Use tags to categorize your to-dos, then filter your lists when you want to focus on a particular type of work.

As you start adding to-dos to Things, you’ll find that a lot of them have something in common. Some might involve a particular person, others will need to be worked on in a particular place, while others relate to the same type of activity.

Tags allow you to group all these similar items together. For example: All the Errands you need to run; all to-dos that require input from Petro; all the things you can only do while at the Office; etc.

Tags allow you to create a connection between all these items, regardless of what list they’re in, and then quickly find them via search or filtering.

In this article you’ll learn how to set up your own tags and put them to use.

In this article:
  1. Create a tag
  2. Tag a project or area
  3. Filter a list by tag
  4. Search for a tag
  5. Tag multiple to-dos at once
  6. Remove tags from to-dos and lists
  7. Control tags from the keyboard
  8. Manage your tags

Create a tag

Things provides a few handy tags to get you started: Home, Office, Errand, Important, and Pending. You can also create your own:

Mac
  1. On your Mac, open Things.
  2. Double-click a to-do to open it.
  3. Click .
  4. Type a name for your tag, then press Return.
iPad & iPhone
  1. On your iPad or iPhone, open Things.
  2. Tap a to-do to open it.
  3. Tap → New Tag.
  4. Type a name for your tag, then tap Save.
Vision

In Things for Vision, please follow the same steps as described in the iPad & iPhone tab above.

Tag a project or area

To-dos aren’t the only items that can be tagged – you can also tag your lists. When you tag a list, all of the items inside the list inherit that tag – this means you don’t have to apply the tag to each item manually. Here’s how to tag a list:

Mac
  1. On your Mac, open Things.
  2. Enter one of your Projects or Areas.
  3. Next to the list’s title, click and then Add Tags.
  4. Type a tag’s name, then press Return.
iPad & iPhone
  1. On your iPad or iPhone, open Things.
  2. In the sidebar, tap one of your Projects or Areas.
  3. Next to the list’s title, tap and then Add Tags.
  4. Tap the tag you’d like to add to the list.
  5. Tap Done.
Vision

In Things for Vision, please follow the same steps as described in the iPad & iPhone tab above.

It’s important to note that when a to-do inherits a tag from the list it’s in, the tag won’t be visible on the to-do itself (only directly-applied tags are shown). However, when you filter a list by that tag or search for it, those items will be included.

Filter a list by tag

After you’ve tagged some to-dos, you’ll be able to use a tag to filter a list. When you do this, the list will hide all the to-dos that don’t have that tag, so that you can focus on the ones that do. Try it out:

Mac
  1. On your Mac, open Things.
  2. Tag one of your to-dos. This tag will appear in the filter bar at the top of the list.
  3. Click the tag to filter the list.
  4. Click All to clear the filter and see the entire list again.

You can also filter by more than one tag at a time. Simply hold down ⌘ Cmd as you click more tags – you will then see any items in the list that contain all the tags you’ve selected.

iPad & iPhone
  1. On your iPad or iPhone, open Things.
  2. Tag one of your to-dos.
  3. At the top of the list, tap → Filter by Tag.
  4. Tap the tag to filter the list.
  5. Tap ✗ to clear the filter and see the entire list again.

You can also filter by more than one tag at a time. Filter by one tag, then go to the top of the list, tap the green filter bar, tap some more tags, then tap Done. This will show you to-dos that contain all of the tags.

Vision

In Things for Vision, please follow the same steps as described in the iPad & iPhone tab above.

Search for a tag

If you need to quickly view all items from all your lists that have the same tag, use Quick Find to search for it. Here’s how:

Mac
  1. On your Mac, open Things.
  2. Start typing the name of a tag and select it from the search results.
iPad & iPhone
  1. On your iPad or iPhone, open Things.
  2. Start a search by pulling down from the top of the screen.
  3. Type the name of a tag and select it from the search results.
Vision

In Things for Vision, please follow the same steps as described in the iPad & iPhone tab above.

If find yourself searching for the same tag often, consider using a widget to make it easier to get to.

Tag multiple to-dos at once

There are several ways to quickly tag more than one to-do at a time.

Mac

Keyboard shortcuts

  1. On your Mac, open Things.
  2. In the menu bar at the top of your screen, click Window → Tags.
  3. To the right of a tag, click the box.
  4. Press a key to assign a shortcut.

After assigning the shortcut, you can add or remove a tag from a to-do by pressing Ctrl + shortcut, or filter a list by pressing Ctrl ⌥ Opt + shortcut.

Give often-used tags a custom shortcut. You can then quickly tag single or multiple to-dos via the custom shortcut (in this example, ^ Ctrl i), or filter a list.

Tag Picker

  1. On your Mac, open Things.
  2. Select one or more to-dos, and press ⇧ Shift ⌘ Cmd T.
  3. Select a tag.

Drag and drop

If you prefer to use the mouse, you can click Window → Tags in the menu bar at the top of your screen to bring up the tag window.

  • Drag and drop a to-do (or selection of to-dos) on a tag to apply the tag.
  • Drag and drop a tag on a to-do to apply the tag.
iPad & iPhone

  1. On your iPad or iPhone, open Things.
  2. Select one or more to-dos by swiping left.
  3. At the bottom of your screen, tap and then Set Tags.
  4. Select a tag.
  5. Tap Done.
Vision

In Things for Vision, please follow the same steps as described in the iPad & iPhone tab above.

Remove tags from to-dos and lists

If a to-do or list doesn’t require a tag anymore you can remove it. This will not erase the tag permanently. It’s only removed from the selected content.

Mac
  1. On your Mac, open Things.
  2. Double-click a to-do to open it, or enter a list.
  3. Click the tag you want to remove.
  4. Hit the Delete key on your keyboard.

If your tag has as shortcut, select a to-do (or multiple) and press Ctrl + shortcut to remove the tag.

iPad & iPhone
  1. On your iPad or iPhone, open Things.
  2. Tap a to-do to open it, or enter a list.
  3. Tap on any tag.
  4. Find the tag you want to remove in the tag window, then tap it to remove its checkmark.
  5. Tap Done.

To remove a tag from multiple to-dos or lists, select them and hit and then Set Tags.

Vision

In Things for Vision, please follow the same steps as described in the iPad & iPhone tab above.

Control tags from the keyboard

You can also manage tags via your keyboard on Things for Mac, iPad, or Vision. Learn more in the keyboard shortcuts documentation for Mac and iPad & Vision.

Manage your tags

If you want to delete, rename, reorder, or group your tags, here’s how:

Mac
  1. On your Mac, open Things.
  2. In the menu bar at the top of your screen, click Window → Tags.

In this window, you can do the following:

  • Create, delete, or rename a tag.
  • Set a keyboard shortcut for a tag: click the small box on the right, then press a letter on your keyboard.
  • Group tags together: drop one tag on top of another to nest it.
  • Change the order of tags. This will change the order they appear in your tag filter bar, so put high-priority tags at the top.
iPad & iPhone
  1. On your iPad or iPhone, open Things.
  2. Tap a to-do to open it.
  3. In the to-do’s bottom-right corner, tap .
  4. Tap Manage Tags.

In this popover, you can do the following:

  • Create, delete, or rename a tag.
  • Group tags together: tap the blue button to the right of the tag, then tap Group.
  • Change the order of tags: tap and hold the tag to move it. This will change the order they appear in your tag filter, so put high-priority tags at the top.
Vision

In Things for Vision, please follow the same steps as described in the iPad & iPhone tab above.

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