Get from zero to "my team is invited and oriented" in one session. Standalone, completable end-to-end.
Who this is for: Champions early in trial, feeling overwhelmed, or anyone who just wants to take one concrete step today.
Estimated time: 15–20 minutes.
Companion content: Admin Advanced for the full Todoist overview. Detailed feature documentation lives in the Feature Reference.
Section 1 – Why this matters (and why now)
Teams that activate early almost always stick. Your role isn't to teach Todoist. It's to remove friction for your team.
One-sentence outcome: By the end of this module, your team will have somewhere to start.
Define the why (do this first)
Before you set anything up, write a few sentences in a notes app or doc. These answers shape everything that follows – and you'll reuse them when you brief your team.
- What problem are we solving? Missed deadlines? Work scattered across email, Slack, and docs? Unclear priorities? Write it in one sentence.
- Who is the rollout for? How many people, which teams, and who's likely to be skeptical? Plan for the skeptics – they're your real measure of success.
- What does success look like in 30 / 60 / 90 days? Examples: 80% of the team logs in weekly; all sprint tasks live in Todoist; no more "where is that task?" messages.
- What's our timeline? Pick a date for the kickoff, a check-in one week later, and a 30-day review.
Tip: Keep these answers somewhere accessible. You'll paste the "what problem are we solving" sentence directly into your team's Welcome Kit in Section 4.
Section 2 – Set up your workspace (the essentials only)
The goal here is enough to start, not a perfect structure. You'll iterate.
Name your workspace
Pick a workspace name your team will recognize – usually your company or team name.
Add folders
One folder per department or area is a good default – for example, Marketing, Operations, Client work.
Reference: Use folders to organize team projects.
Create your shared projects
Aim for 4 or more projects by the end of this section. It's the threshold where teams convert. One or two shared projects feels tidy but doesn't give your team enough to land in.
- Pick projects your team will actually use this week, not aspirational ones
- A mix of ongoing (e.g., Marketing Operations) and bounded (e.g., Q4 Campaign Launch) works well
- Don't overthink the names – you can rename later
Add sections inside each project
Sections break a project into phases or categories. Common starters:
- Status-based: To Do / In Progress / Done
- Phase-based: Discovery / Build / Launch
- Time-based: This Week / Next Week / Later
Read more: Introduction to sections.
Pick a layout for each project
Each project can use a different layout – choose what suits the work:
- List – best for ongoing task lists and reading top-to-bottom
- Board – best for status workflows (Kanban-style)
- Calendar – best for time-sensitive or scheduled work
Add a "README" task to each project
This is the highest-leverage move in this section. Create an uncompletable task at the top of each shared project that explains how this project works. Something like:
README – How we use this project Assign tasks to yourself when you pick them up. Mark complete when done. Leave a comment if you're stuck. Questions: ping @champion.
Your team will land here on day one. The README replaces the "how do I…?" messages you'd otherwise field individually.
Read more: Create an uncompletable task in Todoist.
You're done with this section when
4+ projects created
Section 3 – Invite your team
Understand the three roles
| Role | What they can do | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Admin | Manage members, billing, security, and all projects | You and any co-leads |
| Member | Create and edit projects, tasks, and comments in projects they have access to | Your team |
| Guest | Access only specific projects they're explicitly invited to | Contractors, freelancers, external collaborators |
Read more: Team roles and access.
Send the first invites
Aim for 3 or more invites in this first round. Start with the people most likely to engage — not the whole org. You're building momentum.
- Add each invitee to the projects they'll actually work in (don't dump everyone into every project)
- Pending invitations count toward conversion signals, so it's fine if a few people haven't accepted yet
Read more: Get started with your team in Todoist.
Billing fundamentals
A quick scan of how billing works will save you a confused conversation in week two.
Read more: Manage your Todoist Business subscription.
What your team will receive
When someone accepts an invite, they land in your workspace and see the projects you've added them to. The README task is the first thing they read.
Tip: If you've already filled in the Welcome Kit (Section 4), send it with the invite, not after. The friction of "What is this, and why am I here" compounds quickly.
You're done with this section when
Section 4 – Give your team a landing pad
Your team didn't choose this tool. Give them a reason to trust it on day one.
This is the single most effective thing you can do before your team logs in. Fill in the four fields below — it takes about 10 minutes — and send it with (or just before) the invite.
The Welcome Kit – fill in these four fields
1. Why we use Todoist:One or two sentences. Pull this directly from your "what problem are we solving" answer in Section 1.
2. Your first 3 tasks this week:Be specific. List actual tasks your team should complete this week — not generic onboarding steps. "Add your current open work to the Marketing Operations project" is better than "explore the app."
3. How to find our projects:Name your folder and project structure. Example: "Look in the sidebar for the Marketing folder. The two active projects are Q4 Campaign and Always-On Content."
4. Who to ask for help:Your name and preferred contact method. Make this explicit – "ping me on Slack, not email" counts.
Optional extras
- Our Todoist glossary for quick reference
- The Team Member Track so they have a place to start
Section 5 – What's next
You've done the activation work. Where you go from here depends on what your team needs:
- If you want to go deeper on rollout – change management, the Day One agenda, the first two weeks – head to Admin Advanced.
- If your team is ready to start – share the Team Member Track with them. It's standalone and gets them oriented without you having to explain everything yourself.
- If you want feature depth – the Feature Reference covers every core feature in detail.
You're done with Essentials when
4+ projects created
Hit all three? You've crossed the activation threshold that distinguishes teams that stick from teams that drift. The rest is reinforcement.