Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to questions about Todo List Page. If you can't find what you're looking for, please contact us at contact@todolist.page.

What is Todo List Page?

Todo List Page is a minimalist todo list app — private, secure, and forever free. Create unlimited todo lists instantly with no sign-up, no sync, no cloud, no AI, no ads. Your lists are stored only on your device and never leave your browser. Each list supports a title, checklist items with checkboxes, and optional notes — all in a clean, distraction-free interface.

Is Todo List Page free? Why is Forever Free guaranteed?

Yes, Todo List Page is completely free. No hidden fees, no registration required, no ads, no usage limits. Create unlimited lists and use all features forever free.

Todo List Page stores your lists locally using IndexedDB, not on our servers. We have zero infrastructure costs — no servers to pay for, no databases to maintain, no cloud bills. Forever Free is a technical guarantee, not a marketing promise. We couldn't add paywalls even if we wanted to. Your lists are already on your device, under your control, forever.

Will Todo List Page exist long-term?

Todo List Page was built for quiet continuity rather than rapid growth. It has no ads, no external investors, and no dependency on storing user data on our servers, which keeps its structure intentionally simple and sustainable. The intention is to maintain it as a lasting public utility — a quiet tool that simply works. Like any free web tool provided "as is", we cannot offer legal guarantees of permanent availability. Because your lists live only on your device, exporting them regularly is the most reliable way to remain fully in control of your data.

Why is Todo List Page so minimal?

Todo List Page is minimal by conviction, not by limitation. The goal is a todo list that gets out of your way — no accounts, no cloud, no deadlines, no pressure. Just a place to write things down, check them off, and move on.

There are no folders, no labels, no project boards — because capturing and completing tasks shouldn't require managing a system first. Organization still happens passively: hashtags live inside the text, dates anchor each list in time, and the timeline becomes structure — not because you built it, but because you wrote. This is not a simplified version of a feature-rich app. It is a different idea of what a todo list is.

Typography carries that weight. Todo List Page uses Merriweather — a serif font designed specifically for reading on screens — because writing and reading deserve warmth, not just efficiency. When an interface has nothing but text and typography, it belongs to no trend and no era. It will look the same ten years from now as it does today.

Is Todo List Page fast?

Yes. Everything in Todo List Page happens instantly because everything happens locally. Creating lists, editing, checking off items, searching, and browsing your timeline all run directly in your browser — no network request, no server round-trip, no waiting. Search results appear as you type because your lists are already in memory. This is a natural consequence of local-first architecture, not a performance optimization. When there is no server involved, there is nothing to slow things down. The speed you feel is the speed of your own device.

How do I add a new list?

The input area has three fields. Title or note at the top is for a title or plain text — it supports multiple lines and paragraphs. Add item rows are for checklist items — each row is a single line; press Enter to create the next item. More at the bottom is for a note after the checklist, or to start a new checklist section — it also supports multiple lines. When you're done, select Add List or press Ctrl+Enter (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Enter (Mac). Your list is saved instantly. Clean Up on Save automatically removes extra whitespace before saving. You can paste copied list content back into any field — the app recognizes the checklist structure and restores it cleanly with checkboxes intact.

If you have scrolled down to read older lists and want to keep writing, press N or L to open New List — it stays in sync with the main input, so your draft is always there whether you write from the top of the page or from the modal. You can store unlimited lists. Each list supports up to 50,000 characters. Your draft is automatically saved as you type and synced across tabs — your draft is only cleared after you successfully save it as a list.

Can I use voice input to create lists?

Yes. On mobile, tap the microphone icon on your keyboard to dictate your list. On desktop, use your OS dictation feature. Todo List Page receives text from any input method — voice input works naturally without any additional setup.

Can I edit a list after creating it?

Yes. Select Edit on any list to modify its content, then select Save or press Ctrl+Enter (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Enter (Mac) to update. Todo List Page does not autosave while editing — your changes are not saved until you select Save or press the keyboard shortcut. Clean Up on Save also applies when saving edits.

