Every productivity workflow is unique. That's why our app provides powerful view customization options that let you organize and display your tasks exactly how you need them. This guide will show you how to create custom views that supercharge your productivity.

Understanding Views

What Are Views?

Views are customizable displays of your tasks and projects. Think of them as different lenses through which you can see your work:

• Filter what tasks appear
• Sort them in meaningful orders
• Group related items together
• Format the display for optimal scanning

Default Views Included

• Today: Tasks due today with time blocking
• Inbox: Unprocessed items waiting for organization
• Next Actions: Available tasks you can work on now
• Projects: Grouped by project with progress indicators
• Contexts: Organized by where/how you can do them
• Waiting For: Tasks dependent on others
• Someday/Maybe: Future possibilities and ideas

Creating Your First Custom View

Basic View Creation

1. Click Views in the sidebar
2. Select Create New View
3. Choose a starting template:
   • Blank: Start from scratch
   • Duplicate existing: Modify a current view
   • Template: Use pre-built specialized views

Essential View Settings

Name and Icon

• Choose a clear, descriptive name
• Select an icon that makes visual scanning easy
• Use consistent naming conventions across views

Filters

Define what tasks appear in your view:

Show tasks where:
- Status: Not completed
- Due date: Next 7 days
- Project: Work projects only
- Context: @Computer OR @Phone

Sorting Options

Choose how tasks are ordered:

• Due date: Deadlines first
• Priority: High-impact items on top
• Project: Group by project
• Context: Batch similar work
• Created date: Newest or oldest first
• Custom: Drag and drop manual ordering

Grouping

Organize tasks into sections:

• By project: See all project tasks together
• By context: Group by location or tool needed
• By due date: Today, this week, later
• By priority: High, medium, low
• By energy level: High energy, low energy tasks

Advanced View Configurations

Smart Filters

Create dynamic filters that adapt automatically:

Date-Based Filters

• Overdue: Tasks past their due date
• Due soon: Within next 3 days
• This week: Due before end of week
• Next week: Due in the following week

Project-Based Filters

• Active projects: Projects with recent activity
• Stalled projects: No progress in last week
• Nearly complete: Projects >80% finished

Context Filters

• Available now: Based on your current location/time
• High energy: Tasks tagged for peak performance times
• Quick wins: Tasks estimated under 15 minutes

Display Customization

Column Configuration

Choose which information to display:

• Essential: Title, due date, project
• Detailed: Add priority, context, estimated time
• Minimal: Title only for clean scanning

Color Coding

Use colors to convey information quickly:

• Priority levels: Red (high), yellow (medium), green (low)
• Project types: Different colors for work, personal, health
• Due dates: Gradient from green (plenty of time) to red (overdue)

Card vs. List View

• Card view: Rich information display with thumbnails
• List view: Compact rows for maximum information density
• Kanban view: Visual workflow columns

Specialized View Examples

The "Daily Driver" View

Perfect for your main work view:

Filters:
- Not completed
- Due today OR high priority
- Exclude someday/maybe lists

Grouping: By context
Sorting: Priority, then due time

Display: List view with due times visible

The "Weekly Planning" View

Great for weekly review sessions:

Filters:
- All tasks (including completed from this week)
- Due within next 7 days OR completed in last 7 days

Grouping: By project
Sorting: Due date

Display: Card view with progress indicators

The "Quick Wins" View

For when you have limited time or energy:

Filters:
- Estimated time: Less than 30 minutes
- Available in current context
- Not waiting for others

Sorting: Estimated time (shortest first)
Display: Minimal list view

The "Deep Work" View

For focused work sessions:

Filters:
- High priority OR high impact
- Estimated time: More than 1 hour
- Requires focused attention (custom tag)

Grouping: By energy level required
Sorting: Priority
Display: Card view with time estimates

Dynamic Views with Smart Rules

Location-Based Views

Create views that change based on where you are:

• At Office: Show work tasks with @Computer context
• At Home: Personal projects and @Home tasks
• Commuting: Show @Phone tasks and reading items

Time-Based Views

Views that adapt to time of day:

• Morning: High-energy, creative tasks
• Afternoon: Meetings, calls, administrative work
• Evening: Planning, reviewing, personal tasks

Energy-Based Views

Match tasks to your energy levels:

• Peak Energy: Complex, creative, or challenging work
• Medium Energy: Routine tasks, emails, planning
• Low Energy: Administrative work, filing, simple tasks

Collaborative Views

Team Views

When working with others:

• Team Dashboard: Show all team member tasks
• Delegation View: Tasks assigned to others
• Review Queue: Items waiting for your approval

Project Manager View

For overseeing multiple projects:

• Project Health: All projects with progress indicators
• Resource Allocation: Who's working on what
• Bottlenecks: Overdue or blocked tasks across projects

Mobile-Optimized Views

Touch-Friendly Design

• Large tap targets: Easy interaction on small screens
• Swipe actions: Quick complete, defer, or delete
• Minimal information: Focus on essential details

Context-Aware Mobile Views

• Location-based: Automatically show relevant tasks
• Time-sensitive: Surface urgent items first
• Battery-conscious: Simpler views when battery is low

View Management Best Practices

Organization Strategies

1. Start simple: Begin with 3-4 essential views
2. Name consistently: Use clear, searchable names
3. Review regularly: Remove views you don't use
4. Share with team: Export successful view configurations

Performance Optimization

• Limit scope: Don't include all historical data
• Use appropriate grouping: Too many groups slow performance
• Regular cleanup: Archive old completed tasks

Maintenance Tips

• Document purpose: Add descriptions to complex views
• Regular reviews: Update filters as projects change
• Backup configurations: Export view settings
• Test on devices: Ensure views work on all your devices

Advanced Customization

CSS Styling (Pro Users)

For ultimate customization:

.high-priority-task {
  border-left: 4px solid #ff4444;
  background-color: #fff5f5;
}

.context-computer {
  font-family: 'Courier New', monospace;
}

JavaScript Automation (Power Users)

Create dynamic behaviors:

// Auto-hide completed tasks after 24 hours
if (task.completed && task.completedDate < Date.now() - 86400000) {
  task.hidden = true;
}

Troubleshooting Views

Common Issues

• View too slow: Reduce data scope or simplify grouping
• Nothing showing: Check filters aren't too restrictive
• Wrong sorting: Verify sort criteria and direction
• Mobile display issues: Test responsive settings

Getting Help

• View templates: Browse community-shared configurations
• Support docs: Detailed filter and sorting references
• User forum: Share ideas and get help from other users

Custom views transform how you interact with your tasks. Start with simple modifications to existing views, then gradually build more sophisticated displays that perfectly match your workflow.

Want to share a great view configuration? Submit it to our community template library!