Six steps to Create and Manage Tasks in OneNote (and To Do)

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Start here ?? 2 versions of OneNote - which to pick?

Microsoft recently decided on another strategy in regard to #OneNote. If you are using OneNote Online (in the browser) or "OneNote for Windows 10", drop what you're doing right now and start using the 'regular' OneNote desktop app. This will be the future of OneNote as it is merging the best features of the 'old' OneNote desktop application with the new, hot, slick features from the OneNote for Windows 10 app. Confused? That's ok. Just take a look at the screenshot above.

Let's dive right in!

Creating tasks in OneNote, step by step ...

1. Create a task from a bullet

Put your cursor somewhere on the line or bullet for which you want to create a task in OneNote. On the Home-tab, select "Outlook Tasks" > "Tomorrow" in this example.

2. The bullet is immediately converted to a real task

Instantly a task-flag appears in front of the bullet you created a task for. When hovering with your mouse cursos, you will see when the task is due.

?? Is all this entirely new? Not really. This process used to work when Outlook Tasks was still a thing. Now that it has been succesfully replaced with Microsoft #ToDo, we can fully benefit task management possibilities in #Microsoft365 even more.

3. Open To Do and look for your task

When opening To Do and selecting "Tasks" on the left rail, your new task should appear on top. Not only will it show the exact text from OneNote but also the due date is synced through.

Troubleshooting: if the task is not there, wait a minute (literally) or click your name in the top-left and click "sync" to speed up the process.

4. Review due date and additional options

As this is not a To Do training-article (but this one is), look around at all the features you have at hand. The most important ones are the task name, reminders, due date and the notes. What's absolutely convenient is that the link to that bullet in OneNote is automatically added to the task notes. One click and you will get the full context of the task.

5. Complete the task

When completing the task in To Do it will now be forced to the "Completed" (collapsed by default) section. Keep in mind that the task can also be completed from within OneNote by clicking the task-flag of a task.

6. Completed task reflects in OneNote ??

When heading back to OneNote you will notice the red task-flag now turned into a green check mark - meaning that the task is completed.

Tips and remarks

??Add your favorite "Create Outlook Task" command in the Quick Access Toolbar to create new tasks with a single click while taking notes at your next meeting.

??If you move the To Do task to another list in To Do, the link with the OneNote task will be broken. Then again, if you mainly want to use OneNote to generate the task and use To Do for follow-up, no harm is done.

??Once registered in To Do, you can use #Outlook Online > Click the "My Day" at the top-right and "To Do". From there, you can drag your tasks to your Outlook Calendar.

??Is all this entirely new? Not really. This process used to work when Outlook Tasks was still a thing. Now that it has been succesfully replaced with Microsoft To Do, we can fully benefit task management possibilities in Microsoft 365 even more.

??And yes - there is indeed a typo in my screenshots above. ??

Cover photo by Antoni Shkraba