tutorial you are going to learn how to add a to do list to a WordPress site to improve business efficiency and productivity using a great little plugin called Cleverness To-Do List.
Cleverness To-Do List
Download The Cleverness To-Do List Plugin
http://wordpress.org/plugins/cleverness-to-do-list/
Plugin Description
This plugin provides users with a to do list feature.
Plugin Features
Note: the features described 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 each user, to have all users share a to-do list, or to have a master list with individual completion of items.
The shared to do list option offers different settings. You can assign to-do items to a specific user (this includes a setting to email a new to do item to users) and optionally to have assigned items only seen by that user. You can also assign different permission levels to different users. There are also settings available to show 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 list is also displayed on the dashboard widget.
A sidebar widget is also available as short code to display the to do list items on your blog. There are two short codes for front-end administration of your list. Management of categories is accessed through the back-end.
If you plan to run a multi-author blog you can use the plugin to create custom to do lists for your post editors if you also own the developer’s premium plugin, Post Planner.
Installing The Plugin
Log into your WP admin and click on Plugins > Add New …
In the Install Plugins section, type in “cleverness” into the search field and click the Enter button on your keyboard …
Locate the item in the Search Results area and click Install Now …
Activate the plugin …
Note: You can also activate the plugin in the Plugins screen …
After the plugin has been activated, click on Settings …
Note: You can also get to the plugin’s settings screen by choosing To-Do List > Settings from the dashboard menu …
This takes you to the plugin ‘Settings’ page …
Let’s go through the plugin setup process …
Plugin Setup
The Settings area is divided into four tabs:
- To-Do List Settings – This section is where you specify the main plugin settings.
- Advanced Settings – The options in this area let you customize your to-do lists, assign tasks to other users and perform database maintenance tasks.
- User Permissions – The options in this tab let you configure user permissions and capabilities for Group and Master List types.
- Import/Export – The options in this tab let you import and export to-do list data and plugin settings.
Let’s review each of these sections.
To-Do List Settings
Categories
Choose ‘Enabled’ to organize lists into categories, otherwise leave this option set to ‘Disabled’.
Note: If you enable this option, a ‘Categories’ item will be added to the To-Do List menu …
This allows you to add categories that can help organize your to-do lists (see ‘Plugin Usage’ section further below for more details) …
You can create ‘public’ and ‘private’ categories for your to-do lists.
Categories set to ‘private’ are not visible when using sidebar widgets or short codes (only when ‘Sort Order’ is set to ‘Category’)
List View
List View allows you to specify how your lists are viewed. You can choose from three to-do list views:
- Individual – Select this option if you want each user to be able to create and manage their own private to-do list.
- Group – Choose this option if you want all users to share the same to-do list.
- Master – Select this option to have a master list for all users, where users have their own individual completion of items. If you select the ‘Master’ list view, make sure that you set the User Permissions appropriately in the ‘User Permissions’ tab (see further below).
Sort Order
‘Sort Order’ lets you specify how your to-do list items will be sorted.
If you select ID, Alphabetical, or Category 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, completion dates will display for to-do items.
Show Deadline
Enabling this option lets you specify deadlines for to-do tasks …
Show Progress
If this option is enabled, you will be able to specify task progress indicators for your to-do items …
Show Admin Bar Menu
Enabling this option (‘Yes’) displays the ‘To-Do List’ menu in your WordPress Dashboard Admin bar …
Use WYSIWYG Editor
If this option is enabled, you can 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 list items using paragraphs.
Integrate with Post Planner
If you are running a multi-author website or blog, you can integrate the Cleverness To-Do List plugin with a plugin called WordPress Post Planner, developed by the same plugin author that provides you with a complete WordPress editorial solution …
For more information about using this handy plugin, go here: WordPress Post Planner – Plugin For WordPress
After you are done configuring your options, 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 …
This brings up the ‘Advanced Settings’ area …
This area lets you customize your To-Do lists, assign to-do items to other users and carry out 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
In this section you can customize your To-Do List …
You can configure the following settings in this section:
Date Format
In this area you can specify how to display dates in your todo lists (e.g. month/day/year, day/month/year, etc.)
Note: To learn more about formatting dates in WordPress, refer to the date section of the WordPress Codex below:
WordPress Codex – Formatting Date And Time
Priority Labels
In this section you can customize your labels for prioritizing highest (important), middle (normal) and lowest (low) items …
Items given the highest priority display in red and low priority items display in a lighter shade of grey …
Show To-Do Item ID
If enabled (‘Yes’), the items’ IDs will show on your list …
Show Date To-Do Was Added
If this option is enabled, the date your to-do list was added shows on your items table …
To-Do List Advanced Settings > Assign To-Do Items Settings
If you have chosen either ‘Group’ or ‘Master’ View for your to-do list, you can configure the options in this area and assign items to other users …
The following options can be configured in this area:
Assign To-Do Items to Users
Enable this option to assign to-do items 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
Enabling this option (‘Yes’) displays 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 Subscriber) displays the type of users that can be assigned items. If you do not want to assign to-do items to a specific role, then leave its check box unticked.
Email Assigned To-Do Items to User
If this option is enabled (‘Yes’), WordPress automatically sends users an email 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, you can skip the other 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 in the subject of emails sent to users …
Leave this option disabled (‘No’) if you don’t want to-do categories to appear the subject of your emails.
If you don’t want to show to-do categories in the email subject, 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 is a useful option if your site has various project managers assigning to-do items to users …
From Field for Emails Sent to User
This field lets you customize the “From” field when sending out emails. Type the name of your company, your domain, your name, or anything you like into this field …
From Email
In this field, add the email address that you want to display as the “sent from” email address …
Subject Field for Emails Sent to User
Add into this field a subject field for the email that will be automatically distributed to users when new items have been assigned to your to-do list …
Text in Emails Sent to User
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
This area lets you perform database maintenance tasks associated with plugin data directly from the plugin settings area without the need to access your server …
This function is useful if, for example, you notice that to-do items you have deleted are still showing on your site.
