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Todoist Zapier integrationAutomate Todoist with Zapier.

The Todoist Zapier integration gives you 3 triggers, 10 actions and 3 searches to turn tasks and projects into automations. Here is what each one does, what it really costs on your plan, and where it tends to trip people up.

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Overview

What the Todoist Zapier integration actually does

Connecting Todoist to Zapier means your to-do list can talk to the rest of your tools without you copying anything by hand. A finished task, a new project or a fresh item on a list can start an automation, and other apps can write tasks, comments or projects back into Todoist.

Three outcomes cover most of what people build. Tasks born elsewhere: a form reply, an email or a CRM deal becomes a Todoist item through Create Task, so nothing lives only in an inbox. Work that closes itself: when a step is done in another app, Mark Task as Completed ticks the matching item, and Move Task to Section moves it to another section of its project. A paper trail of done work: New Completed Task sends each finished item to a sheet, a chat channel or a report.

What Zapier does not do for Todoist matters just as much. None of the three triggers is instant, so every one of them waits for the next check on your plan. Find Task only looks a task up by its name, and Todoist's own filter queries are not supported there. Comments on tasks and projects only work for people on the paid Todoist plan. And there is no delete action at all: the integration creates, edits, moves and closes, but it never removes.

If you would rather run the same flows elsewhere, the Todoist Make integration and the Todoist n8n integration cover this app with their own logic.

Vocabulary

Zapier vocabulary in one minute

Eight words come back on every line of this page. Read them once here and the rest reads fast.

Zap
The automation you build: one event that starts it, then one or more steps that run each time that event happens.
Trigger
The event in an app that starts the Zap. Once the Zap is on, Zapier sits and waits for it, for example a task you tick off.
Action
What the Zap does once it has started: the step that writes, sends or moves something for you, like creating a task.
Task
The unit Zapier bills you in. One task is one action that completed successfully, and your plan is a monthly count of those.
Polling vs instant
A polling trigger is checked on a timer by Zapier. An instant one is reported by the app the moment it happens. All three Todoist triggers poll.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap go on only when what arrived meets your condition, and quietly stops it the rest of the time.
Search step
A step that looks up something already in an app, such as a project by name, so the next steps can use what it found.
Connection
Your Todoist account linked to Zapier once, then reused by every step of every Zap that touches Todoist.
Cost

What a Todoist Zap really costs

Zapier counts tasks, not Zaps. That is good news for Todoist users, because most of the work happens in the trigger.

  • Trigger checksFree of charge
  • Successful action1 task each
  • Failed actionNot counted
  • Free plan100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps

Watching Todoist never costs a task, however often Zapier checks. Each action that goes through counts as one task, and in a Zap with three actions each one counts on its own. An action that fails is not billed. Todoist is not a premium app, so it works on the free plan: 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, but only two steps, one trigger and one action. Add a filter, a search step like Find Project or a second action, and you have a multi-step Zap that needs a paid plan.

Connect

Connect your Todoist account to Zapier

  1. 01

    Open your connections

    In Zapier, go to the Apps page of your account and click + Add connection. You only need a Todoist account, plus access to any shared project you did not create but want the Zap to touch.

  2. 02

    Pick Todoist

    Type Todoist in the search box of the dialog, select it, then click Add connection. A new browser tab opens on the Todoist sign-in page, where the rest of the setup happens.

  3. 03

    Sign in and allow access

    Log in with the Todoist account the Zaps should work on, then grant Zapier access. The connection now shows in your list, and every Todoist step you build later can reuse it.

First Zap

Your first Todoist Zap, step by step

GoalEvery time a task is ticked off in Todoist, a comment lands on its project so the whole team sees what moved.

  1. 01

    Create the Zap

    In the editor, pick Todoist as the app that starts things and choose New Completed Task as the event. Select the connection you added a moment ago.

  2. 02

    Test the trigger

    Click test: Zapier brings back the three most recent completed tasks of your account. Pick a real one, so the fields you map next carry actual values.

  3. 03

    Add the filter

    From the plus icon, add a Filter that only lets through tasks from one project. This makes it a multi-step Zap, so it needs a paid plan.

  4. 04

    Add the comment

    Add Todoist again, choose Add Comment to Project, pick the project and map the task title into the comment. Your Todoist account must be on the paid plan.

  5. 05

    Test, then publish

    Run the action test once and check the comment really appears in Todoist. Then click Publish to switch the Zap on for good.

Triggers

The 3 Todoist triggers

3 events start a Zap when something happens in Todoist. Zapier checks for them at the interval your plan allows.

1

New Completed Task

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when you complete a task (including recurring tasks) on a project.”

