The short answer
A pomodoro to-do list is a task list you work through in timed focus rounds. Each task gets its turn on the timer, and you check it off when it is done. The list above does exactly that, and counts how many rounds each task took.
- Add today's tasks, not every task you have.
- Tap one to work on it, press Start.
- A finished round adds a count to that task.
- Tick it off, pick the next one.
What is a pomodoro to-do list?
It is a normal to-do list joined to a pomodoro timer. Instead of staring at a long list and hoping, you take one task at a time and give it a fixed block of focus, usually 25 minutes. Then a short break. Then the same task again, or the next one.
We make SayBriefly, one app for client work where the focus timer sits on the to-do list and tasks come in from your calls and email. The small list above is the web version of that idea, free for anyone.
A list says what. A timer says now.
How to use this pomodoro to-do list
- Add today's tasks. Type a task and press Enter. Three to six is plenty. The first one you add becomes your current task.
- Pick the one you are working on. Tap a task. It turns teal, and the timer shows "Working on" with its name.
- Press Start. 25 minutes by default. Use the presets for 5 to 60 minutes.
- Let the round count. When the timer finishes, a chime plays and that task gets a round added. Skipping a round does not count it.
- Check it off. Tick the circle when the task is done. The next open task becomes current.
- Keep a copy. Copy list puts it on your clipboard as plain text with checkboxes. Print opens a clean page. Clear done tidies up at the end of the day.
Why the timer and the list belong together
A timer on its own does not know what you are doing. A list on its own does not help you start. Put them together and three things change.
No blank start
The next task is already there when the break ends.
One thing at a time
Only the current task is on the clock. Everything else waits.
Honest numbers
Rounds per task show where your day really went.
Estimate your tasks in rounds, not hours
Hours are hard to guess. Rounds are easier: "this reply is one round, this proposal is three." After a week of counting, your guesses get good, because the list shows what each task actually took.
| Task size | Rounds | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 1 | Reply to a client email, book a call |
| Medium | 2 | Write a one-page brief, review a design |
| Large | 3 to 4 | Draft a proposal, build a page |
| Too big | 5+ | Split it into smaller tasks first |
Group small tasks into one round: three quick replies can share 25 minutes. Keep one "catch-all" round at the end of the day for everything that doesn't fit.
A day in rounds
Most people get 6 to 10 real focus rounds in a working day around calls and messages. Plan to that number and the list stops being a guilt pile.
An example day. Your list above works the same way.
Which round length fits your tasks?
25 minutes is the classic, not a law. The right length depends on the task, and a pomodoro to-do list lets you pick per task.
| Round | Break | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 25 min | 5 min | Email, admin, starting a task you have been avoiding |
| 50 min | 10 min | Writing, design, code once you are warmed up |
| 15 min | 3 min | Hard days, low energy, very small tasks |
| 90 min | 15 to 20 min | One deep block in the morning, before calls |
Whatever length you pick, count rounds the same way. A 50 minute round is still one round on the list. What matters is that the number tells you something true about the task next week.
A worked example: a designer's day with interruptions
Real days are not eight clean rounds. Here is Maya, a freelance designer, on a Wednesday with two client calls.
- 8:45, plan. She writes five tasks and estimates rounds: logo revisions (3), invoice (1), moodboard (2), replies (1), catch-all (1). Eight rounds. She has two calls, so she cuts the moodboard to tomorrow. Six rounds left.
- 9:00 to 10:30, three rounds on logo revisions. Round two gets interrupted by a Slack message. She writes it on the list as "reply to Tom" and keeps going. The round still counts.
- 11:00, client call. On the call she promises a new color option by Friday. After the call she adds it as a task with an estimate of one round.
- 13:00, invoice and replies. Two rounds, including "reply to Tom" from the morning.
- 15:00, second call. It runs long. Her catch-all round shrinks to 10 minutes. She lets it.
- 17:00, review. Logo revisions took 3 rounds as guessed. The invoice took 1. Replies took 2, not 1. Next week she will guess 2.
Nothing about her day was perfect, and the list still worked. The interruption went on the list instead of into her head, and the promise from the call became a task before she forgot it.
Write the interruption down. Finish the round.
A pomodoro to-do list template you can copy
If you want it on paper or in your notes app, use this. The dots are rounds: fill one in each time the timer ends.
ROUNDS AVAILABLE TODAY: 6 [ ] Logo revisions for Harbor est 3 o o o [ ] September invoice est 1 o [ ] Client replies est 1 o [ ] Catch-all est 1 o INTERRUPTIONS (do later, not now) - Reply to Tom on Slack - New color option for Harbor, due Friday END OF DAY: rounds done ___ / 6
Common pomodoro to-do list mistakes
- Listing every task you own. The pomodoro list is for today. Keep the rest in your main to-do list.
- Skipping breaks. The break is what lets you do round six as well as round one. Stand up, look away from the screen.
- Switching tasks mid-round. If something urgent comes up, write it down and finish the round unless it truly cannot wait.
- Never checking the counts. The round counts are the most useful part. Look at them on Friday and fix your estimates.
- Planning ten rounds on a day with four calls. Take the calls out first, then plan the rounds that are left.
Using pomodoro with Todoist or Microsoft To Do
If your tasks already live in another app, you do not need to move them. A simple routine works:
- Each morning, pick three to six tasks from your main app for today.
