# Welcome ๐Ÿ‘‹ Welcome to Ellie's resource/guide center! Here you can find a detailed guide to Ellie's features so you can get the most from the app. ### What is Ellie? Ellie is a beautiful daily planning app. ### Why was this built? Ellie is currently built by a solo-developer ([Chris Raroque](https://ellieplanner.com/about)) as a fun personal project. ### Who should use it? If you've used your calendar to timeblock your day, Ellie is for you. If you get overwhelmed by the amount of things you have to do each day, Ellie is for you. If you've tried productivity systems like GTD but they didn't work exactly with your workflow, Ellie is for you. If you've developed your own system (whether it be a Notion doc or a spread sheet) to plan your day, Ellie is for you. If you like beautiful software, Ellie is for you. ### Why should I use it over Notion, Todoist, Sunsama, Akiflow, etc... #### If you use Notion, Airtable, Clickup, Asana These are great tools but are built to handle very generic use cases. **Ellie has features specifically built for daily planning and time management.** Examples include the "Infinite" Kanban week view and the Timebox with Google/Apple calendar integration. Yes, you can probably retrofit these tools to fit Ellie's flow but it will feel very "hacky" to get all the functionality. #### If you use Sunsama, Akiflow, etc... All of these tools are great and each have their own take on what a good daily planning app is. Ellie was actually based on Sunsama and still caries over a lot of Sunsama's originally design for certain core features. However, there are a few differences between Ellie and these other tools. Here are the biggest: 1. No need to link your calendar. Sunsama, Akiflow and other tools require you to connect your Google/Outlook calendar to use the app. You can use Ellie (and even the timeblocking feature) completely separately from your calendar. If you want, you can optionally integrate your calendar later. 2. Native and feature rich iPhone/iPad app. The majority of Ellie features are available on our iOS apps. We also have one of the best time blocking experiences among any iOS app. 3. All the little details - From the way we put an emphasis on the "Brain dump" to the flexibility of Ellie lists, there are many little details we regularly receive praise for Ready to get started? Click below ๐Ÿ‘‡ # Getting Started ๐Ÿค  Glad to have you here ๐Ÿ™Œ Ellie is a simple but powerful app. Here is a basic guide we recommend following to learn the basics and get the most out of Ellie: ## 1. Learn about tasks and the "Calendar Kanban" Read these ๐Ÿ‘‡ {% content-ref url="/pages/1XwTOagMTkUur9BshsMV" %} [Tasks](/features/tasks) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/PdlZr0GDKjIQGfm7bpgu" %} [The Calendar Kanban](/features/the-calendar-kanban) {% endcontent-ref %} You might be surprised by some of the features Ellie (for example: Ellie has a way for you to forward emails directly into Ellie ๐Ÿคฏ) ## 2. Master the Braindump and Lists Learn about a special list called the "Brain dump" and then the "Lists" feature for people who need a bit more organization than the Brain dump can provide {% content-ref url="/pages/aDswhKvWE1akXrzMifA5" %} [The Brain dump](/features/the-brain-dump) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/onPKyiyiWvLMwQhkavY5" %} [Lists](/features/lists) {% endcontent-ref %} ## 3. Learn about Timeboxing in Ellie {% content-ref url="/pages/yaQjARhZN4nDkLQCn5bm" %} [The Timebox](/features/the-timebox) {% endcontent-ref %} ## 4. Check out our Google/Apple calendar integrations {% content-ref url="/pages/NxtvdwEeBUFuqHnfZMFv" %} [Google calendar integration](/features/the-timebox/google-calendar-integration) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/IU4Zm69PbiUl65nH7Nwx" %} [Outlook calendar integration](/features/the-timebox/outlook-calendar-integration) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/lmFPernaYB1gotPku8D2" %} [Apple calendar integration](/features/the-timebox/apple-calendar-integration) {% endcontent-ref %} ## 5. Learn about Analytics {% content-ref url="/pages/vcZyu0IzdCAUoNr4lAbf" %} [Analytics](/features/analytics) {% endcontent-ref %} ## 6. Check out our Mac and iPhone/iPad apps {% content-ref url="/pages/hPeBisWdfC9VHiQ4nr6i" %} [Mac App](/features/mac-app) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/fJsZwD6TKFvmmPW8YFeD" %} [iPhone/iPad App](/features/iphone-ipad-app) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/AYw3BJQCkDp9GPViRROo" %} [iOS Widgets](/features/iphone-ipad-app/ios-widgets) {% endcontent-ref %} # The feedback board Help shape the future of Ellie Ellie's development roadmap is primarily influenced by the community. The [feedback board](https://feedback.ellieplanner.com/feature-requests) gives you the opportunity to contribute you opinion on that roadmap by allowing you to upvote features that you like {% hint style="info" %} No need to create another account to use the Ellie feedback board, you can log-in with your existing Ellie account โœŒ๏ธ {% endhint %}
# Tasks Something you have to do ## What is a task in Ellie? A task is a representation of something that you need to do. ## Task Features Unlike a normal todo-list where tasks just have a title and a checkbox, Ellie tasks are much more powerful. Here are a list of things you can do with Ellie tasks (in order of how often people use them) {% content-ref url="/pages/Hb5aY33zomrowXPgY9sf" %} [Labels](/features/tasks/labels) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/vedWqVDSHAHlncwfyTQx" %} [Subtasks](/features/tasks/subtasks) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/e8grByFzBDFlAd93mMT0" %} [Recurring tasks](/features/tasks/recurring-tasks) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/6XVRajVGBGjA8X5cs3W7" %} [Email -> Task](/features/tasks/email-greater-than-task) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/4OpkTbJyAey6dBG470Im" %} [Estimated/Actual time](/features/tasks/estimated-actual-time) {% endcontent-ref %} ## Non-obvious tips 1. You can right click a task to bring up the option to duplicate/delete it
# Labels Another way to organize your tasks ## What are task labels? Task labels are a way to categorize tasks. They serve 3 main purposes: 1. Help you quickly identify and find tasks when they are spread around the Kanban board

Labels for quick idenitfication on the Kanban

1. You can use them with "Filters" to only show relevant Tasks throughout Ellie (great if you have a bunch of personal and work labels and want to only display work items during your work day)

Filtering by Label

1. They are great if you want a more granular break down of how you spend your time with our Analytics mode

Ellie Analytics

## How do I use them? You can set them by clicking on any label directly on a task card or if you have a task expanded, by clicking the label directly on the pop up modal.

Clicking a label on the task card

Label selection on the Ellie task Modal

### โœจ Bonus: Quickly add labels to task by using "\[label name]" in the title You can quickly add a label to a task by including it in the task description with brackets (example: \[Personal] or \[Admin work]). Ellie will auto detect the label in the name, extract it from the description and add the relevant label. We will remove the label/brackets from the task description. It is **case insensitive**, but the spelling must be exactly the same as the label. If no labels are found, then nothing will happen. If there are multiple labels (example: "task name \[personal] \[work]") then only the first will be extracted and the second will be ignored. This works for both creating and updating a task.