Your edit is protected as you type: if you accidentally close the tab, reload the page, or the browser crashes while editing, your unsaved changes are preserved and restored automatically the next time you open the app — an Unsaved Edit panel will appear with your content ready to save or cancel.

If you have Todo List Page open in multiple tabs and start editing in one tab, other tabs will show a notification when you try to act — reminding you to save or cancel the active edit first. If the editing tab is closed or crashes, any other open tabs will automatically show the Unsaved Edit panel after a few seconds. To quickly find lists you've recently modified, use Recent Edits.

Are there keyboard shortcuts?

Yes, when using a computer. Press Ctrl+Enter (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Enter (Mac) to save a new list or save edits while editing. Press Esc to close any open panel or cancel editing. Press Q or ? to open Quick Access, N or L to open New List, A for Active Lists, C for Completed Lists, P for Pinned Lists, / for Search Lists, D for Daily Timeline, M for Monthly Timeline, Y for Yearly Timeline, H for Recent Hashtags, E for Recent Edits, T for Trash, S for Statistics, or K to view all keyboard shortcuts. These single-key shortcuts only work when you are not typing and no panel is open.

Can I pin lists?

Yes. You can pin lists to keep them at the top — useful for ongoing tasks, important reminders, or anything you want quick access to. You can also open Pinned Lists from Quick Access or press P on your keyboard to view all pinned lists at once. Pinned lists remain on your device and are stored locally, just like all other lists.

Why does each list have a Copy button?

The Copy button lets you instantly copy any list's full content with one tap, making it easy to paste into emails, documents, chats, or other apps. For checklist lists, the content is copied as readable plain text with checkbox state preserved. When Checked to Bottom is on, the copied content reflects the current display order — checked items at the bottom, unchecked at the top — so what you copy is exactly what you see. You can also paste copied content back into the list input to reuse or continue an old list — the app recognizes the structure and restores it cleanly with checkboxes intact. This reflects the app's philosophy: lists are meant to be captured, used, and carried forward.

What does Checked to Bottom do?

When Checked to Bottom is on, checking an item automatically slides it to the bottom of its list, below all unchecked items. Unchecking it slides it back to the top. This keeps your remaining tasks front and center without any manual reordering.

The display order is also what you get when you copy: the Copy button always copies the list as it appears on screen — unchecked items first, checked items at the bottom. Checked to Bottom is on by default. You can turn it off in Quick Access. Your preference is saved automatically.

How do hashtags work in Todo List Page?

Hashtags let you organize related lists by adding tags like #work, #shopping, or #idea directly in your list text — the same natural way you use hashtags in social media. Select any hashtag to recall all lists containing it. View Recent Hashtags to quickly find and filter tagged lists across your entire collection. All hashtag detection happens locally in your browser — they are not indexed, tracked, or sent anywhere.

Can I browse my lists by Daily, Monthly, and Yearly Timeline?

Yes. You can browse your lists by date, month, or year. Open Daily Timeline to see lists from specific days, Monthly Timeline to view lists by month, or Yearly Timeline to explore lists from past years. All timeline browsing happens locally in your browser.

How do I search my lists?

Open Search Lists on the main page or press / (forward slash) to open the search feature. Start typing to instantly search through all your list content and display results in real-time as you type. Search is case-insensitive (searching "TODO" or "todo" gives the same results) and happens entirely in your browser — nothing is sent to any server. Lists in Trash are not included in search results. You can enable result count notifications using the toggle in the Search Lists header — when on, a brief notification shows how many results were found after you stop typing. This is off by default. You can also browse by hashtags, or by date, month, or year to recall lists from specific time periods.

How do I find lists I've recently edited?

