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How to move existing tasks from Todoist to Google Sheets?

  • 1 October 2019
  • 32 replies
  • 2637 views

Hello!

I use Todoist almost every day, and in the mornings I transfer all the tasks manually to Google Sheet to analyze the possibility of their accomplishment from the perspective of time, place, risk and its mitigation.

What I want Zapier to do is to:

  1. Create a new sheet in specific workbook (done now).
  2. Move all the overdue and today tasks into the rows of the first column starting from the second one: one for one row.

My search through the available functionality wasn't successful. If you have any ideas, this would be great to find them out!


32 replies

PaulKortman
Userlevel 7
Badge +10

@terbiy I've run into similar situations before where you have to specify some bit of information in the trigger step.

I've found a workaround that isn't ideal but still keeps the automation in place. I split the zap into two zaps, one which does all the work (Zap 😎, and the other (Zap A) which is the trigger on each project. You would still need to copy Zap A for each project, but if you needed to change anything in the process it would only be one zap (Zap 😎 that would need to be changed.


Zap A

  • Trigger is the Todoist Completion (pic a project, copy this zap for each project, only the project setting will need to change)
  • Action Step: Webhook, choose a custom Webhook, like so and then set up the Data Pass Through to Yes like so

##Zap B

  • Trigger is a webhook - use the URL from this trigger in the Action Step in Zap A
  • Do whatever it is you want to do with this information... aka copy it to sheets etc.


You will end up with as many Zap A's has you have projects, and the only thing that changes is the project. You will have only one Zap B as all Zap A's call Zap B with the data they were given. Your Zap B does all the heavy work.


Need Additional help? Feel free to reach out here: https://zapier.com/experts/connex-digital/
TheDavidJohnson
Userlevel 5

Interesting. I'm just now catching up on all of this and it seems like there are a few ideas worth pursuing. The one thing I'm wondering, @terbiy is this: when the "Project" changes, is that something that causes a task to be "updated" as well?

My thinking runs along these lines: If you're updating Airtable when a task gets "Updated," then you might be able to cause the latest "Project" name to be written to Airtable. This way, you'll have that data handy when you need to use it in a Zap like the one where you got stuck.

I hope this makes sense! It might be possible that I'm missing something here, but it seems feasible that something along these lines might be possible.


terbiy
Userlevel 3

@PaulKortman, thank you for the indeed great suggestion! I've created a project zap and the main action zap to give it a try. This way looks promising.


terbiy
Userlevel 3

@TheDavidJohnson, thank you for your reply! I'll answer it a little bit later!🙂


PaulKortman
Userlevel 7
Badge +10

@terbiy feel free to mention me here or send a dm if you need additional assistance. Also let us know if it worked


Need Additional help? Feel free to reach out here: https://zapier.com/experts/connex-digital/
terbiy
Userlevel 3

Uf, it's been a while, but here I am to continue this great discussion!

@TheDavidJohnson, could you please specify, what do you mean by "Project" changes? Renaming of the project or moving the task to the other?

Maybe I haven't understood it right, but do you imply that I can use project names collected in Airtable in my zap where I want to trigger action on any new task in any project? If so, I cannot now think about how I can use this data. My options are very restricted on "When this happens..." part. Here are pictures attached to illustrate this.

157192818779573678.png1571928187795736780.png


terbiy
Userlevel 3

I think now I can sum up the current state, which I can call a solution or a significant improvement at least.

My system looks the following way now.

Zapier Todoist → Airtable.png


  1. Once I create a task in a project set for watching in Zapier, the webhook gets triggered. (Thank you @PaulKortman for the proposal to separate these means).
  2. Another zap settled to listen to this webhook then pastes the name of the item to a dedicated table in Airtable database (thank you @TheDavidJohnson for the proposal to use this wonderful instrument).

Now when in the morning, I need to do my usual planning where I fill the table with task, time, place, risk and risk mitigation I use the autocomplete most of the time.

Many thanks for @AndrewJDavison_Luhhu, @Danvers and @jesse for your support and ideas!😊


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