# The big picture
Source: https://help.sonto.app/concepts
The ideas behind the app — so the features make sense
Sonto is a planning method with an app wrapped around it. Once the few core ideas click, every feature
has an obvious place. This page explains the thinking; the [tutorials](/guides/the-basics) show it in
action.
## Zoom out, then zoom in
Knowing what to do *today* requires knowing where you're *headed*. So plans in Sonto **cascade** from
the long term down to the immediate:
**Year → Quarter → Week → Day.**
You zoom out to set direction, then zoom in to act on it. Each level informs the next, so the work in
front of you reflects something that actually matters to you.
The time you invest shrinks as the horizon shortens:
| Horizon | Roughly | How often |
| ------- | -------------- | ------------------ |
| Year | an hour | once a year |
| Quarter | thirty minutes | every three months |
| Week | ten minutes | weekly |
| Day | three minutes | every morning |
## From intention to action
Each level of the cascade has its own kind of outcome:
* An **[intention](/reference/glossary#intention)** — a soft, directional statement of what a year or
quarter is about.
* A **[goal](/reference/glossary#goal)** — a concrete outcome for the year.
* A **[milestone](/reference/glossary#milestone)** — a concrete 90-day target that moves a goal forward.
* A **[task](/reference/tasks)** — the atomic unit you actually do.
These levels aren't wired together: a task holds no hidden link back to its goal — and that's on
purpose. You keep them aligned by **reviewing your plans often** and choosing today's tasks in their
light, ticking off goals as you reach them. There's nothing to maintain, so alignment stays a living
habit instead of admin.
## Where work lives
Three containers hold your tasks, each answering a different question:
* **[Areas](/reference/projects-areas)** — never-ending parts of your life, like *work* or *family*.
* **[Projects](/reference/projects-areas)** — bounded efforts with a start, an end, and a clear outcome.
* **[Tags](/reference/tags)** — a cross-cutting layer that groups related work *wherever* it lives.
The [inbox](/reference/screens) is the holding pen for anything not yet sorted.
## Reflect, then adapt
Reviewing your plans is where alignment actually happens — so Sonto builds a moment of
[reflection](/reference/glossary#reflection) into every horizon: day, week, quarter, and project. Most
task apps treat reflection as an afterthought, or leave it to a separate journal; here it's part of the
rhythm — the same review that keeps your daily work pointed at what matters. Plans are guideposts, not
commitments carved in stone: notice what's working, adjust, and plan again. Plans change; that's not
failure, it's life.
## Gentle focus
The point isn't to control every minute — it's to protect what matters. Keep the **Day** screen for
today's work only; when something new arrives that isn't on fire, route it to your inbox or your week
instead of derailing today. Block time on your [calendar](/reference/calendar) for your real priorities
before meetings fill it up.
The fuller story behind the method, on the Sonto website.
## Where to go next
See the ideas in action.
Start the cascade at the top.
# Using AI with Sonto
Source: https://help.sonto.app/guides/ai-with-sonto
Connect Sonto to your AI tools with MCP
Sonto for Mac has a built-in **MCP server**, so you can connect it to agentic AI tools like Claude Code,
OpenAI Codex, or Craft Agents. Once connected, your AI can **read** your Sonto data and — if you allow
it — **write** to Sonto too: creating tasks, building a plan, scheduling work. AI can do the work; Sonto
stays the place where you decide what work matters. Watch below, or read the written steps that follow.
The MCP server runs on **Mac** only.
## Turn on the MCP server
Open **Settings → AI** and toggle the **MCP server** on. There are two modes:
* **Read-only** — your AI can see your data but not change it. The safe default.
* **Read and write** — the full experience: your AI can create and update tasks and plans. Switch to
this when you're ready.
## Connect your AI tool
The [Connect to AI Agents](/reference/ai-with-mcp) reference has a ready-made command for each tool
(Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, and others). Copy the one for yours.
Paste the command into your terminal. A browser window opens asking for a **pairing code**. Find the
code in **Settings → AI**, just below the endpoint, copy it in, and authorise.
Back in **Settings → AI**, your tool now shows as a connected client. You can disconnect it any time
— that instantly revokes its access — or toggle the server off entirely to stop all connections.
## Put it to work
In your AI tool, check that Sonto is connected (in Codex, `/mcp` lists Sonto and its tools). Then just
ask in plain language. For example:
> Create a long-term plan in Sonto for 2026. Add three groups — health, wealth, wise — and a few goals
> in each.
The AI works out which Sonto tools to call and builds the plan, groups, and goals for you. Beyond
long-term plans, it can help plan your week or day, read your existing plans and calendar, and schedule
tasks — most of what you can do in Sonto, it can do for you.
## Where to next
Per-tool setup commands and the full tool list.
Hand a plan to an AI as text, no setup needed.
# Organise your way
Source: https://help.sonto.app/guides/organize-your-way
Learn how to organise your work in Sonto with projects and areas
Sonto gives you two containers for your work — **areas** and **projects** — plus **groups** to add
structure inside them. Watch the walkthrough below, or read the written steps that follow.
## Areas vs projects
The difference is simple:
* A **project** is a set of tasks aimed at a finite goal. Projects have an **end** — a day you mark them
complete.
* An **area** represents an ongoing part of your life, a category that never finishes — like *work*,
*personal*, or *family*.
See [Projects & Areas](/reference/projects-areas) for the full reference.
## Working inside an area
Open an area and you can:
* **Add tasks** directly to it.
* **Add a group** and drag tasks into it, to organise things however is useful to you.
* **Write notes** for the area.
* **Pick an emoji** — click the area's icon and choose one that represents it.
A task in an area that's scheduled for today shows up on your Day screen, just like any other task; when
you complete it, it appears in today's completed list too.
## Working inside a project
A project works much like an area — groups, loose tasks, and notes — with one difference: instead of an
emoji, a project shows a **progress pie** that fills as you check tasks off. (That's the trade-off: a
pie *or* an emoji, not both.)
When everything's done, the pie is full — but the project isn't finished until you say so. **Click the
pie to mark the project complete.** It then disappears from your sidebar to keep things uncluttered, but
it's still reachable through its area.
If a project *isn't* inside an area and you complete it, a subtle **Project archive** link appears at
the bottom of the sidebar so you can still get back to it.
## Rearranging everything
Pick up tasks, projects, or whole areas and drag to reorder them. Drag a project onto an area to nest it
there, or drag it out to make it stand alone. Drop a task onto the Day and it's scheduled for today.
Your **Plans** area is really just an area, and each plan is a special kind of project — so you can
drag a plan into a different area if you like. See [Plan your Year and Quarter](/guides/planning-your-year-and-quarter).
## Where to next
Organise across projects and areas at once.
Every detail of projects and areas.
# Plan your Year and Quarter
Source: https://help.sonto.app/guides/planning-your-year-and-quarter
A guided walkthrough of long-term planning in Sonto
Long-term planning is how you keep an eye on what matters beyond today. This walkthrough takes you
through planning a **quarter** from start to finish — the year works the same way. Watch below, or read
the written steps that follow.
It's worth planning your **year** before your quarter, so the quarter is anchored in bigger goals. But
if a year feels like a lot, start with a quarter — that's far better than nothing.
The guided planning flow is currently a **Mac** feature. You can create plans on iPhone, but without
the step-by-step flow.
## Start a plan
Open the **New Plan** dialog (hover the **+** at the bottom of the sidebar, or `File → Planning`). Sonto
proposes the next quarter and finds your previous one automatically. Click **Start Planning**.