- Copy them into the list at the top of this page, with a round estimate in your head.
- Work them one at a time with the timer.
- At the end of the day, tick the done ones off in your main app and note the round counts.
It is a little copying, but it keeps your big list and your focus list apart, which is the point. If the copying becomes the chore, that is when an app with the timer on the list starts to pay off.
Apps that put pomodoro and to-do together
If you want this in an app rather than a browser tab, a few do both. Here is what each one's own site says.
| App | Timer + tasks | Where it runs | Where tasks come from |
|---|---|---|---|
 Focus To-Do | Yes, built on the Pomodoro Technique | Phone, tablet, Mac, Windows, Chrome extension | You type them |
 TickTick | Yes, a Pomo timer inside a full task app | Phone, desktop, web | You type them |
 Pomofocus | Web timer with a simple task list | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux | You type them |
 SayBriefly | Focus timer on the to-do list | Mac, Windows | Your calls, email and projects, or typed and dictated |
Checked on each app's own website, September 2026.
Focus To-Do and TickTick are solid if you want a general task app with a timer, and TickTick adds habits and a calendar. Pomofocus is the quick web option. For Mac-only picks, see the best pomodoro timers for Mac.
When the list fills itself
Every tool above has the same first step: you type the list. For people who work with clients, that is where things slip. A promise on a call, a request buried in an email, a card on a project board. By the time you sit down to plan, half of it is gone.
SayBriefly is one app where calls, email, tasks, calendar, focus timer and dictation share one memory, tied to your client projects. Once you switch it on, tasks from calls and email land on one to-do list, each linked back to where it came from. Tasks with a time show up on your calendar. Then you pick a few and press play on the focus timer, and the app turns into a focus card with just those tasks.
From your calls
Meeting notes with no bot. What you promised becomes a task.
From your email
Gmail requests that need you, linked to the thread.
From your voice
Double-tap Shift and say it. The task lands on your list.
See the full SayBriefly to-do list app, or read more about the pomodoro timer and technique. Studying? Try the pomodoro technique for studying. Need a gentler start? See pomodoro tips for ADHD.
Who a pomodoro to-do list is for, and where others win
- Good fit: people who know what to do but struggle to start, people with many small tasks, and anyone who wants to learn how long things really take.
- Also good: students with a study list. See pomodoro for studying.
- Less good: days that are mostly calls. Timers do not fit meetings. Plan rounds only in the gaps, and use a calendar to-do list to see them.
If you want habits, a phone app and a timer in one place, TickTick or Focus To-Do will suit you better than SayBriefly, which has no phone app. SayBriefly is the pick when your tasks come from client calls and Gmail and you want the timer on that same list, on Mac or Windows.
Questions people ask about pomodoro to-do lists
What is a pomodoro to-do list?
A to-do list where each task is worked in timed focus rounds, usually 25 minutes with a 5 minute break. You pick a task, start the timer, and check the task off when it is done. Many lists also count how many rounds each task took.
How do I use the pomodoro to-do list on this page?
Type a task and press Enter. Tap a task to make it the one you are working on, then press Start. When a focus round finishes, that task gets a round added. Tick the circle when the task is done.
Is my list saved?
Yes, in this browser only. Nothing is sent to us. If your browser blocks storage, the list still works but clears when you close the tab. Use Copy list or Print to keep a copy.
Is this pomodoro to-do list free?
Yes. The list and timer on this page are free and need no account.
How many tasks should I put on a pomodoro to-do list?
Fewer than you think. Most people finish 6 to 10 focus rounds of real work in a day. Add up your estimates and cut the list until it fits.
What if a task takes more than four rounds?
Split it. A task that needs more than four rounds is usually several tasks. Smaller tasks are easier to start and more satisfying to check off.
Which apps have a to-do list with a pomodoro timer built in?
Focus To-Do and TickTick both combine tasks with a pomodoro timer. Pomofocus is a web timer with a simple task list. SayBriefly puts the focus timer on a to-do list that is fed by your calls, email and projects.
Can I use this with Todoist or another to-do app?
Yes. Copy today's few tasks here, run them with the timer, and tick them off in your main app at the end. Or use an app that has both in one place.
What is a pomodoro task?
A task sized to be worked in one or more focus rounds. If it needs more than four rounds, split it into smaller pomodoro tasks.
Can I use this as a pomodoro task tracker?
Yes. Each task counts the rounds you spent on it, so at the end of the day you can see where your focus went. Copy the list to keep a record.
Is there a pomodoro timer with a task list for Microsoft To Do?
Microsoft To Do has no built-in pomodoro timer. Copy today's tasks into the list on this page, work them with the timer, and tick them off in To Do at the end of the day.
What should I do when I get interrupted during a round?
Write the interruption on the list and keep going if you can. If it really cannot wait, stop the round, deal with it, and start a fresh round after.
How many pomodoros should one task take?
Most tasks fit in one to four rounds. Small replies can share one round. Anything bigger than four rounds is usually several tasks, so split it before you start.
Is a pomodoro to-do list app better than a paper list?
An app counts rounds and plays the chime for you, and keeps the list between days. Paper is slower but makes you choose fewer tasks. Both work if you only list today's tasks.
Does the list work on my phone?
Yes, the page works in a phone browser. SayBriefly itself runs on Mac and Windows, with no iPhone or Android app.