Put the label in brackets to quickly add it to the task

This can be turned off in settings by going to Settings -> General settings -> Detect label in task title and toggling it off. ## Editing labels To edit your labels, you can go to Settings -> Labels
## FAQs 1. Can I attach multiple labels to a task? 1. No. This is not supported but you can upvote this [feedback post](https://feedback.ellieplanner.com/feature-requests/p/ability-to-add-multiple-tags-on-a-task) if you want to see this in the future. 2. When should I use a label instead of a [list](/features/lists)? 1. They both have very different purposes 1. Lists are meant to capture tasks before adding them to your Kanban board. 2. Labels are meant for more serious categorization, especially once the task leaves a list # Subtasks For when a task needs to be broken down ## What are subtasks? Subtasks are little mini "tasks" within a task. {% hint style="info" %} Subtasks are not full fledged tasks. They only have a checkbox and a title. {% endhint %}
You can quickly glance at how many subtasks a task has (and how many have been completed) by the subtask indicator on the task card.
### Duplicating and deleting Subtasks You can duplicate and delete a subtask by clicking the three dot menu on the right
### Auto-complete tasks when subtasks are completed There are 2 major settings when it comes to subtasks 1. Moving subtasks to the bottom of the subtask list on completion 2. Automatically marking the parent task as complete when all subtasks have been completed You can toggle either of these through the "Personalization" settings
# Recurring tasks Tasks that you want to repeat ## When should I use this? Recurring tasks should be used when you want a task to repeat at a regular interval. Common use cases: 1. Morning/Evening routines 2. Recurring weekly meetings you need to prepare for 3. House chores 4. Bill payments ## How to use it You can make any task a recurring by clicking the "recurring" icon on the task card (or by clicking "Does not repeat" in the task modal)

Recurring task settings

You can customize the repeat interval of the task and there is even a "Custom..." option if the pre-set options don't fit your workflow.

Cadence settings

### Auto-timeboxing recurring tasks If you want to repeat the task at a specific time each day (which is great to auto-timebox the task), you can enable the "At a specific time?" option

Auto-timebox recurring tasks

### How to update a recurring task There are 2 things to note when updating a recurring task. When you update a recurring task, it will only update that specific instance. To update other tasks, you can click the "Update all incomplete tasks to match this task" in the recurring task dropdown menu
This will make all non-completed tasks match that task. Let's say you have a recurring task that has 5 subtasks and you decide to add a 6th. You can simply click "Update all incomplete tasks to match this taks" and now all tasks that haven't been completed will be updated to include that 6th subtask. {% hint style="info" %} On iOS, whenever you update a recurring task, you will be asked if you want to update only that instance of the task or all incomplete tasks {% endhint %} ### How to delete a recurring task When you delete a recurring task, only that task will be deleted. To delete all instances of a task, you can have 2 options: 1. If you want to delete all FUTURE instances, you can click "Stop repeating" 2. If you want to delete ALL instances (including this one), click "Delete all instances"
# Task templates Create reusable task templates for your most common workflows and quickly turn them into tasks whenever you need them.
{% hint style="info" %} Task templates are available on iOS as well! You can drag templates into the timebox {% endhint %} ### When should I use this? Task templates are perfect for tasks you create repeatedly with the same structure. Instead of recreating these tasks from scratch each time, save them as templates and create new tasks from them by dragging them in. **Common use cases:** * Weekly review checklists * Meeting preparation tasks with standard subtasks * Project kickoff tasks with consistent steps * Daily routines with the same subtasks * Client onboarding workflows * Bug report templates with standard fields ### How to use it
#### Enabling Task Templates Task Templates is a Power Feature that needs to be enabled first: 1. Go to **Settings** โ†’ **Power Features** 2. Find **Task Templates** and toggle it on 3. The Templates section will now appear in your sidebar #### Creating a Template 1. Click the **Templates** toggle in the sidebar 2. Click the **+** button in the top right 3. Fill in your template details: * Task description * Notes (optional) * Estimated time * Priority level * Label * Subtasks 4. Click **Create Template** #### Using Templates to Create Tasks Once you have templates created, you can quickly turn them into tasks: 1. Navigate to the **Templates** view in the sidebar 2. Find the template you want to use 3. **Drag and drop** the template card onto: * A specific date in your calendar * The timeboxing view to schedule it The template will instantly become a new task with all the details pre-filled. #### Editing Templates To update a template: 1. Go to the **Templates** view 2. Click on the template card you want to edit 3. Make your changes in the modal that appears 4. Click **Update Template** Your changes will be saved and will apply to all future tasks created from this template. #### Deleting Templates To remove a template you no longer need: **Option 1: From the Template Card** 1. Right-click on the template card 2. Select **Delete** **Option 2: From the Edit Modal** 1. Click on the template to open it 2. Click the three-dot menu (โ‹ฎ) in the top right 3. Select **Delete template** ### What gets saved in a template? When you create a template, the following information is preserved: โœ… **Included:** * Task description * Notes * Estimated time * Priority level * Label * All subtasks and their descriptions โŒ **Not included:** * Due dates (these are set when you create the task) * Actual time tracked * Completion status * Attachments (for now, email Chris if you're interested in this) * Calendar events ### Tips for effective templates * **Keep templates focused:** Create templates for specific, repeatable workflows rather than trying to make one template do everything * **Use descriptive names:** Make it easy to identify what each template is for at a glance * **Include subtasks:** Break down complex tasks into subtasks within your templates for consistency * **Set realistic time estimates:** This helps with planning when you create tasks from templates * **Review regularly:** Update or delete templates that you're no longer using to keep your template library clean ### Limitations * Templates cannot include recurring task settings * Attachments and calendar events are not saved with templates # Email -> Task Email tasks directly into Ellie ๐Ÿคฏ ## What is this? You can actually forward emails directly into Ellie (they will be created into tasks and the emails attached directly)