![Creating a new plan from the sidebar]()
Sonto shows what you set out to do last quarter and what you actually finished. Tick off anything
still genuinely done, and leave the rest open. Then take a minute to **reflect** — a line or two on
how it went makes the next plan better. When you're ready, click the **progress pie** to close the
old plan: you're acknowledging that the unfinished parts are in the past, and moving on.
Say what this quarter is about, in your own words — what truly motivates you, what would make it a
success. Keep it active and honest ("launch Sonto, find my next role, and stay flexible while life
changes"). The intention sets the tone for everything below it.
Capture the relevant parts of your life as **groups**. Prefill them from your previous plan, start
from a template, or create your own — whatever fits. Then give each group an **intensity score**: how
much energy and time it deserves this quarter. A low score says "not much focus here"; a high score
says "this is where I push". Some people even add a *not doing* group, to make a choice explicit.
![A planning group named Work with an intensity score of 5]()
Now add the actions you intend to take to each group. Less is more — aim for the highest-value
items, often the ones you're slightly scared of. You can pull up your previous quarter or your
yearly plan for reference, and drag items across. Flag the most important ones so they stand out.
Take one last look at the whole picture: your intention, your groups and their intensity scores, and
the work under each. Does it hang together? Is this really what matters most to you right now? If so,
click **Done** — your plan is now active, and it's time to get busy.
## Where to next
Turn this quarter's plan into action, week by week.
Plan states, linking, and the Plans area in detail.
# Repeating Tasks
Source: https://help.sonto.app/guides/repeating-tasks
Set a task up once and let it come back on your schedule
Some tasks come back again and again. This walkthrough shows how to make a task repeat — and, if you
like, add each occurrence to your calendar automatically. Watch below, or read the written steps that
follow.
## Open the repetition settings
Right-click a task and choose **Edit Repetition**, or open the task, go to its menu, and pick **Edit
Repetition**. Same result either way.
![The Edit Repetition dialog for a task]()
## Choose how it repeats
There are two styles:
* **When completed** — Sonto keeps just one instance of the task at a time. When you check it off, a new
one appears after the offset you set. Think of it as a rolling window: "water the plants 5 days after
I last did."
* **On a regular schedule** — Sonto creates several instances into the future on a fixed cadence:
daily, weekly, monthly, every two weeks, weekly on certain days, and more. Need something specific?
**Custom** lets you build a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly rule.
A task scheduled **on a week** can't repeat more often than weekly. To repeat daily, schedule the task
on a **day** first, then set up the repetition.
## Add each occurrence to your calendar
When you set up a repetition, you can also create a calendar event for each occurrence:
* **At an exact time** — the event always lands at that time, even if something else is there.
* **Find an opening** — Sonto places it at the best time that fits, respecting your working hours and
existing events. See [Auto-schedule](/reference/auto-schedule).
By default Sonto keeps **5** occurrences scheduled ahead (you can raise this, e.g. to 10). As you
complete them, new ones are created to keep that number topped up.
## Review your repeating tasks
Future occurrences can be far off, so there's one place to manage them all: open the **Go to** menu and
choose **Repeating tasks**. From there you can review, edit, or delete any repetition, and jump straight
to its next instances.
## On iPhone too
Everything here works on iPhone as well — open a task, choose **Edit Repetition**, and you'll find the
same options.
## Where to next
The full detail on repetition.
How Sonto finds an opening for an event.
# Calendars and Time blocking
Source: https://help.sonto.app/guides/scheduling-tasks
Connect your calendars, then block time for the work that matters
Sonto connects to the calendars already on your Mac and iPhone, shows your events next to your tasks,
and lets you block time for tasks right on the calendar. Watch the setup walkthrough below, or read the
written steps that follow.
## Connect your calendars
On the Day or Week screen, Sonto invites you to add your calendars. Click the arrow to open
**Settings**, then enable calendar access — macOS asks for permission, so choose **Allow Full Access**.
Now click the **+** to see every calendar on your Mac. These come from the accounts in **System
Settings → Internet Accounts**: any account there with calendars enabled shows up in Sonto, ready to
add.
## Choose a default calendar
One calendar is marked as your **default** — it's where new events go, whether you create a plain event
or schedule a task. Click any calendar to make it the default instead.
Areas can have their own default calendar. Set one on an area, and tasks you schedule from that area
land on that calendar — shown in its own colour, so you can tell your work apart at a glance.
## Keep task names private
When you put a task on your calendar, Sonto marks the event **private** by default. Anyone with access
to your calendar sees only "Busy" rather than the task's name and notes.
* For Google calendars specifically, connect your Google account in Sonto (**Connect Google account**)
to enable proper private marking — the standard Apple connection can't do this on its own.
* For calendars that don't support private events, the name shows as "Scheduled task" instead.
## Create and join events
Click and drag in the calendar to create an event, then name it. Drag it around or adjust its start and
end like any calendar.
For a meeting with a video link, Sonto shows a video icon. Open the event and click **Join Video Call**,
right-click and choose **Join Video Call**, or hover and press Cmd + J. You can
also accept, decline, or mark an invitation tentative right from Sonto.
## Block time for a task
This is *time blocking* — putting a task on your calendar so you simply follow your schedule and know
you'll reach your important work.
* **By hand:** pick a task up and drag it onto the calendar. Stretch it if you need more time.
* **Let Sonto find time:** select a task and press Cmd + F (or right-click →
**Find time on calendar**). Sonto finds the first opening that fits, respecting your working hours and
existing events.
Working hours and the default event duration (30 minutes) are set in **Settings → Calendar**. They're
what Cmd + F uses to place a task. See [Auto-schedule](/reference/auto-schedule).
On the Week screen the same moves apply. Drop a task on a day it isn't scheduled for yet and it's
scheduled for that day. Move the *event* and the task moves with it; move the *task* instead and the
event is removed — it's still scheduled for the day, just no longer at a fixed time.
## Where to next
Every detail of calendars in Sonto.
Make a task — and its calendar event — come back automatically.
# Weekly and Daily planning
Source: https://help.sonto.app/guides/start-with-weekly-daily-planning
Turn your longer-term plans into action, a week and a day at a time
Weekly and daily planning are the short routines that turn your quarterly plan into what you actually
do. This walkthrough covers setting your reminders, then planning a week and a day. Watch below, or read
the written steps that follow.
The guided planning flow is currently a **Mac** feature. On iPhone you can view and schedule your day
and week, but the guided flow itself isn't available there yet.
## Set when you're reminded
Open **Settings → Planning**. Here you choose when Sonto nudges you:
* **Daily** — by default on weekdays at 9am, not at weekends.
* **Weekly** — pick a day that suits you (the default is Friday).
The nudge appears both as a reminder at the top of the app and as a **system notification** — so even
when Sonto isn't running, you'll get a prompt, and clicking it drops you straight into planning.
When a reminder appears you can start planning, or **snooze** it for a day, **dismiss** it for the whole
week, change the settings, or cancel.
## Plan your week
Sonto surfaces what's still open from last week. Jump over to see everything you completed if you
like, then add a short **reflection** on how the week went.
Say what this week is about. Then bring in the work: drag items from anywhere, or schedule tasks for
the week. You can pull from your active quarterly plan so the week moves your bigger goals forward.
If you've planned a lot, Sonto gently points it out — a cue to add priorities or trim. Flag the
handful of tasks that matter most so they stand out.