Open Recent Edits to instantly see all lists you've modified, sorted from most recently edited to oldest. Unlike Search Lists or Recent Hashtags, Recent Edits requires no keyword or tag to remember — it simply shows what you last worked on. Checking or unchecking an item counts as editing — the list's edit time updates when you interact with its checkboxes. Press E on your keyboard to open it instantly.

How do I see all my active lists?

Open Active Lists to see every checklist that still contains at least one unchecked item — sorted from most recently modified to oldest. A list disappears from Active Lists automatically the moment you check its last item, and reappears if you uncheck any item. Press A on your keyboard to open it instantly.

How do I see all my completed lists?

Open Completed Lists to see every checklist where all items have been checked — sorted from most recently completed to oldest. A list appears here automatically the moment you check its last item, and disappears if you uncheck any item. Press C on your keyboard to open it instantly.

How do I view statistics about my lists?

Open Statistics on the main page to see information about your lists, including Active Lists, Pinned Lists, Active Days, Lists in Trash, and your Oldest and Newest list dates. Active Days shows how many days you've created at least one list. All statistics are calculated locally in your browser.

Can I change the theme or appearance?

Yes. Todo List Page offers light, dark, and system themes. System theme automatically matches your device's appearance settings.

Can I hide the list input area on the home page?

Yes. Open Quick Access and toggle Show List Input off. This hides the input area and Add List button from the home page, giving you a cleaner reading view of your existing lists. The list input is still fully available — press N or L, or open New List from Quick Access to write anytime. Toggle it back on whenever you want the input visible again. Your preference is saved automatically and remembered across sessions.

What is the Quick New List button?

Quick New List adds a floating + button on screen so you can open a new list instantly — without scrolling back to the top or opening Quick Access. It's enabled by default — the + button appears alongside the Quick Access button (⋮) on desktop in the top corner, on mobile at the bottom corner. Tap or click it to open the New List panel immediately. You can turn it off anytime in Quick Access by toggling Quick New List off.

What does Button Side do?

Button Side lets you move both floating buttons to the left or right side of the screen — useful if you prefer reaching them with your left hand. Open Quick Access and select Button Side to switch. Your preference is saved automatically.

Can I reset all settings to their defaults?

Yes. Open Quick Access and select Reset Settings. This will restore all settings to their defaults, including theme, app name visibility, list input visibility, sort order, checked to bottom, quick action button position, list count display, result count notification, and clean up on save. Your lists will not be affected.

Can I reset the app and start over?

Yes. To completely start over, you can use both Reset Settings and Clear All Lists. Reset Settings restores your preferences like theme and sort order to their defaults without affecting your data. To remove all saved content, use Clear All Lists, which permanently deletes everything. Together, they leave no trace of your data in the browser. Since Todo List Page stores everything locally on your device, you can use Download All Lists to save a backup before performing a full reset.

Can I change how my lists are sorted?

Yes. Open Quick Access and select either Sort by Creation Date or Sort by Edit Date. When Sort by Creation Date is active (the default), lists are organized by the date they were first created — newest first. This is the classic chronological order. Pinned lists always stay at the top, regardless of which sort mode you choose.

Choosing Sort by Edit Date moves your lists to the top based on when they were last modified — the most recently edited list appears first. Lists that have never been edited fall back to their creation date for sorting. Among pinned lists, the same sort rule applies. You can switch between these two modes anytime to suit how you want to work. Your preference is saved automatically and remembered across sessions.

What does Clean Up on Save do?

When enabled, Todo List Page automatically cleans up extra whitespace in your list before saving it. Specifically: multiple spaces in a row are collapsed into one, leading spaces and tabs at the start of a line are removed, trailing spaces and tabs at the end of each line are removed, lines containing only whitespace are treated as blank lines, multiple consecutive blank lines are reduced to one, and leading and trailing blank lines at the start and end of the list are removed.