An email directly attached to an Ellie task

## Video walkthrough {% embed url="" %} ## How to use it 1. Go to Settings -> Power features -> Email forwarding and enable the feature 2. You'll be given 2 email addresses, one to forward tasks into the Braindump and one to forward tasks into Today 3. Copy that email and simply forward any email you want into Ellie. The task should appear within a few seconds (no refresh needed)
You can see a task has an email attached to it if you see this email icon on the task card
{% hint style="warning" %} Anyone that has this forwarding address can add tasks to your account. Do not share it with anyone {% endhint %} ## Attach labels to the task You can quickly add a label to a task by including it in the email subject with brackets (example: \[Personal] or \[Admin work]). Ellie will auto detect the label in the subject line, extract it and add the relevant label. We will remove the label/brackets from the task description. It is **case insensitive**, but the spelling must be exactly the same as the label. If no labels are found, then nothing will happen. If there are multiple labels (example: "task name \[personal] \[work]") then only the first will be extracted and the second will be ignored. ## FAQs 1. Can I click on an email and open it in Gmail/Outlook/etc... 1. Unfortunately this is not possible due to a technical limitation. The email clients don't give me any way to deteremine what kind of client an email came from. 2. Do you support attachments? 1. Yes! But there is a limit of 10MB (total) and the attachment power feature must be enabled) (more info below) {% content-ref url="/pages/qloAGlgmV9HDaCLvw8uX" %} [Task attachments](/features/tasks/task-attachments) {% endcontent-ref %} # Estimated/Actual time Time features to help you manage your day ## What is estimated time? The estimated time on a task represents the estimated time you think it will take you to complete a task. The estimated time lives on this chip on each card, and clicking it exposes a dropdown menu where you can view the Actual time, estimated time and a play button to start timing a task.
You can also access this when you click a task directly from the task modal.
Here are a few ways you can leverage "Estimated time" in tasks: ### A way to gauge capacity You can get a gauge of how packed your day is and if you are over-capacity or can take on more work. We display the total amount of "estimated time" at the top of each column inside the "Add a task" card
### See how accurate you are at estimated Combined with the "Actual time", the estimated time can give you a look into how accurate you are at estimated times. This data is also used in the Analytics feature to display a breakdown of your "Estimated vs Actual" time spent This is also great if you want to see "Where am I spending time?" we use estimated time to show you a breakdown
## What is actual time? Actual time is similar to estimated time but is the actual time it took you to complete the task. You can fill this out manually if you track your time outside of Ellie (or have a rough estimated), but we recommend using the built in task timer feature in Ellie to do this automatically for you. {% hint style="info" %} When you complete a task and there is no "actual time" already set, we will automatically set it as the "estimated time" {% endhint %} ## Showing estimated/actual times on the iOS app You have 2 options to display actual/estimated times (and their totals) on the iOS app. 1. **Floating button mode** - A purple button will appear at the bottom right corner. Estimated/Actual times will display on the task card but appear alongside things like labels, notes, etc... 2. **Add task card mode** - This is more similar to the desktop app. A new "A a task" card will appear at the top of any lists which you can click to add tasks. We'll also display actual/estimate times more prominently and show the total amount at the top of this card

Floating button vs add task card

{% hint style="info" %} The workthreshold feature on the desktop is not available on the iOS app (yet) {% endhint %} # Due dates A way to make sure you're on track ## What are due dates in Ellie? Ellie due dates are a way to make sure you stay on track when it comes to completing tasks on time.

Due date indicators on tasks

When due dates are enabled on Ellie, a new section is also added that shows you tasks with upcoming and past due dates. This is a great way to visualize things you missed and things that are upcoming without having to scroll throughout the board to find them

Due date section in Ellie

## How to enable due dates? Ellie is considered a "Power feature" and not enabled by default. You can enable this by going to "Power features" in settings and toggling it on for your account.

Enabling due dates in Ellie

## Due date settings You can change the amount of time required for a due date indicator to be shown on the card. This is great if you want to minimize information on the board and only show due dates when most relevant. You can access this in Settings -> Due dates You can also enable reminder notifications for upcoming due dates. {% hint style="info" %} Notifications are very new and currently in beta. Please report any issues to directly so I can get them resolved ๐Ÿ‘ทโ€โ™‚๏ธ {% endhint %}

Due date settings

## Reminder notifications {% hint style="info" %} Notifications are very new and currently in beta. Please report any issues to directly so I can get them resolved ๐Ÿ‘ทโ€โ™‚๏ธ {% endhint %} You can enable reminder notifications for due dates and receive push notifications on your iOS device and Mac. To enable notifications head to Settings -> Power features -> Due Date Settings and click "Allow reminder notifications". You can also enable this via the iOS app.

Notification Settings

You can set the default notification time in the settings page OR you can also customize it on a per task basis by clicking the notification icon next to the due date. This icon is available on iOS and desktop and will be visible for any tasks \*with due dates in the future\*.

Reminder notification settings on desktop

Reminder notifications on iOS

## Why are due dates off by default? The due dates feature added a few settings and UI elements (such as the new toggle and due date section on the left hand side) and had the potential to confuse new users. A primary value props of Ellie is a clean/minimal interface that is immediately easy to understand. This feature had the potential to conflict with that, so the decision was made to create it but keep it off by default. If there is enough usage though, it has the potential to be turned on by default in the future! # Task priority A way to quickly visualize the importance of a task ## What is task priority in Ellie? Task priority allows you to add an indicator to a task to specify priority of a task

Setting a task priority in Ellie

Once a priority is set on a task, you'll see a small colored indicator that indicates the priority of the task. This is helpful to see at a glance what you should be prioritizing when planning out your day.
{% hint style="info" %} This feature is also available on iOS as well! {% endhint %} ## How to enable task priority Task priority is off by default and can be enabled by going to "Power features" -> "Enable task priority" Once enabled, you will see a new task priority option appear when creating a task

Enabling the task priority power feature

## The future of this feature At the moment this feature is very simple but in the future I plan on adding the ability to: 1. Sort tasks by priority (among other things) 2. Customize the priority options # Task timer Keep track of how long a task takes You can keep track of how long a task takes by using the built in timer function in Ellie. When a task is done being timed, we'll also the time to the "actual time" of the task ### How to start a timer There are 2 ways to start a timer. From the task card (by clicking the estimated time dropdown) and then the task modal by clicking the "Start timer" button next to estimated time.

Start a timer for the card

Start a timer from the task modal

### Timers on mobile Timers function exactly the same on the iOS and iPad app. Except when the timer is expanded you have a beautiful full screen view ๐Ÿ‘€
## Floating timer for desktop On our desktop app, you can actually choose to enable a floating timer that floats above all browser windows and across all desktops. To enable it, go to settings -> enable floating timer and then you should see the floating timer appear (if one is running).

Floating timer

### Floating timer options You can customize the experience of the timer in 2 ways: 1. Auto start timing the next task after task completion 2. Changing the background image of the timer (more images soon!)
# Task attachments Add images and other files to your tasks! ## How it works You can enable this by clicking Power features -> Task attachments and enabling the power feature. Once enabled, every task will have a new "attachments" field where you can upload as many files as you want (max 25MB size).
## Attachments on iOS Once the power features is enabled, you'll see a new button to attach attachments to a task. You can attach multiple files and when you click them we'll show you a preview and you'll have the option to download the file as well :)
## Attachments from the "Email -> Task" feature Attachments are supported for the "Email -> Task" feature (more info below) but there are some limits. {% content-ref url="/pages/6XVRajVGBGjA8X5cs3W7" %} [Email -> Task](/features/tasks/email-greater-than-task) {% endcontent-ref %} Limits: 1. There is a total 10MB file size limit (again this is total for all attachments combined, not individually) 2. We only support a few file types (images, pdf, etc...) but some things like .exe files are restricted by our email provider (These limits are imposed by my email processor) # The Brain dump A place to free up mental space ## How does it work? The Brain dump is a space to capture tasks once they come up. If you've ever felt the "I have so much to do that I don't even know what I have to do" panic then this is a great system to avoid that. Once a thought pops up (example: "I need to send an email to the leasing office about renewing my lease") you can quickly capture it and have peace of mind that you'll deal with it later. It is SO much better than trying to juggle everything in your head. You can access the Brain dump at any time on the left hand side. You can minimize it by clicking the Top left arrow button and you can even re-size it.