Ticking off an item in Todoist, recurring ones included, starts the Zap with the task you just finished. It is the natural starting point for reporting on done work without writing anything twice.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
logging closed tasks into a spreadsheet, or telling a chat channel that a deliverable is out.
Watch out
a recurring task fires again every time you complete one of its occurrences.
2

New Incomplete Task

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when you add an incomplete task to a project.”

Fresh items added to one chosen project start this Zap while they are still open, so other tools hear about new work as soon as Zapier spots it. You decide which project it watches when you set it up.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
copying every new request in a shared inbox project into your team's calendar or chat.
Watch out
the project is a required setting, so one Zap only watches one project.
3

New Project

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new project is created.”

Creating a project in Todoist kicks off this Zap with its name, which suits teams that open one project per client or per launch.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
creating the matching folder in your file storage, or a row in a client tracker, whenever a project opens.
Watch out
only projects created after the Zap is switched on are picked up.
Actions

The 10 Todoist actions

Todoist gives you 10 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Invite User to Project

Action

In Zapier“Sends an e-mail to a person, inviting them to use one of your projects.”

Sends an email invitation so someone can join one of your Todoist projects, without you opening the sharing menu.

When to use it
a freelancer added to your contractor list gets invited to the project they will work on.
Watch out
both the project and the invitee's email address are required.
2

Mark Task as Completed

Action

In Zapier“Marks a task as being completed.”

Closes a Todoist item for you when the real-world step happened elsewhere, so your list matches reality without a manual tick.

When to use it
a signed document in your e-signature tool closes the matching follow-up task.
Watch out
pair it with Find Task, or pass the task ID from an earlier step.
3

Move Task to Section

Action

In Zapier“Move a Task to a different Section.”

Shifts an item into another section of the same project, which suits projects split into stages.

When to use it
an invoice paid in your billing tool moves the task to a Done section.
Watch out
the moved task always lands last in its new section.
4

Add Comment to Task

Action

In Zapier“Adds a comment to a task (only available for Todoist Premium users).”

Writes a comment under an existing task, which keeps the context of a request right next to the work it created.

When to use it
a reply in a support tool appends itself to the task it relates to.
Watch out
it only works when the connected Todoist account is on the paid Todoist plan.
5

Add Comment to Project

Action

In Zapier“Adds a new comment to a project (only available for Todoist Premium users).”

Posts a note on a whole project instead of a single item, handy for status updates that concern everyone working in it.

When to use it
a weekly report from another app is dropped into the project it describes.
Watch out
same rule as task comments, a paid Todoist account is required.
6

Create Project

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new project.”

Opens a brand new Todoist project with the name you give it and can mark it as a favorite at the same time.

When to use it
a signed deal in your CRM opens a project for that client straight away.
7

Create Task

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new task.”

Adds an item to Todoist from data that arrived in another app. Only the title is required, so it is the easiest Todoist action to start with.

When to use it
a starred email or a new form reply becomes a task you cannot forget.
Watch out
map a clear title, because a vague one turns your list into noise fast.
8

Update Task

Action

In Zapier“Updates an existing task.”

Changes an item that already exists, such as its title, once something has moved in another tool.

When to use it
a deal changes stage in your CRM and the matching task gets its new wording.
Watch out
the Zap must know which task to edit, either from a search or from the task ID passed by an earlier step.
9

API Request (Beta)

Action

In Zapier“This is an advanced action which makes a raw HTTP request that includes this integration's authentication.”

An advanced step that sends a raw request to Todoist using the connection you already set up, for anything the ready-made actions do not offer.

When to use it
only once you are comfortable reading the Todoist developer docs.
Watch out
requests can only go to Todoist's own domains, and the Stop on error choice decides whether a failure halts the Zap.
10

Get Project Collaborators

Action

In Zapier“Get all collaborators for a specific project”

Pulls the list of everyone who has access to a given project, so the later steps of the Zap can notify or check each of those people.

When to use it
before a deadline reminder, fetch who shares the project and message each of them.
Searches

The 3 Todoist searches

3 search steps look for data that already exists in Todoist, so a later step can use it.

A search step finds something that already exists in Todoist and hands it to the steps that follow. In the action list, searches sit at the bottom under their own SEARCH heading. Three settings decide what happens when the result is not what you expected.

1

Find Project

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a project (by name/title).”

Looks up a Todoist project by its name and returns it, so a later step can drop a task or a comment in the right place.

When to use it
a client name from your CRM points to that client's project. Ticking the create box gives the Find or Create project. entry of the editor: same search, the project gets created when missing.
2

Find Task

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a task.”

Finds an existing item from its name, which is what Update Task, Move Task to Section and Mark Task as Completed need to know what to touch.