The last step invites you to block time and, where you can, assign tasks to specific days. You won't
always know the day yet — that's fine, leave those for later. Click **I am done** and your week is
ready.
Because you've just planned the week, Sonto notices the next day isn't planned yet and offers to plan it
too — say yes to roll straight into daily planning.
## Plan your day
See what's still open and add a quick reflection.
Today's unfinished tasks can be carried forward automatically. On the right you'll find this week's
tasks, your active quarterly plan, your inbox, and your calendar — pull whatever's relevant onto the
day.
Lay the day out in time, blocking the calendar for your bigger tasks. Click **Done** and you land on
the day, tasks and schedule in place.
A small tab marks whether a day or week is **planned**. See a blank one — next week, say — and you can
click it to plan ahead whenever you like.
## Where to next
Protect time for the work you planned.
The weekly and daily flows in detail.
# Tags
Source: https://help.sonto.app/guides/tags
Organise and focus across everything with tags
A tag is a label you put on work to pull it together *across* projects, areas, and dates — so you can
focus on everything that shares it, wherever it lives. This walkthrough creates a couple of tags and
puts them straight to work. Watch below, or follow the steps.
Open **Settings** and add two tags to start with. There's no fixed set — you decide what they mean.
Two that earn their keep:
* `office` — work you can only do in a certain place.
* `waiting` — anything stuck until someone else gets back to you.
Pick a project — say *Kitchen renovation*. Tag the whole project `office` and everything in it
travels with that tag. Or tag just one task, *Order cabinet samples*, with `office`, because that's
the one thing you'll do from your desk.
While naming a task, type `@` and the tag name to tag it inline — and create the tag on the spot
if it's new. See [Natural language input](/reference/natural-language-input).
Schedule that task for today, then open the **filter bar** on your Day and pick `office`. The view
narrows to just your office work, and everything else steps out of the way.
A tag doesn't schedule a task. To see a tagged task on your Day, schedule it for that day first,
then filter.
Add `waiting` to *Order cabinet samples* as well. Now it's both `office` (where you'll do it) and
`waiting` (blocked on a reply). Filter any view by `waiting` to round up everything that's stuck, in
one place.
## Make it stick
Two touches keep you in the flow once you're filtering:
* A filter is **sticky** for a couple of hours, so you can settle into one tag without reapplying it.
* Each view keeps **its own** filter — your Week can show `waiting` while your Day shows `office`.
## Where to next
The precise rules — every control, and where tags live.
Another way to find work across Sonto.
# The Basics
Source: https://help.sonto.app/guides/the-basics
Your first walkthrough — add tasks, move them around, and find your way around Sonto
This is the best place to start. By the end you'll know how to add and edit tasks, schedule them, and
move between the screens that make up Sonto. Watch the walkthrough below, or read the written steps that
follow.
**Prerequisites:** [download Sonto](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sonto/id6502294348) and
open it. You'll land on the **Day** screen.
## Move around your days
The Day screen is home base. Move **forward** a day with the right arrow, **back** a day with the left
arrow, and jump **straight back to today** with the curly arrow.
## Add and reorder tasks
Click the purple **+** to add a task (or press Cmd + N). To reorder your list,
pick a task up and drag it where you want it.
![Adding a new task with the purple plus button]()
## Deal with a late task
A task left over from a past day shows a little **sleep icon**. Double-click it to open it, then either
clear the late status — which schedules it for today — or reschedule it to another day. Nothing slips
away quietly; you decide what happens to it. See [Overdue tasks](/reference/overdue-tasks).
## Open a task to do more
Double-click a task (or tap it on iPhone) to open it. From here you can:
* **Flag it important** with the triangle — the checkbox turns red.
* **Schedule it** using the calendar, or by typing the date straight into the name.
* **Type it naturally** — write the date, time, project, or tags into the name itself, like
`tomorrow 3pm #Work @urgent`, and Sonto files them for you. See
[Natural language input](/reference/natural-language-input).
* **Add notes** — type anything you like.
* **Move it** to the inbox (which unschedules it), or into an area or project.
* **Mark it in progress** from the menu (the icon becomes a play icon), or by long-clicking the icon.
Handy for longer tasks.
* **Focus** it — a full-screen, distraction-free view, great for writing. See [Focus](/reference/focus).
## The inbox is your holding pen
The [inbox](/reference/screens) is for tasks that aren't scheduled or filed yet. Empty it regularly —
schedule each item, file it in a project or area, or delete it.
## Think in weeks, not just days
Switch to the **Week** screen and you'll see your weekly tasks, the days of the week, and your calendar.
In Sonto, a week is a real planning unit: you can schedule a task **on a week** — meaning you want it
done sometime this week, but not on a specific day yet. As the week unfolds, you move each task onto the
day you'll actually do it.
You can also drag a task straight onto a day, a week, an area, or a project. Drop it on a day or week
and it's scheduled for *that* day or *this* week.
![The Week screen showing weekly tasks, the days of the week, and the calendar]()
## Where to next
The ideas behind the app, so the rest makes sense.
Structure your tasks with projects and areas.
# Capture tasks from anywhere
Source: https://help.sonto.app/how-to/capture-from-anywhere
Get a thought into Sonto without breaking your focus
Set up the capture paths once, and you'll never lose a thought to "I'll remember it later". Everything
you capture lands in your [inbox](/reference/screens), ready to sort during planning.
## On Mac
Open **Settings → Tasks** and assign two custom hotkeys — one to add a task to your inbox, one to
add to today. They work even when Sonto is in the background. See
[Keyboard shortcuts](/reference/other-topics/keyboard-shortcuts#global-hotkeys).
Open Spotlight, type `add to sonto`, press Enter, then type your task. It never brings
Sonto to the front. See [Siri & Spotlight](/reference/other-topics/siri).
In **System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions → Sharing**, switch **Sonto** on. Now you
can send text or links to Sonto from any app's Share menu. See
[Share extension](/reference/other-topics/share-extension).
## On iPhone
Say "Add task to Sonto", then tell Siri the name and where it should go — inbox, today, tomorrow,
this week, or next week.
Tap the Share icon in any app and choose **Sonto**. The Share extension is always on — no setup
needed. See [Share extension](/reference/other-topics/share-extension).
You can add a task to Sonto without opening it — by hotkey, voice, or Share — and find it in your
inbox afterwards.
## Related
The reference overview of every capture path.
# Move your data in and out
Source: https://help.sonto.app/how-to/move-your-data-in-and-out
Import from another app, keep backups, and export when you need to
Whether you're switching to Sonto, keeping a safety net, or sharing a plan, your data stays portable.
All of this lives in the **Manage Data** window on Mac (the **Sonto** menu → **Manage Data**).
## Bring tasks in from another app
In **Manage Data**, choose **Import**. Sonto can bring tasks from **Apple Reminders**, **Todoist**,
and **Things 3**.
Follow the prompts for your app. Sonto fetches your data and shows you a list so you can choose
exactly what to bring in. Importing only ever **adds** — nothing already in Sonto is changed. See
[Import from Other Apps](/reference/import).
## Keep a backup
Automatic weekly backups are on by default, stored in a folder only Sonto can write to on your Mac.
Click **Create Backup** before any big change, then **Show Backups Folder** and copy a recent backup
somewhere off your Mac — an external drive or cloud storage. See [Manage Data](/reference/manage-data).
## Export a view to share or reuse
Open the day, week, project, or plan you want and choose **Export as Markdown**. Paste the result
into an email, your notes, or an AI prompt. See [Export as Markdown](/reference/markdown-export).