The Brain dump (web)

The Brain dump (iOS)

{% hint style="info" %} Pro tip: You can add tasks to your Brain dump through Siri on iOS (to enable it, go to Settings -> Siri shortcut) {% endhint %} ## Best practices To get the most out of the Brain dump, here are a few best practices to follow 1. Build the habit of capturing tasks \*as soon as they pop up\* 2. Regularly clean out your Brain dump. It can get overwhelming if the Brain dump gets too large so we recommend setting up a recurring task (once a month is good) to reminder yourself to clean it out 3. Pick a dedicated time each day to go through your Brain dump 1. Some people choose to do it in the morning, some choose to do it multiple times a day as things accumulate ## FAQs 1. When should I use the Brain dump and when should I use lists? 1. You should start using lists whenever you outgrow the Brain dump. When you feel the need to organize your brain dump, you should probably start using lists 2. Can I re-name the Brain dump and change the icon? 1. The name and icon cannot be changed. There is currently a [feedback item](https://feedback.ellieplanner.com/feature-requests/p/ability-to-rename-braindump) you can upvote if you would like to see this changed in the future # Lists When the Brain dump isn't enough ## Why does this feature exist? Originally, Ellie just had the Brain dump. Everything was supposed to go into the Brain dump. However, many users started to outgrow the Brain dump and ask for more organization options. So we released "Lists" as a solution. You can think of them as "mini brain dumps". Lists are meant to "hold and capture" tasks, like the Brain dump, before they need to be acted on. {% hint style="info" %} The brain dump is a special list that cannot be edited or deleted. You can think of it as the default list {% endhint %} ## Common use cases Common things we see are people making lists lists to separate out "Work" and "Personal" tasks. We've also seen lists for specific projects or life areas. If you have a trip coming up, you can make a list called "๐Ÿ—ฝ NYC Trip" and put all tasks that need to get done for that trip in there. Then once its over, you can delete the list. ## How does it work? ### Creating a new list You can access all of your lists by clicking the list name itself. You'll able to be able to create new lists from there as well by clicking "New List"

Single list mode

### Editing and deleting lists To edit a list, you can click the "3 dot menu" to the right of the list name.

Editing and deleting a list in Ellie

### Show all lists at once If you want to show all lists at once, you can do this by going to Settings -> Personalization -> Braindump & Lists.

"All lists" mode

Sidebar layout settings

To save space in this mode, we show a collapsed version of the cards. This allows you to view more cards at once. However, if you want to view the full cards in the sidebar, you can do so by selecting that option in the settings as well.

Full card mode

## Best practices 1. If you can get away with using the Brain dump alone, default to this. Lists add additional complexity to your workflow and might not be suitable for everyone 2. Don't be afraid to delete lists when they are no longer useful (example: Creating lists for Projects, Trips, etc...) ## FAQs **When should I use lists over labels?** Lists are meant to capture and hold tasks before they are scheduled to be done. I would use a label if you want to further categorize it after the task leaves the list. It is completely fine if labels and lists overlap. (Example: Having a "Personal" list and "Personal" label). The reason they are not combined into one is to provide more flexibility for users. {% hint style="info" %} In the future, there will be an "auto-apply label to list" feature to help automate the process of automatically labeling a task if added to a list. You can vote for it [here](https://feedback.ellieplanner.com/feature-requests/p/automatically-label-task-by-list). {% endhint %} # The Calendar Kanban A better way to visualize your week ## What is the Calendar Kanban? The Calendar Kanban is the center of the Ellie experience and is a unique way to visualize your week. It is an "infinite" scrolling Kanban where each column is a day of the week. You can drag tasks between days and easily plan out your day/week.

The Ellie Calendar Kanban

## Incomplete task roll-over By default, when a task is not completed that day, it will automatically be rolled over to the next day. ### Rollover Settings There are 2 settings to customize the task rollover feature: 1. Disabling it completely 2. Customizing the position of the tasks that were rolled over (add them to the top of bottom of the list) You can access them by going to Settings -> Personalization -> Task Rollover
# Focus (on today) mode A way for you to just focus on today If you're feeling overwhelmed with all the tasks floating around Ellie and want to just focus on what needs to get done today then focus mode is for you. This mode allows you to just see a single Kanban column and today's calendar side by side and nothing else.
You can access this mode any time by clicking the "Focus" button at the top of today's Kanban column. You can exit it by clicking "Exit focus mode" at the top right corner

Enable focus mode button

# The Timebox Drag tasks directly onto your calendar ## What is timeboxing (or timeblocking)? In Ellie, timeboxing is the act of adding tasks onto the calendar to plan your day.

Tasks timeboxed onto the calendar

## Separate from your actual calendar (or not) Unlike many apps that support timeboxing, Ellie doesn't require you to connect your actual calendar to use it. So if you are someone who just wants to timebox, but don't want tasks to appear in your Google/Outlook/Apple calendar, Ellie is perfect. However, for those that do want tasks to appear in their Google calendar, we do offer a Google calendar integration. You can learn more about it here ๐Ÿ‘‡ {% content-ref url="/pages/NxtvdwEeBUFuqHnfZMFv" %} [Google calendar integration](/features/the-timebox/google-calendar-integration) {% endcontent-ref %} For Apple calendar users, we allow you to overlay Apple calendar events on the all devices. You can learn more about it here ๐Ÿ‘‡ {% content-ref url="/pages/lmFPernaYB1gotPku8D2" %} [Apple calendar integration](/features/the-timebox/apple-calendar-integration) {% endcontent-ref %} For Outlook integration, check out our Outlook calendar integration! {% content-ref url="/pages/IU4Zm69PbiUl65nH7Nwx" %} [Outlook calendar integration](/features/the-timebox/outlook-calendar-integration) {% endcontent-ref %} ## Working with multiple calendars If you want to display multiple calendars on your timebox, you can do so by clicking the calendar icon in the bottom right of the timebox. You can toggle calendars on/off by clicking the name directly

Calendar toggle in the Ellie timebox

## Week view If you prefer to view your entire week at once in the Timebox, you can switch to "Calendar" view which makes the Timebox the focus of the app rather than the Kanan. The Ellie Kanban is moved to the right side and only displays a single day. You can drag tasks directly onto this calendar as well.

Week view in Ellie

## Month view {% hint style="info" %} Month view (along with a number of other views) is currently being worked on. You can upvote this [feedback item](https://feedback.ellieplanner.com/feature-requests/p/month-view) to get an email update once its released {% endhint %} ## Calendar settings There are a few calendar settings that you can update to further customize the timebox/calendar experience in Ellie: 1. Change the week start day (default is Sunday, but some users prefer Monday) 2. Ability to hide weekends 3. Ability to hide declined events 4. Ability to change the time increment in the calendar (helpful if you need more granular increments when timeboxing) If you have any setting suggestions, please request them on our [feedback board](https://feedback.ellieplanner.com/)!