You can perform the tasks below:
- Delete Tables – Remove any custom database tables that you no longer use.
- Delete All To-Do Items – Remove all of your to-do items.
Actions that you perform on your database from this screen cannot be undone. If you are sure that you want to carry out database operations in this section, then we recommend backing up your database first.
If you don’t want to do your own site backups, then get assistance from a WordPress professional, or use WordPress backup plugins. You can read about a great WordPress backup plugin that can fully automate your backup process here:
User Permissions
This section lets you configure user permissions and capabilities for Group and Master List types …
If you have selected Individual List, the only permission that applies in this section is the View To-Do List option …
If you plan to set up user permissions and capabilities for Group or Master List types, select the highest level capabilities that you would like users to have access to for each option …
The default general capabilities for each user role are set 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 non-administrators should only be allowed to view and complete items, otherwise they will be able to edit the Master list itself.
Let’s review the settings for this tab:
View To-Do List
This option enables 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 enable the chosen capability to mark to-do items as completed or uncompleted.
Add To-Do Item Capability
This setting enables the selected capability to add new items.
Edit To-Do Item Capability
Here you can enable the chosen capability to modify existing items.
Assign To-Do Item Capability
Here you can enable the chosen capability to delegate items to individual users.
View All Assigned Tasks Capability
Here you can allow 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
This option enables the chosen capability to delete individual items.
Delete All To-Do Items Capability
Here you can enable the selected capability to purge all the completed to-do items.
Add Categories Capability
Here you can enable the selected capability to add new categories.
Import/Export
The ability to import and export to-do list data can be useful. For example, you may decide to copy over data from one website to another, or export the list data for backup or archiving purposes.
To access this function, click on the ‘Import/Export’ tab in your plugin settings section …
Here you can export and import your to-do list data and plugin settings …
Exporting To-Do List Data
To export and download your list data settings click on the ‘Download Export File’ …
This opens up a new window allowing you to view or save the data as plain text to a storage medium …
In addition to exporting to-do list data from the ‘Import/Export’ section, you can also export data by going to your WordPress admin menu and choosing Tools > Export …
You can include to-do list data in an export file (in XML format), either by selecting ‘All content’ (includes everything – pages, posts, etc…), or selecting ‘To-Do’ from the ‘Choose what to export’ section and clicking the ‘Download Export File’ button to save your file to your storage device…
Importing To-Do List Data
Importing a list data file is easy. Just click on the ‘Browse’ button next to the ‘Choose File to Import’ field …
Locate the file and click ‘Open’ …
After uploading the data file, click on the ‘Import Settings’ button …
Your file data will be imported.
Once you have configured all of the plugin settings, you can begin creating and editing your to-do lists.
How To Use The Cleverness To-Do List Plugin
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 To Your List
There are several ways to add new to-do items to your list.
For example, you can add new to-do items from your WP admin toolbar …
You can also add new to-do items to your list inside your Dashboard by clicking on the ‘Add To-Do item’ link …
You can also click on the ‘Add New Item’ link in the ‘To-Do Items’ section (note: only use this option if your To-Do list already contains many items, since the link is only going to take you to the “Add New To-Do Item” section 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, some options may not display when new items to your to-do list.
Select the options you have enabled for your to-do items, add appropriate information into the relevant fields and click on the ‘Submit To-Do Item’ button to add the new to-do item …
Note: If you have chosen a list type that lets you assign responsibilities over items to 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 remove users) …
After you have added a new item item, it will display as an entry in the ‘To-Do List’ table …
Repeat this process to continue adding new items to your to-do list …
Editing And Deleting To-Do Items
To edit or delete an item, click on the ‘Edit’ or ‘Delete’ buttons associated with each item under the ‘Action’ column …
Depending on how you have set up the plugin (discussed in the previous section), users assigned to completing tasks may also receive an email notification in their inboxes …
After creating your to do list, users can view the list when logged into their WordPress user dashboard …
When the user assigned with completing an item ticks the item checkbox …
… the item disappears from the “To-Do” list …
And appears in the ‘Completed Items’ section located in the main screen of the ‘To-Do List’ plugin …
Additional Plugin Information
The Cleverness To-Do List plugin provides additional functions that let you display to-do lists on your WordPress website using widgets, and add lists to content inside a post or page using shortcodes.
Using The Cleverness Plugin Widget
To add a to-do list 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 want your list to display …
Configure the settings in the widget and click the ‘Save’ button to update your settings …
Your list will now display where the ‘to-do-list’ widget was placed (e.g. the sidebar menu, footer, etc.)
To learn more about using widgets in WordPress, see the tutorial below:
Using The Cleverness Plugin Short Codes
You can also display to-do lists and checklists to your site using shortcodes.
To access the documentation on using shortcodes, select To-Do List > To-Do List from your dashboard menu …
Click on the ‘Help’ tab on the top right hand corner of your screen …
Click on the ‘Shortcodes’ menu entry to access the Shortcode Documentation …
This section explains different ways to configure and use short codes for displaying lists and checklists on your posts and pages.
Once you know what type of information you want to add to your site, create a new post or page and either type or paste the shortcode inside the content section …
After publishing your page or post, you will see the list showing where you entered the short code …
For more information about this plugin, visit the plugin website:
Congratulations! Now you know how to add to-do lists in WordPress.
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"These tutorials have so much information and are easy to understand. If you use WordPress or plan to in the future these will help you with everything you need to know." - Valisa (Mesa, Arizona)
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