Prefer a pointer to the live content over a snapshot? Choose **Copy Link** to get a deeplink that
opens the item straight back in Sonto — handy in a note or a message.
## Connect an AI assistant
For a two-way path — reading *and* writing — connect Sonto to an AI tool over MCP. Your assistant can
pull data out of Sonto and put new tasks or plans back in. See [Using AI with Sonto](/guides/ai-with-sonto).
You can bring data in, you have a recent backup stored off your Mac, and you can get content out — as
Markdown, as a link, or through an AI assistant.
## Related
Backup, restore, import, and delete in detail.
Turn any view into shareable text.
# Welcome
Source: https://help.sonto.app/index
A planning method for Mac and iOS that turns ambition into action
Sonto isn't just another task manager — it's a planning method, built into an app for Mac and iOS, that connects your yearly ambitions to what you do today.
Zoom out to set long-term goals, then zoom in to make progress on them in your day to day. You can download it from the [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sonto/id6502294348).
**Space is now Sonto** — same app, same data, just a new name. [Here's why](/why-sonto).
## New here? Start here
Your first walkthrough — add tasks, plan your day, and find your way around.
The few ideas that make everything else click.
# Account & Pricing
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/account-and-pricing
How Sonto is priced, and why there's no account to create
## No Sonto account
Sonto doesn't have its own accounts. You don't create a login, and you don't hand over an email address.
Your data lives in your own [iCloud](/reference/sync) and syncs through it, so the only "account"
involved is your Apple Account. See [Privacy & Data](/reference/privacy-and-data).
## Free to try
Sonto is **free to try**, with every feature unlocked from the start — you're never locked out of part
of the app while you decide whether it's for you.
A paid upgrade is a way to support Sonto — it's made by one independent developer, with no ads and no
investors behind it. Upgrading also removes the occasional reminder to upgrade, so you can stay in your
flow. Every feature is already yours; paying is about backing the app you rely on and keeping your
experience nudge-free.
## Restoring a purchase
If you upgrade and later sign in on another device — or reinstall Sonto — use **Restore Purchases** to
bring your upgrade across. Because purchases are tied to your Apple Account, there's nothing else to
recover.
## Availability
Sonto is available on **Mac** and **iPhone** from the App Store. A purchase applies across your devices
on the same Apple Account.
## Related
No tracking, no analytics, no ads.
How your devices stay in step through iCloud.
# Connect to AI Agents
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/ai-with-mcp
Connect your AI tools to Sonto with MCP
Get introduced to AI in Sonto.
If you use agentic AI tools like Claude, Codex, or Craft Agents, you can connect them to Sonto.
Once connected, your AI tool can **read your Sonto data** (like your inbox, today, and your projects) and — if you allow it — **help you make changes** (like creating tasks or updating plans).
The connection between Sonto and your AI tool is made using [MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/getting-started/intro), an emerging standard that many agentic tools support. Getting started is easy.
So what can you do?
* **Quick context**: get a briefing of today, this week, or a specific project.
* **Search and review**: find tasks, check long-term plans, and spot what’s stuck.
* **Plan with more context**: connect other information sources to your agent for assisted goalsetting.
* **Hands-on changes**: create and update tasks/projects/areas/groups, and manage yearly/quarterly plans.
Some prompts to get you started:
* “What does today look like in Sonto? Include events.”
* “Open my current week and highlight anything overdue.”
* “Get my action items from these meeting notes and add them to the Summer Promo project in Sonto.”
***
## Enable MCP in Sonto
MCP support is included in the **Mac** version of Sonto.
In Sonto:
1. Open `Settings`.
2. Go to `AI`.
3. Turn on `Enable MCP`.
When off, you can configure:
* `Port` (default: `2402`)
* `Access Mode` (`Read Only` or `Read & Write`)
### Choose an access mode
#### Read Only
Pick this when you want safe visibility from your AI tool.
* AI tools can read views, projects, areas, groups, and long-term plans.
* Write tools are not exposed.
* Any write attempt is rejected.
#### Read & Write
Read & Write lets your AI tool make changes in Sonto — including deleting data.
Start with Read Only, and only switch to Read & Write once you trust your tool setup.
Pick this when you want the AI to actively manage your Sonto data.
* Includes all read tools.
* Adds write tools for task/project/area/group/plan management.
* Destructive actions require confirmation:
* Interactive confirmation when the MCP client supports elicitation, or
* Explicit `confirm_destructive: true` when interactive confirmation is unavailable.
***
## Connect an AI tool to Sonto
### Tools that support MCPB files (like Claude Desktop)
The easiest way to connect Sonto to your AI tool is using an MCP Bundle (an .mcpb file). This works in Claude Desktop.
Open `Settings` and the `AI` tab. Under MCPB, click `Reveal in Finder` and double-click the `Sonto.mcpb` file.
In your AI tool you'll enter the pairing code shown in Sonto Settings, and you're done.
### Connecting manually
In `Settings > AI`, copy the `Endpoint` shown in the `Authenticate` section (for example: `http://127.0.0.1:2402/`).
Sonto MCP listens on localhost (`127.0.0.1`) and uses HTTP transport with OAuth.
During OAuth you’ll be asked for a time-based pairing code that Sonto shows in the same Settings screen.
![Time-based pairing code shown in Sonto settings]()
### Connecting to Claude Code CLI
Run:
```bash theme={null}
claude mcp add --transport http sonto http://127.0.0.1:2402/
```
Then:
1. Start Claude Code: `claude`
2. Run `/mcp`
3. Select `sonto` (it will show as unauthenticated)
4. Confirm authentication
5. Enter the pairing code when your browser opens
![Claude Code showing Sonto MCP connection]()
### Connecting to OpenAI Codex CLI
Run:
```bash theme={null}
codex mcp add Sonto --url http://127.0.0.1:2402/
```
A browser window should open asking you for the pairing code.
Get it from Sonto (`Settings > AI`).
The Codex Desktop app will automatically pick this registration up as well.
### Connecting to OpenAI Codex Desktop App
1. Open `Settings` → `MCP Servers`
2. Click `+ Add server`
3. Give the server a name (for example: `Sonto`)
4. Select `Streamable HTTP` as the transport
5. Enter `http://127.0.0.1:2402/` as the URL
![Adding an MCP server in Codex Desktop]()
Click `Save`. An `Authenticate` button will appear next to the server.
Click it and enter the pairing code from Sonto (`Settings > AI`).
![Authenticating an MCP server in Codex Desktop]()
### Connecting to Craft Agents
1. In Craft Agents, go to `Sources` → `MCPs`
2. Click `+`
3. When asked what to connect, enter “Connect to 'Sonto', an MCP server at [http://127.0.0.1:2402/”](http://127.0.0.1:2402/”)
4. Wait a bit, then allow opening the OAuth screen
5. Enter the pairing code from Sonto (`Settings > AI`)
***
## Connected clients
Sonto shows all connected clients in `Settings` > `AI`. You can disconnect a clients to immediately revoke access.