Calendar setting options

# Convert events into Ellie tasks Convert any calendar event into an Ellie task and optionally sync them. {% hint style="warning" %} ## This feature is in beta, please email chris () for access This feature is only available on the web/desktop version and will come to iOS soon. Changes made on tasks in the iOS will \*NOT\* sync back to the calendar event (regardless of your sync settings) until this feature is ported completely {% endhint %} ## Overview Ellie's External Calendar Events feature allows you to seamlessly convert events from your connected calendars (Google, Apple, or Outlook) into Ellie tasks. This feature helps you manage your calendar events alongside your tasks in one unified workflow. ### Getting Started #### Prerequisites * An active Ellie subscription * At least one connected calendar (Google, Apple, or Outlook) * The "External Calendar Events" feature enabled in your account #### Enabling the Feature 1. Navigate to **Settings** โ†’ **Calendars** 2. Connect your preferred calendar service (Google, Apple, or Outlook) 3. The feature will be automatically available once a calendar is connected ### How to Create Tasks from Calendar Events

Add as task button

#### Method 1: From the Calendar View 1. Click on any calendar event in your Ellie calendar 2. In the event popup, click the **"Add as task"** button 3. The task will be created instantly with all event details preserved ## Sync Settings The sync settings control how changes to tasks created from calendar events are handled. You can find these settings under **Settings** โ†’ **Calendars** โ†’ **"Create task from calendar event settings"**.
#### Sync Mode Options **1. Keep task and calendar event separate (Default)** * **What it does**: Changes you make to the task in Ellie won't update the original calendar event * **When to use**: When you want to manage the task independently from the calendar event * **Example**: You reschedule a task in Ellie, but the original meeting time in your calendar remains unchanged **2. Sync time changes only** * **What it does**: When you reschedule the task in Ellie, the calendar event will automatically move to the new time * **What it doesn't sync**: Title and description changes remain independent * **When to use**: When you want time changes to stay in sync but maintain separate titles/descriptions * **Example**: Moving a task to 3 PM will also move the calendar event to 3 PM **3. Sync all changes** * **What it does**: Any changes you make to the task (title, description, or time) will automatically update the original calendar event * **When to use**: When you want the task and calendar event to remain fully synchronized * **Example**: Renaming a task "Weekly standup" to "Team sync" will also rename the calendar event #### Important Notes about Sync Settings * These settings **only** apply to tasks created from existing calendar events * Regular tasks created in Ellie are **not** affected by these settings * Deleting a task does not delete the original calendar event (for safety) ## Visual Indicators #### Calendar Event Icon Tasks created from calendar events display a small calendar icon on the task card, indicating: * ๐Ÿ“… Google Calendar events * ๐ŸŽ Apple Calendar events * ๐Ÿ“ง Outlook Calendar events #### Time Mismatch Indicator {% hint style="info" %} This can happen if you have chosen to keep the calendar events separate and NOT sync the time. If you timebox this task it will have a different time on the timebox than the calendar event {% endhint %} When the task time differs from the original calendar event time, you'll see an orange "Different from timebox" indicator. This shows: * The current time difference between task and event * Why the difference exists based on your sync settings * When the times will be synchronized (if sync is enabled) ## Best Practices 1. **Choose the right sync mode**: * Use "no sync" for one-time events you want to manage separately * Use "time sync" for recurring meetings where only timing matters * Use "full sync" for events you want to keep completely aligned 2. **Calendar organization**: * Consider creating a dedicated calendar for tasks you want to import * Use calendar categories/colors to organize which events become tasks 3. **Time management**: * Tasks inherit the time and duration from calendar events * You can adjust task timing independently based on your sync settings * Time zone handling is automatic based on your calendar settings ## Troubleshooting #### "Add as task" button not appearing * Ensure you have an active subscription * Check that the calendar integration is properly connected * Refresh the page if the button doesn't appear immediately #### Sync not working as expected * Allow up to 30 minutes for sync changes to propagate (should be sooner or instant if you manually sync) * Check your sync mode settings are configured correctly * Ensure the calendar account has proper permissions #### Time differences between task and event * This is normal if you have "no sync" mode enabled * Check the time mismatch indicator for details * Verify your time zone settings in both Ellie and your calendar ### Privacy and Security * Ellie only accesses calendar data you explicitly grant permission for * Event data is encrypted and stored securely * You can revoke calendar access at any time from Settings * Deleting tasks does not affect original calendar events ### FAQ **Q: Can I create tasks from recurring calendar events?**\ A: Yes but they will NOT be recurring tasks **Q: Will deleting a task delete my calendar event?**\ A: No, for safety reasons, deleting a task never deletes the original calendar event. **Q: How quickly do sync changes appear?**\ A: Changes from a task to the calendar event are instant. Changes from the event to the task can take up to 30 minutes OR instantly if you manually sync. **Q: Can I convert multiple calendar events at once?**\ A: Currently, events must be converted one at a time by clicking "Add as task" on each event. **Q: Do calendar attachments transfer to tasks?**\ A: Only the event description, notes and time are synced (for now) # Outlook calendar integration Ellie x Outlook Calendar By default, the Ellie timebox is completely separate from any external calendars. However, for users who want to integrate their Outlook calendar into Ellie there are a few options {% hint style="info" %} All of these settings below can also be found on the iOS app โœŒ๏ธ {% endhint %} ## How it works There are 2 ways you can integrate Outlook calendar into Ellie ### 1. Only overlay Outlook calendar events Choose this if you want to show Outlook calendar events in your Ellie timebox, but you don't want Ellie tasks to appear inside your Outlook calendar. This is great if you simply want to know what meetings/events you have while you timebox your day. {% hint style="info" %} This is the default behavior when you link a Outlook calendar to Ellie {% endhint %} To use this mode, simply keep the "Add Ellie tasks to Outlook calendar" unchekced

Leave this unchecked to simply overlay Outlook calendar events

### 2. Add Ellie tasks to Outlook calendar If you click the setting above, Ellie tasks will be added to your Outlook calendar as events. These tasks will also be synced, so any changes you make to a task will reflect in the event (and the other way around). When you enable the setting above you will see 2 options: 1. Add tasks to Outlook calendar 2. Add tasks to Outlook calendar, but keep them private. Selecting the second option will set the title of the events to "Busy" in Outlook calendar. Select this option if you want people to see time blocked on your Calendar but not the title of the task.

Google calendar event privacy settings

You can also change the default calendar that events will be added to (screenshot above). {% hint style="info" %} Note changing the default calendar will not make previously timeboxed tasks use that calendar. Only future timeboxed tasks will be affected {% endhint %} At this time, there is no way to timebox to multiple Outlook calendars based on the label but there is an [open feedback item](https://feedback.ellieplanner.com/feature-requests/p/multiple-calendar-timebox-based-on-label) you can vote on if you want to see this in the future. ## Editing Outlook calendar events within Ellie There are a few actions you can take on Outlook calendar events within Ellie: 1. Updating the time of the event (simply drag or resize the event to update it) 2. Deleting the event (click the event -> click the trash icon in the top right) If you want to edit the event in any other way, there is a "Open event in Outlook calendar" button at the top right of the event pop up.

Outlook event details within Ellie

# Google calendar integration Ellie X Google Calendar By default, the Ellie timebox is completely separate from any external calendars. However, for users who want to integrate their Google calendar into Ellie there are a few options ## How it works There are 2 ways you can integrate Google calendar into Ellie ### 1. Only overlay Google calendar events Choose this if you want to show Google calendar events in your Ellie timebox, but you don't want Ellie tasks to appear inside your Google calendar. This is great if you simply want to know what meetings/events you have while you timebox your day. {% hint style="info" %} This is the default behavior when you link a Google calendar to Ellie {% endhint %} To use this mode, simply keep the "Add Ellie tasks to Google calendar" unchekced

Leave this unchecked to simply overlay Google calendar events

### 2. Add Ellie tasks to Google calendar If you click the setting above, Ellie tasks will be added to your Google calendar as events. These tasks will also be synced, so any changes you make to a task will reflect in the event (and the other way around). When you enable the setting above you will see 2 options: 1. Add tasks to Google calendar 2. Add tasks to Google calendar, but keep them private. Selecting the second option will set the title of the events to "Busy" in Google calendar. Select this option if you want people to see time blocked on your Calendar but not the title of the task.