This is useful when you paste text from emails, websites, or documents that often contain invisible formatting artifacts. You can type freely without worrying about spacing — the list will be saved clean. Clean Up on Save is on by default. You can turn it off in Quick Access. Your preference is saved automatically.

Can I backup or export my lists?

Yes. Select Download All Lists to export all your active lists as a plain text file. The file will be automatically named based on how many lists you have and today's date (for example: todolist.page_365-lists_2026-12-31.txt). The backup contains all your list content with timestamps in a structured format that's both human-readable and can be imported back later. Lists in Trash are not included in the backup. We strongly recommend backing up regularly, especially before clearing browser data.

Todo List Page exports lists as a plain .txt file — the simplest, most private, and most durable format available. A .txt file contains only your content, nothing else. It can be opened in any text editor on any device, searched easily, and will remain readable for decades.

How do I import lists from a backup file?

Visit the Import Lists page, select your previously downloaded .txt backup file, and select Import Lists. Todo List Page automatically checks for duplicates based on creation timestamps. New lists are added, existing lists with a more recent edit are updated, and the rest are skipped. If a list has been edited since it was first created, the import will update its content and pinned status to match the most recently edited version — so edited lists always arrive in their latest form. You can import multiple backup files and the result will always be accurate: the most recently edited version of each list takes priority, regardless of import order. You can import unlimited lists as long as your browser has available storage.

Where are my lists stored?

Your lists are stored locally in your browser using IndexedDB technology. They never leave your device and are never uploaded to any server or cloud. Only you can see your lists, and only when using the same browser where you created them. Your data stays on your device — no one else can access it.

Will my lists be safe when Todo List Page updates?

Yes. App updates only change the interface or add features — they never touch your stored lists. The data structure has been designed correctly from day one and has remained unchanged since launch. Your lists are stored the same way today as they were on day one. Updates make the app better. They leave your data untouched.

Is my data private and secure?

Yes. Todo List Page never collects personal data, never tracks your activity, and never shows ads. All lists are stored locally in your browser and never uploaded anywhere. We can't see, access, or restore your lists. Privacy isn't a promise — it's how the app works.

Does Todo List Page use cookies or tracking?

No. Todo List Page does not use cookies, tracking pixels, or any scripts that monitor your personal activity. We use Cloudflare Web Analytics for anonymous page view counting only — no cookies, no personal data, no individual user tracking. The only data stored is your lists, which stay in your browser's IndexedDB. You can verify this anytime using your browser's developer tools or network inspector.

Can other people see my lists?

No, unless they have physical access to your device and browser. Lists are stored locally and visible only to you. However, anyone with access to your unlocked device can read your lists. Please use device-level protections like screen locks, passcodes, or OS/browser profiles.

Can I use Todo List Page for temporary drafts without saving them?

Yes. Open Todo List Page (todolist.page) in a private browsing window. Lists you create there work normally while the window is open, but are automatically deleted the moment you close it. Your lists in regular browser windows remain completely unaffected.

Can I sync my lists across different devices?

No automatic sync. Todo List Page is designed to be simple and private. Lists are stored only locally in your browser on each device. They never leave your device or sync to any cloud. This ensures complete privacy but means lists stay on the device where you created them. For multi-device access, use Download All Lists to export a backup file and Import Lists on another device. Edited lists are handled intelligently during import: the most recently edited version always takes priority, so your latest content is never overwritten by an older version.

Does Todo List Page work across multiple tabs in the same browser?

Yes. If you have Todo List Page open in multiple tabs, any changes you make — adding, editing, deleting, pinning, unpinning, restoring, or permanently deleting lists, emptying trash, clearing all lists, importing lists, switching themes, resetting settings, or changing display preferences such as sort order, list input visibility, button position, checked to bottom, or clean-up on save — will automatically refresh the other tabs so they stay up to date. This sync happens locally within the same browser on the same device — no data is sent to any server or cloud. You may notice a tab briefly reloading; this is normal and intentional behavior to keep all tabs in sync. If you have a new list draft in progress in another tab, it will be automatically restored when that tab reloads, so your unfinished list is never lost. If you are actively editing a list in one tab, other tabs will show a notification if you try to act — reminding you to save or cancel that edit first. If the editing tab is closed or crashes, other open tabs will automatically recover the unsaved edit after a few seconds. This prevents conflicts and keeps all tabs consistent.