***
## Reference: what you can do
### Read operations
* `get_inbox`, `get_day`, `get_day_events`, `get_week`, `get_project`, `get_area`
* `list_projects`, `list_areas`, `list_groups`
* `list_long_term_plans`, `get_long_term_plan`
* `search_todos`
### Write operations
Task operations:
* `add_task`, `edit_task`, `delete_task`, `sort_tasks`
* `bulk_edit_tasks`, `bulk_delete_tasks`
* `schedule_task_event`
Structure operations:
* `add_project`, `edit_project`, `delete_project`
* `add_area`, `edit_area`, `delete_area`
* `add_group`, `edit_group`, `sort_groups`, `delete_group`
Planning metadata and cleanup:
* `edit_day`, `edit_week`
* `delete_completed_todos` (project/area scope)
Long-term planning (yearly and quarterly plans):
* `add_long_term_plan`
* `edit_long_term_plan`
* `list_long_term_plans` (defaults to active plans when no state filter is passed)
***
## Prompts and resources (optional)
You can use Sonto with tools only. Prompts and resources are optional, but useful in clients that support them.
### Prompts
Prompts are pre-packaged workflows: Sonto bundles the right data plus a strong instruction template.
Prompt families:
* Briefings (quick overview): `day_brief`, `week_brief`
* Planning (actionable plans): `day_plan`, `week_plan`
* Operational review: `inbox_triage`, `project_review`
* Long-term planning: `ltp_summary`, `ltp_status_update`, `ltp_next_actions`, `ltp_risks`, `ltp_execution_alignment`, `ltp_plan_assist`
### Resources
Resources are read-only snapshots that some MCP clients can preload before generating a response.
Examples:
* `sonto://context/today`
* `sonto://context/this_week`
* `sonto://context/day/{date}`
* `sonto://context/week/{year}/{week}`
* `sonto://plans/active`
* `sonto://projects/{project_id}/summary`
If your client does not support resources, you can ignore them and call tools directly (`get_day`, `get_week`, `get_day_events`, etc.).
***
## Important behaviour notes
* Sonto must be running to use it with your AI tools.
* `day_iso` values are local calendar day semantics (`YYYY-MM-DD`) in the current system timezone.
* Week inputs use ISO week semantics (`week` + `year`).
* `get_day_events` uses the same visible-calendar pipeline as the in-app calendar.
* Tools that offer `include_late` / `include_late_day` filtering fall back to Sonto preferences when omitted.
* `sort_tasks` follows your rollover preference for day/week late-task visibility. Sorting a day or week also normalizes visible late tasks to that day/week.
* Group `intensity` is a score from `0` to `10`; use `null` in `edit_group` to disable group intensity scoring. Group intensity is primarily used for yearly and quarterly plans.
* IDs such as `project_id`, `area_id`, `group_id`, and `plan_id` are opaque tokens returned by Sonto.
# Auto-schedule
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/auto-schedule
Let Sonto find an opening on your calendar for a task
Auto-scheduling places a task on your [calendar](/reference/calendar) for you, finding a free slot that
respects your working hours and the commitments you already have.
## Find time on a calendar
Select a task and press Cmd + F, or right-click it and choose **Find time on
calendar**. Sonto looks at your calendar, skips over existing events, stays inside your working hours,
and creates a time block in the first opening that fits. The event is linked to the task, just like
dragging a task onto the calendar yourself. The block uses your **default event duration** — 30 minutes
unless you change it.
![A task being auto-scheduled into a free slot on the calendar]()
## Working hours
Auto-scheduling only places tasks within your **working hours**, so it never books your evenings or
weekends unless you tell it to. Set your working hours and default event duration in
**Settings → Calendar**. See [Settings](/reference/settings).
## Used by repeating tasks
[Repeating tasks](/reference/repeating-tasks) can auto-schedule each occurrence, finding a fresh opening
every time instead of using a fixed time.
## Availability
Auto-scheduling (Cmd + F) is a **Mac** feature.
## Related
Events and time blocks in Sonto.
Set your working hours.
# Calendar
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/calendar
How Sonto works with the calendars on your Mac and iPhone
Get introduced to calendars and time blocking in Sonto.
## Connecting your calendars
Sonto uses the calendar accounts already set up on your Mac and iPhone. Because it reads from your
device's native calendar, practically every calendar works — **iCloud, Google, Microsoft Outlook
(Exchange), Yahoo, Proton, AOL, and any CalDAV calendar**.
The first time, Sonto asks permission to use your calendars — choose **Allow Full Access**. Then click
the **+** to add any calendar on your device.
Calendars come from the accounts in your device's system settings — on Mac, **System Settings →
Internet Accounts**; on iPhone, **Settings → Apps → Calendar → Accounts**. Any account there with
calendars enabled shows up in Sonto automatically; there's no separate sign-in inside Sonto.
### Where events go
One calendar is your **default** — new events and scheduled tasks go there. Change it in your calendar
settings. An [area](/reference/projects-areas) can also have its own default calendar, so tasks you
schedule from that area land on a specific calendar, shown in its own colour.
### Private events on Google
Events Sonto adds to your calendar are marked **private**, so anyone with access sees only "Busy". For
**Google** calendars, connect your Google account in Sonto settings (**Connect Google account**) to
enable this — the standard Apple connection can't mark Google events private on its own.
## Calendar on the Day and Week screens
On the day and week screens, Sonto shows your events right alongside your tasks, so your meetings and
your planned work live in one view.
![Calendar events shown next to tasks on the day and week screens]()
You can create and edit events, as well as accept or decline invitations, without leaving Sonto.
You can also join video calls, either by opening the event and clicking the **Join Video Call** button,
or, on Mac, by hovering over the event and pressing Cmd + J.
![An event open in Sonto with options to edit it and join a video call]()
## Tasks on your calendar
You can drag tasks onto your calendar. This creates an event which is linked to your task — a *time
block*. The event syncs to your calendar, so others with access to your calendar can also see it. The
event is marked **private**, so they only see "Busy", rather than the full name and notes for your task.
![A task dragged onto the calendar, shown as a linked time block]()
You can also create a time block by typing. Name a task `Review deck tomorrow 3pm 1h` and Sonto blocks
the time for you — see [Natural language input](/reference/natural-language-input).
Sonto can also place a task for you automatically, finding an opening that respects your working hours
and existing commitments — see [Auto-schedule](/reference/auto-schedule).
## Availability
Calendars work on both **Mac** and **iPhone**. Joining a video call with Cmd + J
is a Mac shortcut; on iPhone, open the event and tap **Join Video Call**.
## Related
A visual walkthrough of connecting calendars and blocking time.
# Focus
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/focus
A full-screen, distraction-free view of a single task
Focus gives you a single task, full screen, with everything else out of the way — ideal for writing or
deep work.
The name field here understands [natural language input](/reference/natural-language-input) too, so you
can reschedule, time-block, or retag the task just by typing.
## Focus view on Mac
Select a task and choose **Focus** from the Task menu or the context menu, or press
Cmd + .. The task fills the screen so you can give it your full attention.
If the task is scheduled on your calendar, Focus shows its time. If it's scheduled for **now**, it shows
how much time you have remaining.
![A single task shown full screen in Mac Focus view]()
## Focus mode on iPhone
iPhone has its own **Focus mode** — the same idea of zeroing in on one task, distraction-free.
## Availability
Focus is available on both **Mac** (Focus view, Cmd + .) and **iPhone** (Focus
mode).
## Related
Editing and scheduling tasks.
Focus is great for writing notes.
# Glossary
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/glossary
The words Sonto uses, and exactly what each one means
Sonto has a small, precise vocabulary. This page is the canonical reference for what each term means.
Where a concept has its own page, follow the link for the full detail.
## Area
An ongoing part of your life or a role you play — like *work*, *family*, or *health*. Areas never
"finish". An area can hold projects and tasks, and carries an [intensity score](#intensity-score). See
[Projects & Areas](/reference/projects-areas).