Google calendar event privacy settings

You can also change the default calendar that events will be added to (screenshot above). {% hint style="info" %} Note changing the default calendar will not make previously timeboxed tasks use that calendar. Only future timeboxed tasks will be affected {% endhint %} At this time, there is no way to timebox to multiple Google calendars based on the label but there is an o[pen feedback item](https://feedback.ellieplanner.com/feature-requests/p/multiple-calendar-timebox-based-on-label) you can vote on if you want to see this in the future. ## Editing Google calendar events within Ellie There are a few actions you can take on Google calendar events within Ellie: 1. Updating the time of the event (simply drag or resize the event to update it) 2. Update whether or not you are attending the event (click the event and updating the "Going?" section) 3. Deleting the event (click the event -> click the trash icon in the top right) If you want to edit the event in any other way, there is a "Open event in Google calendar" button at the top right of the event pop up.
# Apple calendar integration Ellie x Apple calendar By default, the Ellie timebox is completely separate from any external calendars. However, for users who want to integrate their Apple calendar into Ellie there are a few options. {% hint style="info" %} Note that the Apple cal integration for iOS and Web/Mac require different setup processes {% endhint %} ## Overlay Apple calendar events You can overlay Apple calendar events directly on your timebox alongside Ellie tasks. This is useful when trying to plan your tasks around scheduled meetings/events.
## How does it work? ### iOS On iOS, you can go to: Settings -> Connected Calendars -> Manage Apple calendars and turn "Enable Apple cal events" on. {% hint style="info" %} The Apple calendar integration for iOS requires your Apple calendar to be connected to the Apple calendar app. This is because we pull events directly from the device {% endhint %} ### Web The web/desktop version of Ellie is a bit more tricky. You need to follow a few steps to enable calendars. Go to Settings -> Calendars -> Connect Apple calendar account Apple requires an app-specific password to connect to iCloud. You can generate an app-specific password at . Check out our [tutorial about iCloud accounts](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204397) for more information
Once connected, you'll be able to view your calendars and also change their colors by clicking the "3-dot" menu on the right when you hover over the calendar.

Changing Apple calendar colors within Ellie

{% hint style="info" %} The ability to change colors will only impact the Ellie calendar color and will not reflect back on your Apple calendar {% endhint %} ### Limitations (editing/2-way sync) You can move around and delete Apple calendar events, but you cannot edit any other info at this time. 2-way syncing similar to Google calendar (Linking Ellie tasks to Apple calendar events) is not supported at this time but could be added in the future. If you would like to see further functionality, you can request it on our [feedback board](https://feedback.ellieplanner.com/)! # Notifications Timebox and due date reminder notifications ๐Ÿ‘€ ## Timebox notifications ### What are they? Timebox notifications are notifications for anything on the timebox. You will get notifications for both calendar events and timeboxed tasks. You can enable them on iOS by going to Settings -> Notifications and toggling "Timebox notifications" on. You can also specifiy if you want to receive the notifications exactly at the time of the task OR a little bit before.

Timebox notifications settings

### Timebox notifications on Desktop The Ellie desktop apps can also access notifications as well! \ \ To access, go to Settings -> Notifications and enabled "Timebox notifications". You can also enable due date notifications if you have that power feature enabled.
## Due date notifications If you have the [Due date](/features/tasks/due-dates) power feature enabled, you will see a new notification section appear in settings to enable due date reminder notifications. You can learn more about them here ๐Ÿ‘‡ {% content-ref url="/pages/TKOp2px3gPkKKmrjlUFZ" %} [Due dates](/features/tasks/due-dates) {% endcontent-ref %} # Keyboard Shortcuts & More Fly through your workflows ## Keyboard shortcuts Ellie has a number of keyboard shortcuts so you can easily access common actions without using your mouse. You can access them at any time in 2 ways: 1. Settings -> Keyboard shortcuts 2. With the keyboard shortcut "?" anywhere within the app Some commonly used shortcuts are (updating the label of a task and editing the estimated time)

Ellie keyboard shortcuts list

{% hint style="info" %} If you have any keyboard shortcuts you would like to see (or any we can improve on) please add a feedback item on our [feedback board](https://feedback.ellieplanner.com/)! {% endhint %} ## Bulk edit (and move) tasks On the web/desktop app you can select multiple tasks at once by holding down "SHIFT" and selecting the tasks. Once you do this a new "bulk action" bar will appear at the bottom of the app. You can perform a few actions in bulk to the tasks (like completing or deleting them).

Bulk editing tasks

You can also drag these tasks to any other date or list in bulk. {% hint style="info" %} Bulk actions are not supported in the timebox. You cannot bulk timebox tasks either {% endhint %} # Daily planning/shutdown (rituals) Plan and review your day :) ## What is this? The Daily planning and shutdown rituals are guided walkthroughs to help you plan and review your day
## How to enable it You can enable it by going into Power features -> Daily Planning and toggle it on. Once enabled, you can access it by clicking your avatar in the top right of the app and clicking "Daily Planning"

Daily Planning

Daily Shutdown

## Notifications On Desktop, you can receive notifications for both the Daily planning and shutdown ritual

Daily planning/shutdown notifications

# Analytics A breakdown of how you spend your time Here are some common ways people use Ellie's analytics feature to get a better sense of where they are spending their time.
## How am I spending my time (by label)? The first chart shows a breakdown of where you spend your time broken down by label. This is great to get a sense of how you spend your time. This can be good to see if you need to start shifting focus to other areas or if you are on the right track.

Breakdown of time spent by label

If you scroll down, you will see a breakdown of what % of yoru time is spent by label as well as a list of all completed tasks

Breakdown of time spent per label

## Average Brain dump task age You can see what the average task age is in your Brain dump and take action if needed. This is helpful because if this age is too high, then it probably signals that there are tasks that can be removed. It's recommended to clean out your Brain dump (And lists in general) every few weeks.

Avg brain dump task age

You can click the "Needs attention" button to pull up a table that shows you a list of tasks in the Braindump, sorted by age, and the ability to bulk delete (or mark as complete) items that are no longer relevant.