When to use it
closing the task that carries an order number. The Find or Create Item line of the editor is this same search with creation switched on.
Watch out
it only matches names, Todoist filter queries do not work here.
3

Find User

Search

In Zapier“Searches for a user who is connected/shared with your account.”

Checks whether a person, given by email address, is already connected to or sharing with your Todoist account.

When to use it
before inviting someone to a project, confirm they are not already a collaborator.
Watch out
the email address is required, a name alone is not enough.

The three settings every search exposes

  1. Successful if no search results are found?
    Left on its default, a search that finds nothing stops the Zap and skips the steps that needed it. Switch it on and the Zap carries on empty-handed.
  2. Create X if it doesn't exist yet?
    Ticking it turns the search into a find-or-create: no result means Zapier creates the missing item, and it asks for the fields that creation needs.
  3. If multiple search results are found?
    Three exits when several items match: keep the first one, which is the default, stop the Zap, or pass all of them along at once.
When it breaks

When a Todoist Zap breaks

Most Todoist Zaps fail for the same handful of reasons. Spot them early and you avoid a silent backlog.

Zapier links a help article called Common Problems with Todoist to this app. The cases below come from the limits every Zap shares and from the one condition this integration adds. When a Zap stops and you cannot see why, start with our Zapier troubleshooting page.

  • Old tasks are never picked up

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after you switch it on. Tasks completed last week stay where they are, and moving that backlog is a separate job.

  • The Zap feeds itself

    A Zap that creates tasks in the very project its trigger watches sets itself off again and again, and eats your task count in no time.

  • A bulk import gets held back

    Importing a template or a big list can make a trigger return a huge batch at once. Zapier's flood protection can then hold it back.

  • Comments fail on a free Todoist account

    Both comment actions need a paid Todoist plan. On a free Todoist account they are not available, so check the account before you build a Zap around them.
Need help

Need help automating Todoist with Zapier?

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FAQ

Todoist Zapier integration: common questions

01Is the Todoist Zapier integration free?
Yes, Todoist is not a premium app on Zapier, so it runs on the free plan. That plan gives you 100 tasks a month and as many Zaps as you like, with one catch: each Zap has two steps only, one trigger and one action. The moment you add a filter, a search such as Find Project or a second action, the Zap becomes multi-step and needs a paid Zapier plan. Separately, the two comment actions require a paid Todoist account, whatever your Zapier plan.
02How many Zapier tasks does a Todoist Zap use?
One task per action that succeeds, and nothing for the trigger. Zapier checking Todoist for new or completed items is free, however often it looks. A Zap that creates a task and then adds a comment uses two tasks each time it runs. An action that fails does not count. So a simple Zap that logs each finished task in a spreadsheet costs exactly one task per finished task, which is easy to size against the 100 monthly tasks of the free plan.
03Does Todoist trigger Zaps in real time?
No. All three Todoist triggers are polling ones, which means Zapier asks Todoist for new items on a timer rather than being told the instant something happens. On the free plan that check runs every 15 minutes, on Professional every 2 minutes, and on Team and Enterprise every minute. On paid plans you can also run a check by hand from the editor. If you need a Zap to react the very second a task changes, Todoist on Zapier will not give you that.
04What does it take to connect Todoist to Zapier?
A Todoist account and a Zapier account are enough to start. You open the Apps page in Zapier, click + Add connection, pick Todoist, sign in in the tab that opens and allow access. If the Zap should touch projects someone else owns, your Todoist account needs access to them first. And if you plan to use Add Comment to Task or Add Comment to Project, that Todoist account must be on the paid plan, otherwise those steps fail.
05Why does Find Task come back empty?
Because it only searches by task name. Find Task does not support Todoist filter queries, so a search built on anything other than the task name can come back empty. When nothing matches, the default setting stops the Zap and skips the steps after it. Two fixes help: map the task title from an earlier step, or pass the task ID itself into Update Task or Mark Task as Completed instead of searching at all.
06What if the Todoist action you need does not exist?
Look at API Request (Beta) first. It is an advanced action that sends a raw request to Todoist with the connection you already set up, so it can reach what the ten ready-made actions leave out. It only reaches Todoist's own domains, and you choose whether an error stops the Zap. It does assume you are at ease reading Todoist's developer documentation, which is a real step up from the regular actions.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for Todoist?
There is no winner, only criteria. On Zapier, Todoist offers the 16 operations described on this page, all three triggers wait for the next check, and every successful action counts as one task. What Make and n8n offer for Todoist is covered on their own integration pages, not here. Compare on three points: whether the exact operation you need exists, how fast the trigger has to react, and which of the three tools your team already runs and maintains.
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