## Filter
Narrowing a view to one or more [tags](#tag) using the filter bar. Filters are **sticky** (remembered
for a couple of hours) and **view-specific** (each screen remembers its own). See [Tags](/reference/tags).
## Focus
A distraction-free view of a single task.
* **Focus view** (Mac) — a full-screen view showing a task and its scheduled time. Open it with
Cmd + ..
* **Focus mode** (iPhone) — the iOS equivalent.
## Goal
A concrete outcome you set for the **year**, under an [area](#area). Goals are the annual targets your
quarterly [milestones](#milestone) move you toward.
## Group
Sonto uses "group" in two distinct ways:
1. **Planning group** — a grouping in a [quarterly or yearly plan](#plan), usually named after an
area or theme, that holds the [milestones](#milestone) or goals you set for it. A planning group carries
an [intensity score](#intensity-score).
2. **Task group** — a named heading *inside* a project or area that you drag tasks into, to add
structure. See [Projects & Areas](/reference/projects-areas).
## Inbox
The global catch-all. Anything you capture without giving it a home lands here. Empty it regularly —
during daily planning, for instance — by scheduling, filing, or deleting each item. See
[Screens](/reference/screens).
## Intensity score
A numeric guardrail (roughly 1–10) for how much time and energy something deserves. Set on
[areas](#area) during yearly planning and on planning [groups](#group) during quarterly planning, it
helps you set the right workload before you start adding goals or milestones.
## Intention
A short, directional statement of what a [plan](#plan) is about — set at the **year** and **quarter**
level (for example, "a year of building"). Softer than a goal; it sets the tone.
## Milestone
A concrete 90-day outcome set during **quarterly** planning to move a yearly [goal](#goal) forward.
## Natural language input
Typing a task's details — date, time, project or area, and tags — straight into its name, where Sonto
reads them out and applies them, leaving a clean title. See
[Natural language input](/reference/natural-language-input).
## Plan
Used two ways:
* **Plan** (verb) — the core action in Sonto. You *plan* your year, quarter, week, and day.
* **A plan** (noun) — the document you create for a **year** or **quarter**. It holds your
[intention](#intention), [groups](#group), and [milestones](#milestone)/goals, and lives in your
sidebar. (Planning a week or day simply means scheduling tasks for it — those don't create a
document.) See [Plan your Year and Quarter](/reference/planning/quarter-year).
## Planning reminder
The in-app nudge that prompts you when it's time to plan. You choose when it appears.
## Project
A bounded effort with a start and an end and a clear outcome — something you can mark complete and
close. A project can stand alone or sit inside an [area](#area). See
[Projects & Areas](/reference/projects-areas).
## Quick capture
Adding something to Sonto from anywhere, without opening the app — via a global hotkey on Mac, or Siri
and Spotlight on iPhone. Captured items land in your [inbox](#inbox).
## Reflection
A free-form note attached to a horizon — your **day**, **week**, **quarter**, or **project**. Taking a
moment to reflect is a core part of the Sonto method.
## Tag
A label you define yourself that cuts **across** areas, projects, dates, and tasks, so you can group
and focus on related work wherever it lives. A task can carry several tags. The verb is "tag". See
[Tags](/reference/tags).
## Task
The atomic unit of work in Sonto. A task can be flagged important, scheduled to a day or week, placed
on the calendar as a [time block](#time-block), filed in a project or area, tagged, and given notes.
See [Tasks](/reference/tasks).
## Time block
A task scheduled onto your calendar as an event, reserving time to do it. See
[Calendar](/reference/calendar).
# Import from Other Apps
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/import
Bring your tasks into Sonto from Apple Reminders, Todoist, and Things
Switching to Sonto? You can bring your existing tasks with you. Sonto imports from **Apple Reminders**,
**Todoist**, and **Things 3**.
Importing is part of the **Manage Data** window on Mac — open the **Sonto** menu, choose **Manage
Data**, then the **Import** tab.
Importing only **adds** to Sonto — nothing already in Sonto is changed or removed. If you import
twice, you'll get duplicates (tags with the same name are merged). After fetching your data, Sonto
shows you a list so you can choose exactly what to bring in.
![The Import tab with sections for Apple Reminders, Todoist, and Things]()
## Apple Reminders
Click `Import from Reminders`. The first time, macOS asks for permission to read your reminders — Sonto
only asks at the moment you import, never before.
Each reminder list becomes a project, and your reminders become tasks, keeping their completion, due
dates, and priority.
Apple's Reminders system doesn't let other apps read sub-tasks, tags, or sections, so reminders come
in as a flat list. Repeating reminders are imported as a single task.
## Todoist
Todoist needs an API token so Sonto can read your data. In Todoist, go to `Settings` > `Integrations` >
`Developer` and copy your API token, then paste it into Sonto and click `Import`.
Your projects, sections (as headings), tasks, and labels (as tags) come across, along with due dates and
priority.
Imports your active tasks. Completed tasks, comments, and reminders aren't included. Sub-tasks and
nested projects are flattened into their project, and repeating tasks come in as a single task with
the schedule noted.
## Things
Click `Choose Things Database…`. Because Things keeps your data inside its own private folder, you'll
point Sonto at the Things database file so it can read it. Sonto starts the file picker near where
Things stores it.
Your areas, projects, headings, to-dos, and tags come across, and checklist items are kept as a
checklist inside the task's notes.
Things has a **Someday** list for to-dos you'll get to eventually. Sonto doesn't have a separate
Someday list, so these come in tagged **Someday** — keeping their project or area, just without a
scheduled day — so you can still round them all up in one place.
Items in the Trash and repeating-task rules aren't imported (repeating to-dos come in as their next
single task).
## Availability
Importing is a **Mac** feature, part of the Manage Data window.
## Related
Backup, restore, and delete your Sonto data.
A recipe for importing, backing up, and exporting.
# Manage Data
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/manage-data
Back up, restore, import, and erase your Sonto data
Sonto keeps your data safe and portable. From one place you can make a backup, restore something you lost, bring in tasks from other apps, or wipe the slate clean.
Manage Data is a feature of the **Mac** version of Sonto. To open it, click the `Sonto` menu in the menu bar and choose `Manage Data`.
The window has four tabs — **Backup**, **Restore**, **Import**, and **Delete All** — described below.
## Back up your data
A backup is a single file that contains a complete, portable copy of your Sonto data — your areas, projects, tasks, tags, repeating tasks, and your planning. It does **not** include app settings or your calendar connections, which are specific to each device.
Your backups stay on your Mac, in a folder that only Sonto can write to. Nothing is uploaded anywhere — it's your data, on your machine.
### Automatic backups
Sonto can back up for you automatically, once a week. This is turned on by default. You'll see when the most recent automatic backup was made, so you always know you're covered.
You can turn this off, but it's a handy safety net — leave it on unless you have a reason not to.
![The Backup tab showing the weekly automatic backup toggle and the Create Backup button]()
### Create a backup yourself
To make a backup on the spot, click `Create Backup`. Sonto saves the file and reveals it in Finder so you can see exactly where it landed.
To find your backups again later, click `Show Backups Folder`. This opens the folder in Finder, where both your automatic and manual backups live. From there you can copy a backup somewhere extra safe — an external drive, a USB stick, or your favourite cloud storage.
It's a good idea to keep a recent backup somewhere other than your Mac. That way you're covered even if something happens to the computer itself.
