Getting Started

Five minutes to a system you trust. Install AgenToDo, dump everything out of your head, and start getting things done.

Install

AgenToDo is a free, native app for Mac. Pick your way in:

• Setapp — included with your Setapp subscription

Launch the app once. That's it — iCloud sync activates automatically, and everything stays in sync across your devices.

Step 1: The Brain Dump

Open AgenToDo and go to the Inbox. Now write down everything on your mind. Everything.

• That email you need to reply to
• The grocery list
• The idea you had in the shower
• The thing you've been putting off for weeks
• Birthday gifts, doctor appointments, side projects, home repairs

Don't organize. Don't prioritize. Just get it down. Use Quick Entry (keyboard shortcut from any app), multi-entry mode (Shift+Return to keep adding), or Share from any app — forward an email, share a link from Safari, or select text and share. It becomes a task instantly.

This is the single most important step. Your brain is not a reliable storage system — AgenToDo is.

From the terminal

If you live in the command line, capture is just as fast:

agentodo quickadd "Reply to Sarah's email"
agentodo quickadd "Buy birthday gift for Mom due:friday #errands"
agentodo quickadd "Research standing desks ::Home Office"

Step 2: Decide What Each Thing Means

Go through your Inbox, one item at a time. For each one, ask:

1. Is it actionable? If not — delete it or move it to a "Someday" project.
2. Can you do it in under 2 minutes? Do it now. Seriously. Don't make a task for it.
3. Is it for someone else? Delegate it — move to Waiting On with a name attached.
4. Does it need a specific date? Set a due date.
5. Is it part of something bigger? Add it to a project. (Don't have one? Create it.)

Or just tell AgenToDo: "Sort my inbox." The AI will suggest projects, tags, and dates for each item. Review the suggestions, tweak what's off, approve the rest.

The goal: an empty inbox. Not because you did everything — because you decided about everything.

Step 3: Set Up Your Structure

You don't need much. Start simple and grow as needed.

Create a few projects

A project is anything that takes more than one step. Start with what's active right now:

• A work project you're in the middle of
• A personal goal or errand cluster
• "Someday" — a single-actions project for ideas you're not committing to yet

Create a few tags

Tags represent context — where or how you can do something:

• #calls — things you need to call someone about
• #errands — things to do when you're out
• #computer — things you need your Mac for
• #low-energy — things you can do when your brain is fried

That's it. You don't need a complex system on day one. Grow it later when you know what you need.

Step 4: Your Daily Routine

AgenToDo works best when you check in twice a day.

Morning (2 minutes)

1. Open ⭐ Today — see your tasks and calendar side by side.
2. Glance at the commitment meter — are you overbooked? Be honest.
3. Flag 1–3 tasks that must happen today.

Evening (1 minute)

1. Clear the 📥 Inbox — anything you captured during the day, decide about it now.
2. Check 📅 Forecast — anything important tomorrow?

Step 5: The Weekly Review

This is the habit that makes everything work. Once a week — Friday afternoon is perfect — sit down for 15–30 minutes:

1. Inbox to zero — process everything that piled up.
2. Open the 👁️ Review perspective — it walks through each project. Is this still relevant? What's the next action? Is anything stuck?
3. Check ⏳ Waiting On — anyone owe you something? Follow up.
4. Scan the calendar — what's next week? Any prep needed?
5. Skim Someday — anything to activate? Anything to drop?

With AI: say "Guide my weekly review" and AgenToDo walks you through each step, highlighting stale projects and overdue items.

The weekly review is the difference between "using a task app" and "trusting a system." It takes 15 minutes and saves hours of worry.

What's Next

That's the foundation. From here, explore at your own pace:

• GTD with AgenToDo — deeper dive into how every GTD concept maps to AgenToDo features
• Daily & Weekly Workflows — detailed routines for getting the most out of your system
• All Features — everything AgenToDo can do
• CLI Reference — full command-line documentation