Braindump cleanup

## Export to CSV If you scroll down you will see a list of all completed tasks. At the top right you can click a button to Download a CSV copy of all your completed tasks with the estimate/actual time and date complete :)
# AI Assistant Have Ellie help you manage your day (in beta) {% hint style="warning" %} This feature is in BETA. Please contact for any feedback or if anything is not working! {% endhint %} Ellie's AI Assistant helps you manage tasks, organize your schedule, and stay on top of your daily planning: all through natural conversation.
### Getting Started #### Enabling the AI Assistant 1. Navigate to **Settings โ†’ Power Features** 2. Find the **AI Assistant** card 3. Toggle it on 4. That's it! You'll see a chat bubble in the bottom-right corner of your screen *Note: AI Assistant is a Pro feature. If you're on the free plan, you'll need to upgrade to access it.* #### Opening the Assistant * **Click the chat bubble** in the bottom-right corner
### What Can It Do? Here are the most popular ways people use the AI Assistant: #### 1. Bulk Task Creation **Try:** "Add a task 'Go to grocery' and buy milk, bread, and cheese"\ The AI will create the main task with subtasks for each itemโ€”perfect for breaking down complex projects. #### 2. Smart Organization **Try:** "Label all my tasks that don't have labels"\ It'll intelligently categorize your tasks based on their content, saving you tons of manual organizing. #### 3. Time Estimation **Try:** "Add time estimates to tasks that don't have them"\ The AI analyzes each task and suggests realistic durations, helping you plan more accurately. #### 4. Automated Scheduling **Try:** "Timebox my day" or "Schedule my tasks for today"\ It creates an optimized schedule that works around your calendar events and preferences. #### 5. Recurring Tasks **Try:** "Add recurring task to water plants every 3 days"\ It understands complex scheduling patterns and creates recurring tasks with ease. #### 6. Finding Free Time **Try:** "When am I free this week for a 2-hour deep work session?"\ It checks your calendar and tasks to find available time slots. #### 7. Priority Guidance **Try:** "What should I focus on right now?"\ Get intelligent recommendations based on deadlines, importance, and your current context. #### 8. Bulk Updates **Try:** "Move all my personal tasks to this weekend"\ Update multiple tasks at once without clicking through each one individually. ### Customizing Your Experience
#### AI Assistant Settings Navigate to **Settings โ†’ AI Assistant** to customize how the assistant works for you. **Confirmation Mode** Toggle **"Require confirmation before modifying data"** if you want the AI to ask for your approval before creating or modifying tasks. This is great if you want to review changes before they're made. **Timeboxing Preferences** Help the AI create better schedules by describing your ideal work routine. For example: * When you typically start and end your workday * Your preferred times for deep work vs. meetings * Break preferences and lunch times * Any scheduling quirks unique to you *Example: "I typically start at 9am and prefer deep work in the morning. I like to schedule meetings after 2pm and take lunch from 12-1pm. I work best in 2-hour focused blocks."* ### Tips for Better Results #### Be Specific The more details you provide, the better the AI can help. Instead of "schedule my tasks," try "schedule my work tasks for tomorrow morning, keeping meetings in the afternoon." #### Use Natural Language Don't worry about special commands or syntax. Just type like you're talking to a helpful colleague. #### Experiment with Commands The AI understands many variations of requests. "Timebox my day," "Schedule my tasks," and "Plan my day" all work! #### Check Before Big Changes If you're making significant changes (like rescheduling many tasks), consider enabling confirmation mode first. # Search Find any task quickly You can search for any tasks in Ellie by clicking the Search icon in the top bar (or with the keyboard shortcut CMD+K or CTRL+K) You can search for any task by the task title through this search. You can click on any task to pull up the task detail modal. {% hint style="info" %} Search is only available on Web/Mac and will be coming to iOS in the future {% endhint %}
# iPhone/iPad App The Ellie iOS App The Ellie iOS app is very similar and has 80% of the functionality of the web version (even timeboxing) You can access lists, edit tasks and even timebox directly within the iOS app.

Ellie iOS app

{% hint style="info" %} You can download the iOS app [here](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ellie-daily-planner/id1602196200) โœจ {% endhint %} # iOS Widgets Add Ellie to your home screen ๐Ÿฅณ Ellie supports 3 different types of widgets on iOS so you can quickly see things like tasks/calendar events at a glance. They work on both iPhone and iPad! ## The task widget

The task widget

The task widget lets you quickly see your incomplete tasks. You can choose to show tasks from: 1. Today 2. The Braindump 3. Any list To switch which between lists, hold down the widget -> click edit and you should see a dropdown of different lists to choose from.

iOS widget list settings

## The calendar widget The calendar widget shows you upcoming events from your timebox/calendar on your homescreen. We pull both calendar events and timeboxed tasks into the widget!

The Ellie calendar iOS widget

## The "Todos left" widget This is a small fun widget meant to give you a gentle reminder about how many tasks you have left for the day. As the day goes on, the widget and Ellie (the hamster the app is named after) slowly change depending on how many tasks and time there are left in the day.

The "Todos Left" widget

# Siri integration Quickly add tasks on iOS through Siri You can enable our Siri integration to quickly add tasks to do the following commands: 1. Add a task to the brain dump 2. Add a task to today 3. Open the brain dump, today or timebox To activate the feature, go to Settings -> Other Settings -> Siri shortcuts
# Mac App The Ellie Mac App Ellie is available for both Apple Silicon and Intel based Macs. You can download it by clicking [here](https://download.ellieplanner.com). You can also access this download directly from the web app by visiting Settings -> Download apps

Download the Ellie Mac App

# Mac calendar menu bar Quickly view your calendar events from the Mac menu bar {% hint style="info" %} **If you are unable to see the menu bar, please note that it can be hidden behind the Notch if you have a Macbook with that feature. You will have to get rid of other icons on the right to make sure that it has enough room to be visible.**\ \ **TIP: You can hold down CMD and drag the menu bar to the right to make sure it is always visible.** {% endhint %} ## What is this feature? If you're on the Mac, Ellie automatically adds a menu bar item at the top right of your screen so you can quickly glance and see upcoming calendar events. If there is a Zoom or Google meet link attached to the event, a button to join the meeting will also appear.

Calendar events in the Mac menu bar

## How to disable the feature You can disable the menu bar item by going into Settings -> General Settings -> Calendar/Kanban Settings and toggling "Enable Tray menu" to off
## FAQ **Is this on by default?** Yes. If you have trouble seeing it, check the note at the top of the page^ **Can I add events/tasks from this menu?** Not at this time. However, this feature is just a v1 and I plan to add many improvements to it over time. If you have any suggestions, please add them to our [feedback board](https://feedback.ellieplanner.com/)! # Windows app Ellie for Windows Ellie for Windows can be downloaded by [clicking here](https://download.ellieplanner.com/windows/nsis/x64).

