Headings help you get complex projects under control by breaking them down into smaller parts.
Sometimes a project can get quite complicated, with dozens of to-dos in one long list. With Headings, you can break that list up into smaller parts: categories, milestones, or whatever you need.
In this article:
Create a new heading
Mac
- On your Mac, open Things.
- Enter one of your Projects.
- In the menu bar at the top of your screen, click File > New Heading
You can also hit ⌘ Cmd + ⇧ Shift + N to create a new heading. Learn more keyboard shortcuts here.
iPad & iPhone
- On your iPad or iPhone, open Things.
- Tap one of your Projects.
- At the top of your screen, tap > New Heading
You can also insert a new heading at an arbitrary place in the list by dragging the along the left edge of your screen; or, if you’re using a hardware keyboard with your iPad, by using a keyboard shortcut.
Headings are only available in projects. This feature is not available in areas or any other types of lists.
Group selected to-dos under a new heading
You can also create a heading that automatically includes a selection of to-dos:
Mac
- On your Mac, open Things.
- In the sidebar, click one of your Projects.
- Select a group of to-dos that aren’t under a heading yet.
- In the menu bar at the top of your screen, click File
- On your keyboard, hold down ⌥ Opt to reveal extra options in the menu.
- Click New Heading with Selection
The to-dos you’ve selected will move under the new heading. You can also do this via a keyboard shortcut.
iPad
This feature requires the use of a hardware keyboard with your iPad.
- On your iPad, open Things.
- In the sidebar, tap one of your Projects.
- Select a group of to-dos that aren’t under a heading yet.
- Hit ⌘ Cmd + ⌥ Opt + ⇧ Shift + N
The to-dos you’ve selected will move under the new heading.
iPhone
This feature is only available on Mac and iPad.
Target a heading while moving to-dos
When moving to-dos into your project from other lists, you can file them straight under one of your headings:
Mac
- On your Mac, open Things.
- Select the to-dos you want to move.
- In the menu bar at the top of your screen, click Items > Move
- Start typing the name of a heading and select its project from the search results.
You can also hit ⌘ Cmd + ⇧ Shift + M to bring up the popover. Learn more about the Move dialog here.
It’s worth noting that this feature works in Quick Entry as well, so you can send new to-dos to headings as soon as you create them.
iPad & iPhone
- On your iPad or iPhone, open Things.
- Swipe left on a to-do to select it.
- Tap Move
- Pull down to reveal Search
- Start typing the name of a heading and tap its project from the search results.
It’s worth noting that this feature works in Quick Entry as well, so you can send new to-dos to headings as soon as you create them. If you’re using a hardware keyboard with your iPad, you can also use keyboard shortcuts to move to-dos to a specific heading.
Move a heading
When you move a heading, any to-dos under it will be moved as well. There are several ways to move a heading:
Mac
- Drag it to another place in the list.
- Drag it to a project in another window.
- Next to the heading, click > Move.
iPad & iPhone
- Tap and hold the heading and drag it to another place in the list.
- Next to the heading, tap > Move to move it to another project.
On an iPad, you can also open two Things windows side-by-side and drag a heading from one project to another.
Duplicate a heading
When you need the same set of to-dos again, you can duplicate the heading and all to-dos belonging to it. Here’s how to do that:
Mac
- Select a heading and hit ⌘ Cmd + D
- Right-click on a heading and select Duplicate heading
You can also select a heading and hit ⌘ Cmd + C to copy it. You can paste it and all of its to-dos back into the same project via ⌘ Cmd + V, add it to another project, or even paste it as a plain text list into another app.
iPad
- Next to the heading, tap > Duplicate
- Right-click on a heading and select Duplicate
If you’re using a hardware keyboard with your iPad, you can also select a heading and hit ⌘ Cmd + C to copy it. You can paste it and all of its to-dos back into the same project via ⌘ Cmd + V, or add it to another project.
iPhone
- Next to the heading, tap > Duplicate
Convert a heading to a project
When a part of a project turns out to be more involved, you can promote a heading and its to-dos to a separate project. Here’s how:
Mac
- Select a heading and in the menu bar at the top of your screen, click Items > Convert to Project
- Right-click on a heading and select Convert to Project
iPad
- Next to the heading, tap > Duplicate
- Right-click on a heading and select Convert
iPhone
- Next to the heading, tap > Duplicate
Archive a heading when you’re done
If you’ve completed all the to-dos under a heading and you don’t need it anymore, you can archive it to keep your list tidy.
Mac
Next to the heading, click > Archive. The heading will move to your Logbook for future reference.
iPad & iPhone
Next to the heading, tap > Archive. The heading will move to your Logbook for future reference.