## Restore from a backup
Restoring brings data back from a backup file.
Restoring only ever **adds** to Sonto. It never changes or removes anything you already have. The worst case is a duplicate — never lost data.
The Restore tab lists the backups already in your backups folder, newest first. Each one shows whether it was made automatically or manually. Click `Restore…` next to the backup you want, or `Show` to reveal it in Finder.
If your backup lives somewhere else — say you copied it from another Mac or restored it from Time Machine — click `Open Backup File…` and pick the file.
![The Restore tab listing available backups with Restore and Show buttons]()
### Choose what to restore
After you pick a backup, Sonto shows you what's inside and lets you choose exactly what to bring back. You might restore a single project you deleted by accident, or everything at once.
You can pick any combination of:
* **Areas** — selecting an area brings along its projects, tasks, and plans
* **Projects and Plans** — top-level projects and their long-term plans
* **Loose Tasks** — tasks that aren't in any project or area
* **Planning Notes** — notes from your weekly and daily planning
* **Repeating Tasks** — your recurring task definitions
![The Choose What to Restore sheet with checkboxes for areas, projects, loose tasks, planning notes, and repeating tasks]()
A couple of things worth knowing:
* Tags with the same name are merged, so restoring won't leave you with duplicate tags.
* If you restore **Repeating Tasks**, Sonto recreates the series and picks up generating future tasks again. If you leave them out, any repeating tasks in the backup come back as ordinary one-off tasks instead.
Click `Restore` and your selection is added to Sonto.
## Import from other apps
Switching to Sonto from another app? The **Import** tab brings your tasks across from Apple Reminders,
Todoist, and Things 3 — it has its own page: [Import from Other Apps](/reference/import).
## Delete all data
The Delete All tab erases everything in Sonto on this Mac.
This permanently deletes all of your tasks, projects, areas, tags, and planning data. Because Sonto syncs through iCloud, the deletion also reaches your other devices. This can't be undone — **make a backup first**.
To go ahead, click `Delete All Data…`, type `DELETE` to confirm, and click `Delete Everything`. Your app settings are left untouched.
![The Delete All tab with a confirmation dialog asking you to type DELETE]()
# Export as Markdown
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/markdown-export
Turn any view into Markdown text to share or reuse
Sonto can turn any view — a day, a week, a project, or a plan — into **Markdown** text. Markdown is
plain text that keeps its structure (headings, lists, checkboxes), so it pastes cleanly into almost
anything.
## Export a view
Open the view you want, then choose **Export as Markdown**. Sonto produces the Markdown for you to copy
and paste wherever you need it.
![The Export as Markdown action on a view]()
## What it's good for
* **Share a plan** — drop your week or a project into an email, a message, or a document.
* **Keep a record** — paste a snapshot of your day or week into your notes app.
* **Hand context to an AI** — give an assistant your plan as text. For a live, two-way connection
instead of a one-off paste, see [Connect to AI Agents](/reference/ai-with-mcp).
## Copy a link instead
Sometimes you want a pointer to live content rather than a snapshot of it. Choose **Copy Link** on a
task, project, or plan to get a **deeplink** — a link that opens the item straight back in Sonto. Drop
it in a note, a message, or an AI prompt to jump back to exactly the right place.
## Availability
Exporting a view as Markdown is a **Mac** feature.
## Related
A live connection between Sonto and your AI tools.
Back up and move your full Sonto data.
# Natural language input
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/natural-language-input
Type dates, times, projects, and tags straight into a task's name — Sonto files them for you
You don't have to reach for a date picker or a tag menu to set up a task. Type it the way you'd say it,
and Sonto reads the details out of the name — the schedule, a time, the project or area, the tags — and
applies them for you, leaving a clean title behind.
For example, type:
```
Prepare deck #Work @urgent tomorrow 3pm 90m
```
Sonto creates a task called **Prepare deck**, scheduled for tomorrow, blocked on your calendar from
3:00 to 4:30 pm, filed in your **Work** project, and tagged **urgent**. As you type, each detail it
recognises turns into a coloured pill so you can see exactly what it picked up.
![Typing a task with project, tag, date, time, and duration highlighted as coloured pills]()
## Where it works
Natural language input is part of the **task name field**, wherever you can edit it:
* When you add a new task.
* When you rename an existing one.
* In the [Focus](/reference/focus) view.
* In the **Edit in Panel** floating editor on Mac.
## Projects and areas — `#`
Type `#` to file a task in a [project or area](/reference/projects-areas). A list of your projects and
areas appears as you type; keep typing to narrow it, then pick one. Multi-word names work, so
`#Side Project` matches just fine.
![The project and area suggestion list shown after typing a hash]()
| You type | Result |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| `Draft brief #Work` | Filed in the **Work** project |
| `Journal #Personal` | Filed in the **Personal** area |
| `Kickoff #Side Project` | Filed in **Side Project** (a multi-word name) |
A task lives in one place, so if you type more than one `#`, the last one wins. Only projects and areas
you've already created will match.
## Tags — `@`
Type `@` to add a [tag](/reference/tags). You can add as many as you like, and Sonto ignores
duplicates.
| You type | Result |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| `Ship it @urgent` | Tagged **urgent** |
| `Groceries @errand @home` | Tagged **errand** and **home** |
If you type a tag that doesn't exist yet, choose **Add "…"** from the list and Sonto creates it on the
spot.
## Dates
Write when a task should happen and Sonto schedules it — either on a specific **day** or across a whole
**week**. A [week](/reference/planning/weekly-daily-planning) means *sometime this week, not a fixed day
yet*.
| You type | Scheduled to |
| -------------------------- | ------------------- |
| `Call plumber today` | Today |
| `Buy milk tomorrow` | Tomorrow |
| `Review notes next monday` | The coming Monday |
| `Renew passport jun 25` | 25 June |
| `Submit report in 3 days` | Three days from now |
| `Plan offsite next week` | Next week |
| `Retro week 25` | Week 25 |
| `Tidy garage this weekend` | This weekend |
A month on its own (`october`) lands on the 1st of that month.
Sonto only schedules dates in the **future**. Phrases like `yesterday` or `2 weeks ago` are left as
plain text in the name, so nothing gets scheduled into the past by accident.
## Times
Add a time and the task becomes a [calendar](/reference/calendar) time block.
| You type | Result |
| ----------------------------- | ----------------- |
| `Standup tomorrow 9am` | Tomorrow at 9:00 |
| `Call client tomorrow at 3pm` | Tomorrow at 15:00 |
| `Lunch friday at noon` | Friday at 12:00 |
| `Review tomorrow 9:30am` | Tomorrow at 9:30 |
![A typed time turning a task into a calendar time block]()
A typed time only creates a calendar event when you've given Sonto access to your
[calendars](/reference/calendar). Without it, the task is still scheduled for the right day — there's
just no event on your calendar.
## Durations
Add a length to set how long the time block runs. Use it alongside a time.
| You type | Event length |
| ------------------------------ | ------------ |
| `Gym tomorrow 6pm 2h` | 2 hours |
| `Focus tomorrow 9am 90m` | 90 minutes |
| `Call tomorrow 3pm 1.5h` | 90 minutes |
| `Deep work tomorrow 10am 1h30` | 90 minutes |
## How it behaves
A few rules keep things predictable:
* **Future only** — past dates are never applied; they stay as plain text.
* **Last one wins, tags add up** — for the date and the project or area, the most recent one you type is
the one Sonto uses; tags are the exception and accumulate.
