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To-do list

The project to-do list lets you capture tasks, reminders, and follow-ups directly inside the project they relate to. Use it during long-running siting work to track open questions, pending data confirmations, and "come back to this" items without context-switching to an external tracker.

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

  • Add and complete to-do items in a project
  • Link a to-do to a feature for context
  • Recognize when a to-do should be promoted to an external tracker

Where the to-do list lives​

[TODO: FILL IN — entry point for the project-level to-do list and any per-feature to-do surface in the feature dashboard.]

Adding an item​

[TODO: FILL IN — UI flow for adding a to-do: text field, optional feature link, optional due date or priority, save.]

A useful to-do specifies enough that future-you can act on it without rereading the whole project. Compare:

  • Bad: "fix this"
  • Better: "verify Heavy Wall on Magazine 3"
  • Best: "verify Heavy Wall on Magazine 3 against site survey from 2026-04 — currently set to false in Most Likely default"

The third version still works after you've forgotten the context.

Linking to a feature​

A to-do linked to a specific feature appears on that feature's dashboard, so anyone opening the feature sees the open question without having to find it on the project list.

Use feature-linked to-dos for:

  • Pending data confirmations ("verify NEW with operations team")
  • Known data placeholders ("Heavy Wall is a guess; confirm")
  • Follow-ups on diagnostic findings ("recheck after relationship-group restructure")

Filtering and completion​

[TODO: FILL IN — UI for marking a to-do done, filtering by status, and any sort or grouping behavior.]

When to promote out​

The project to-do list is for in-project context — items the project's working users will see and act on. Promote items to an external tracker (Linear, Jira, etc.) when:

  • The work crosses project boundaries
  • Multiple stakeholders outside the working users need visibility
  • The item has a deadline or commitment that needs scheduling
  • The item is part of a broader epic or workflow

The to-do list is for "remember to do this in this project" — not a substitute for project management.

Try it​

Add three to-dos to a project:

  1. A standalone reminder ("review final deliverable list before submittal")
  2. A feature-linked reminder ("verify Heavy Wall on Magazine 3" linked to that magazine)
  3. A reminder with a date ("submit by 2026-06-15")

Open the linked feature and confirm the to-do appears on its dashboard.