Ellie for Windows

Right now, you can do anything on the Ellie windows app that you can do on the web app. However, there are many desktop-specific features that we have planned including: * Native notifications * Floating timer * Global quick capture If you have a suggestion, please suggest them on the feedback board! ๐Ÿ‘‡ {% content-ref url="/pages/7bEoLdqjjSKsikEdqZ81" %} [The feedback board](/getting-started/the-feedback-board) {% endcontent-ref %} # Migrating from other tools Make the move to Ellie a bit easier {% hint style="info" %} We actually recommend starting fresh with Ellie, but if you want to migrate over your existing data from other tools here are ways we make this easier {% endhint %} ## Sunsama If you are a Sunsama user, Ellie allows you to migrate your existing data via the Sunsama CSV import -> Ellie import tab on the settings page To do this: 1. In Sunsama, Go to Settings -> Account Management and click โ€œExport my dataโ€ to download a CSV 2. In Ellie, Go to Settinngs -> Import Data -> Sunsama and follow the instructions We will import your tasks give you the option to map your Sunsama channels to Ellie labels (or create new labels).
## CSV Import {% hint style="info" %} This is coming soon! {% endhint %} ## Todoist Import {% hint style="info" %} This is coming soon! {% endhint %} # Integrations Connect Ellie to other apps ๐Ÿ™Œ Alongside the Apple and Google calendar integrations, Ellie has a few other non-calendar related integrations (with many more coming soon!)\ \ Here are a list of the integrations we support: {% content-ref url="/pages/lmFPernaYB1gotPku8D2" %} [Apple calendar integration](/features/the-timebox/apple-calendar-integration) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/NxtvdwEeBUFuqHnfZMFv" %} [Google calendar integration](/features/the-timebox/google-calendar-integration) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/N0gNCuX2WbhkbkPLkIjz" %} [Zapier Integration](/features/integrations/zapier-integration) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/ZHaSm4FmLMmlJMJVpZ91" %} [Slack integration](/features/integrations/slack-integration) {% endcontent-ref %} # Notion Integration Import tasks from any Notion database into Ellie (and sync them!) {% hint style="info" %} This integration was released recently! If you have issues please reach out to Chris () for support :) {% endhint %} ## How it works Our Notion integration allows you to sync items from any (or multiple) Notion database into an Ellie list. These tasks will also have a special Notion icon and a deep link to open it in Notion.

Imported tasks from Notion

## How to enable the integration 1. Go to Settings -> Integrations in Ellie 2. Link the Notion integration (which will let you select any Notion workspace) 3. Once your Notion workspace is linked, click into it and add a new database connection 4. Select the Notion database + relevant filters and import will begin from the Notion database into Ellie 5. Ellie tasks from this integration will have a Notion icon

Ellie Notion Integration page

## 2-way sync The integration allows you to sync data (the name and completion status) back to Notion if you choose to enable it {% hint style="info" %} Note on deletion: deleting a task in Ellie does **NOT** delete it in Notion {% endhint %}

Database connection setting

## I don't see my Notion database There are 2 main reasons for this: 1. You have not shared the database with the Ellie integration. 1. Go to Notion and open the database 2. Click on the three dot button in the top right corner c. Scroll down and find "Connections", and add Ellie 2. The database is not the original (but just a "view" of that database) 1. Unfortunately Notion does not allow us to access views of databases, just the original {% hint style="info" %} Please contact if you have issues with the integration {% endhint %} ## Accidentally imported 1000 tasks? You can click the 3 dot menu at the right and an option to delete all imported tasks is at the bottom :)\ \ This is great if you put the wrong filter and accidently imported too many tasks.
# Todoist Integration Import tasks from Todoist into Ellie (and sync them!) {% hint style="info" %} This integration was released recently! If you have issues please reach out to Chris () for support :) {% endhint %} ## How it works Our Todoist integration allows you to sync items from any (or multiple) Todoist projects into an Ellie list. These tasks will also have a special Todoist icon and a deep link to open it in Todoist.
## How to enable the integration 1. Go to Settings -> Integrations in Ellie 2. Link the Todoist integration 3. Once your Todoist workspace is linked, click into it and add a new database connection 4. Select the Todoist project + relevant filters and import will begin from the Todoist database into Ellie 5. Ellie tasks from this integration will have a Todoist icon

Ellie Todoist Integration page

## 2-way sync The integration allows you to sync data back to Todoist if you choose to enable it {% hint style="info" %} Note on deletion: deleting a task in Ellie does **NOT** delete it in Todoist {% endhint %}

Database connection setting

{% hint style="info" %} Please contact if you have issues with the integration {% endhint %} ## Accidentally imported 1000 tasks? You can click the 3 dot menu at the right and an option to delete all imported tasks is at the bottom :)\ \ This is great if you put the wrong filter and accidently imported too many tasks.
# Zapier Integration Integrate Ellie with thousands of other tools, no coding required ## How to access the integration You can access the integration [here](https://zapier.com/apps/ellie/integrations). Please note that this is just the beginning and if there is anything you would like to see in the future please reach out to ! ## What is this? [Zapier](https://zapier.com/) allows you to connect Ellie with thousands of different apps. Our Zapier integration allows 2 types of actions and 2 types of triggers: Actions: 1. Creating an Ellie task 2. Update an Ellie task Triggers: 1. Ellie task completed 2. Ellie task created

Zapier Ellie integration

## Example use cases Using actions: 1. Email favorited in Outlook โ†’ Create task in Ellie to reply 2. Task completion in Trello or Asana โ†’ Update progress status of corresponding task in Ellie 3. New entry in Notion โ†’ Create a new task in Ellie 4. New lead in Salesforce โ†’ Create task in Ellie to reach out 5. Mentioned in Slack โ†’ Create a task in Ellie to respond Using triggers: 1. Task completed -> Send an email to fulfill shopfiy order 2. Task completed -> Update Asana task 3. Task created -> Create a notion page 4. Task created -> Send a status update email ## How to use the feature When you create a Zap in Zapier, everything should be straightforward. However, you will need to authenticate your Ellie account. You will be greeted with this screen asking you for an Ellie API Token.
To generate your token, Go to Settings -> Toggle power features -> API Token and enable API access.

API Token power feature setting

Once enabled, you can go to API token (step 3 above) and then you can generate a new API Token to be used in Zapier.

Copy API Token in Settings

Once you link your account, you can choose the action as either "Create" or "Update" task. If you chose "Create task in Ellie" for example, you can then choose from a number of different fields to populate (see below on how the Label name and List name fields work).

Create a task fields in Zapier

### Label and List name fields The way the label and list name fields work is by finding a list/label with the exact name typed into that field. So if you have a label called "Work", you could simply write "Work" or "work" (case doesn't matter) into the field. If you have multiple labels or lists with the same name, we will pick one to use. {% hint style="info" %} If a label or list does not exist, one will be created {% endhint %} # Slack integration Create an Ellie task from a Slack message ## What can the integration do? At the moment, you can use the integration to create a task from a message. Simply click the "more menu" located to the right of any task and a "Create a task" option should appear.

Create a task

Once you click "Create a task", a modal should appear that lets you add details before adding it as a task. You can even add it directly to a list!

Create task modal

Once a task is created, you'll see a new slack icon appear on the task as well as a deep link to go directly to the message.

Open in slack button

## How do I connect it? 1. Go to settings -> Integrations 2. Click "Connect" on the slack integration to connect your workspace 3. Once connected, you should see the dropdown in slack that allows you to create a task from a message

Slack integration page

## How can I disconnect the integration? 1. Go to Settings -> Integrations -> Slack -> Manage connections and click "Revoke access" on the workspace

Revoke slack integration access

## AI Auto fill By default we will auto fill in the description/label based on the message using AI. You can disable this at any time in the settings!
## Frequently asked questions ### Can I connect multiple workspaces? Yes. After connecting your first workspace, you can click "Manage" and then you will see the option to connect another workspace ### Future plans for this feature? As of now, I don't have any other plans for this feature except improving the "Create task" functionality by supporting things like attachments. If you have any ideas, please request them on our [feedback board](https://feedback.ellieplanner.com/)!