Does Todo List Page work offline?

Yes. After loading once at todolist.page, the app works fully offline thanks to Service Worker technology. You can create and access your lists anytime, even without internet. After your first visit, no internet connection is required. The Service Worker caches static files (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, fonts) locally but does not access, read, or transmit your lists.

Can I install Todo List Page as an app on my device?

Yes. Todo List Page is a Progressive Web App (PWA) that works like a native app. Install it on your device for instant access. Works fully offline after the first load.

Installation is optional and does not change how your lists are stored or affect privacy. On Safari on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, installing to Home Screen also protects your lists from being cleared automatically by Safari's ITP feature.

Are there any limits on how many lists I can create?

No, there are no limits on the number of lists you can create. You can create unlimited lists as long as your browser's storage has available space (typically several hundred MB to a few GB depending on your device).

What happens to deleted lists?

Deleted lists move to Trash for up to 7 days before permanent deletion. During this time, you can restore individual lists or use Restore All to bring everything back at once. After 7 days or if you use Empty Trash, lists are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. We do not keep backups.

Can Safari on iPhone, iPad, or Mac delete my lists automatically?

Yes, this is a known Safari limitation. Safari on iPhone, iPad, and Mac may automatically clear locally stored data — including your lists — after a period of inactivity (often around 7 days) due to its Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) privacy feature. This behavior is controlled by Safari, not by Todo List Page.

To protect your lists from this, install Todo List Page to your Home Screen by tapping the Share button and selecting "Add to Home Screen". Home Screen apps are exempt from this Safari limitation and your lists will persist as long as you keep the app installed. If you use Safari without installing to Home Screen, we recommend opening the app at least once a week, or regularly using Download All Lists as a backup.

Can I permanently delete all my lists?

Yes. Todo List Page gives you complete control over your data. You can permanently clear all lists anytime using the Clear All Lists feature. This deletes everything, including lists in Trash, instantly with no recovery possible. Always download a backup first if you want to keep any lists. This feature reflects our commitment to user privacy and data ownership — you're never locked into the app.

What happens if I clear my browser data?

Your lists will be permanently lost if you clear your browser data or cookies. Additionally, if your device or browser runs low on storage, the browser may silently delete locally stored data to free up space. Always download a backup first using Download All Lists to save your lists as a .txt file on your device.

What browsers are supported?

Todo List Page works on all modern web browsers including Chrome, Edge, Safari, and Firefox. For best experience, use the latest version of your browser.

Can I use Todo List Page on multiple browsers?

Yes, but lists don't sync between browsers. Each browser stores its own set of lists locally. Lists created in Chrome won't appear in Edge or Safari. Use the download and import features to manually transfer lists between browsers if needed.

Who created Todo List Page?

Todo List Page was created by Lâm Thái Sơn around a simple belief: a todo list should get out of your way. No accounts, no cloud, no deadlines, no pressure — just a place to write things down, check them off, and move on.

How do I contact support or report issues?

You can contact us at contact@todolist.page for support, feedback, or to report issues. We appreciate your feedback and will respond as soon as possible.

Where can I learn more about privacy and terms?

Read our complete Privacy and Terms page for detailed information about how Todo List Page works, what data is (not) collected, and the terms under which you may use it.

Reset Settings?

This will restore all settings to their defaults: theme, sort order, button side, show app name, show list input, quick new list button, checked to bottom, clean up on save, list count display, result count notification. Your lists will not be affected. Reset Settings itself is not a setting — it always resets everything listed here.