You don't need to move the work from a meeting into a separate to-do app. In Pumpynotes, the note is already where you write things down; you can add a checkbox task list inside it, group that list with a tag, and track its progress with a status. Why your to-do list never ends usually comes down to not using these three together.
The three pieces aren't independent. The checkbox list holds the tasks inside one note, a tag pulls the same piece of work together across different notes, and status shows what stage that work is at. Below we cover each one, then show how to use all three together in a real example.
Short answer: how do you build a task system inside your notes?
Inside a note, type / and choose To-Do List to lay out tasks as checkboxes. To find the same piece of work across other notes, add a tag to the note. To show what stage the work is at, give the note one of the To do, In progress, On hold, Done statuses.
A checkbox marks items inside one list; a tag and a status mark the note itself. That's why you use them together: a small, one-off task only needs a checkbox; something you're working on for days also needs a tag and a status.
Adding a to-do list inside a note
Inside a note, on a new line, just type "/". Choose To-Do List from the block menu that appears, and a checkbox shows up at the start of each line.
This is the most practical way to use a long meeting or a daily note: you jot down tasks as they come up in the conversation, and check them off as they're done. A checked item shows with strikethrough text but isn't deleted; you can still see in the note what you finished and when.
If one task belongs under another, you can indent it to nest it under the task above. That way a single task stays in one block together with its own sub-steps.
Grouping the same work with tags
A checkbox list stays inside one note. But a project rarely lives in a single note: pieces of the same work pile up across a meeting note, a plan note, an idea note. A tag is what pulls them together.
From a note's Tags section, click Add tag and tag the note by the project, person, or topic it belongs to. Then, from the Tag filter at the top of the notes page, select that tag and every note tied to that work, written on different days for different reasons, shows up together.
It's important not to use a tag as a date, since the note already keeps its own date. A tag should say which piece of work the note belongs to: "Website relaunch," not "September".
Tracking progress with status
A checkbox marks items inside one list, but it doesn't show whether the note itself is finished or hasn't been started yet. That's what a note's status is for: To do, In progress, On hold, Done.
You change a note's status when you open it; on the notes page, each note shows its status next to it, in color. That way you can see at a glance which piece of work is stuck on hold and which is still in progress, without opening every note. You can also filter by the Status dropdown next to the tag filter to list only the notes at one stage, say, everything that's currently on hold.
The four default statuses cover most work, but you can add your own to match your workflow with Manage statuses.
Using all three together: an example
Think of a weekly website update. On Monday, you note down what came out of the meeting like this:
- Inside the meeting note, you add a To-Do List with
/: "Swap the homepage image", "Update the pricing page", "Add two questions to the FAQ". - You tag the note Website Relaunch. Any other notes you open about this work during the week (a design note, a copy draft) get the same tag.
- You set the note's status to In progress. Midweek, while waiting on an approval, you move it to On hold; once it's approved you switch it back to In progress, and to Done once the work is finished.
- On Friday, filtering the notes page by the Website Relaunch tag brings together every note from that week, and the statuses tell you at a glance what's left.
You can also link the meeting note directly to the event on your calendar; open the event and you'll find the task list right there. We cover that link, and how notes are structured, in more detail in block editor and linked pages.
Tying your notes into the same system as your calendar and budget is covered more broadly in personal productivity system.
Pumpynotes is free. Bring your notes, calendar and budget into one workspace and keep everything you need to do in the same place as your notes, your calendar and your budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should a to-do list live on its own page, or stay inside a note?
Either works; it depends on the size of the job. For something small and one-off, the checkbox list inside a note is enough. For a project that runs for days and touches several notes, tagging and tracking status is more practical; you don't need a separate page at all.
How many tags can I add to a note?
You can tag a note with more than one tag; you won't hit a limit in everyday use, though the technical cap is 50 tags per note. The same note can belong to a project, a person, and a topic at once; add all three as tags and find it from any of the filters.
Can I change the statuses to match how I work?
Yes. Alongside the default To do, In progress, On hold, Done statuses, you can add new ones that fit your own workflow with Manage statuses.
Does checking an item off delete it?
No. Checking a box shows the item with strikethrough text, but it stays where it is; you can still see in the note what you finished and when. You can always delete it by hand later if you want to.
Is this available on the free plan?
Yes. Checkbox task lists, tags and the status field are all available on every plan, no upgrade needed.
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