* **Your name stays clean** — every detail Sonto recognises is lifted out of the title. (If removing
everything would leave the task with no name, Sonto keeps the text instead.)
* **Plain numbers stay put** — Sonto only treats something as a time when it's sure (`3pm`, `9:30`), so
`Read chapter 12` keeps its number.
* **Change your mind easily** — press Backspace at the edge of a pill to turn it back into
ordinary text without deleting it.
## Works in your language
Natural language input follows your device's language. Dates and times are understood in **English,
Dutch, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese**; other languages fall back to English. So
`koop melk morgen` schedules "buy milk" for tomorrow on a Dutch system, just as `buy milk tomorrow`
does in English.
## Availability
Natural language input works on both **Mac** and **iPhone & iPad**, in the same task name field. On
iPhone, the keyboard opens automatically for a brand-new task; for an existing one, tap it to start
editing.
## Related
Everything a task can hold, and how to work with it.
Define your own labels and filter your views by them.
How typed times become time blocks on your calendar.
The name field understands natural language here too.
# Notes & Checklists
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/notes
Add detail to a task with notes, checklists, and formatting
Every task has a notes field for the detail that doesn't fit in the title — context, links, or a
checklist of smaller steps. The same editor powers your [reflections](/reference/glossary#reflection)
on the day, week, quarter, and project.
## Checklists (sub-tasks)
Inside a task's notes, type `[]` to insert a checklist item. Check items off as you go, and indent them
to create nested lists. This is the place for the small steps that make up a single task, without
cluttering your task list.
![A task's notes field containing a checklist with some items checked off]()
## Bullet lists
Type `- ` at the start of a line to begin a bullet list.
## Text formatting
Apply basic formatting as you write:
* **Bold** — Cmd + B
* *Italic* — Cmd + I
For the full set of note-editing shortcuts, see
[Keyboard shortcuts](/reference/other-topics/keyboard-shortcuts#when-editing-notes).
## Availability
Notes, checklists, and formatting are available on both **Mac** and **iPhone**. The keyboard shortcuts
above are for Mac; on iPhone, use the editor's formatting controls.
## Related
Everything a task can hold.
All the note-editing shortcuts.
# Notifications & Reminders
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/notifications
How Sonto reminds you — gently
Sonto is built around gentle focus, so it nudges rather than nags. Its reminders are designed to bring
the right thing to your attention at the right moment, without a stream of alerts.
## The planning reminder
The main nudge is the **planning reminder** — a prompt at the top of the screen when it's time to plan
your week or day. You choose when it appears, so it fits your own rhythm. Configure the timing in
**Settings**. See [Weekly and Daily Planning](/reference/planning/weekly-daily-planning).
## Project deadlines
When a [project](/reference/projects-areas) has a deadline coming up (within 30 days), Sonto surfaces it
in your sidebar. In the deadline week it also appears on your Week screen, and on the day itself, on
your Day screen — so it shows up right when it matters, rather than as a separate alert.
## Availability
The planning reminder and deadline surfacing work on both **Mac** and **iPhone**.
## Related
Set when the planning reminder appears.
Give a project a deadline.
# Keyboard Shortcuts
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/other-topics/keyboard-shortcuts
Complete list of keyboard shortcuts available in Sonto
## Global hotkeys
In addition to the predefined shortcuts below, you can configure two custom global hotkeys that will also work
when Sonto is in the background. You can use these hotkeys to add a new task to your inbox, or to today.
Configure these hotkeys in Settings → Tasks.
## General
| Key | Description |
| --------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| Cmd + N | New task (on the current screen) |
| Cmd + \\ | Jump to any screen in the app or search tasks |
| Cmd + 1 | Jump to inbox |
| Cmd + 2 | Jump to day |
| Cmd + 3 | Jump to week |
| ↓ / ↑ | Navigate task lists |
| Alt + ↓ / ↑ | Jump to bottom / top of task list |
| Shift + ↓ / ↑ | Select downward / upward in task list |
| Shift + Alt + ↓ / ↑ | Select all downward / upward in task list |
| ← / → | Navigate weekdays on the week screen |
## On day or week screens
| Key | Description |
| ------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------- |
| Cmd + B | Plan the current day or week |
| Cmd + ← | Go back one day or week |
| Cmd + → | Go forward one day or week |
| Cmd + Shift + ← | Go to the current day or week |
## With selected tasks
| Key | Description |
| ------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Return | Toggle editing the task |
| Cmd + . | Open task in focus view (full screen editing) |
| Cmd + G | Open task in floating panel (handy for tasks on week screen) |
| Cmd + D | Move tasks |
| Cmd + S | Schedule tasks |
| Cmd + Y | Quick schedule for today |
| Cmd + U | Quick schedule for tomorrow |
| Cmd + Shift + U | Quick schedule for next monday |
| Cmd + I | Quick schedule for this week |
| Cmd + O | Quick schedule for next week |
| Cmd + P | Quick unschedule |
| Cmd + F | Automatically find time on your calendar, respecting other commitments and working hours |
| Cmd + E | Toggle completion |
| Cmd + R | Toggle in-progress |
| Cmd + T | Toggle priority |
| Cmd + Shift + T | Assign tags |
| Cmd + K | Go to scheduling of task (day or week) |
| Cmd + L | Go to categorisation of task (project or area) |
## When editing notes
You can insert checklist items (which you can also check off), and apply basic text formatting. To add a checklist item, just type `[]`. You can also indent them to create nested lists.
| Key | Description |
| ---------------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Type `[]` | Insert checklist item |
| Cmd + ] | Indent checklist item |
| Cmd + \[ | Unindent checklist item |
| Cmd + Return | Toggle checklist item |
| Cmd + B | Toggle bold on selection |
| Cmd + I | Toggle italic on selection |
## Hovering over calendar event
| Key | Description |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Cmd + J | Join video call (if attached to the event) |
# Share Extension
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/other-topics/share-extension
Share to Sonto from other apps
Sonto includes a *share extension* that allows you to share **to** Sonto from other apps on Mac and iOS.
## Sharing to Sonto on the Mac
### Enabling the extension
On Mac, you have to manually enable the Share Extension before you can use it. Open `System Settings` > `General` > `Login Items & Extensions`.
Scroll down to `Extensions` and click `By Category`. Then click on the next to `Sharing`.
In the list, find Sonto and toggle it on.
![Enabling the Sonto share extension in macOS System Settings]()
### Using the extension
In any app that supports Share Extensions, open the Share menu and click Sonto.
![Choosing Sonto from the macOS Share menu]()
You'll then see a popup allowing you to edit how Sonto will save the task.
![The share popup for editing how Sonto saves the task]()
## Sharing to Sonto on iOS
On iOS things are a little easier since we don't need to enable the extension; it is always on. Just open an app that supports sharing, tap the share icon, and find Sonto in the list of apps.
When Sonto is not shown immediately, tap `More` and look for Sonto in the resulting list.
![Sharing to Sonto from another app on iOS]()
# Siri & Spotlight Integration
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/other-topics/siri
Using Siri with Sonto for voice commands and shortcuts
Sonto supports adding tasks through Siri or Spotlight (on MacOS).
## Adding tasks with Spotlight (MacOS)
Spotlight offers a quick way to add tasks to Sonto from anywhere on your Mac with a few keystrokes.
It is fast, and doesn't bring Sonto to the foreground, which is great for just quickly getting something
out of your head and into your inbox.
First press your Spotlight keyboard shortcut (configure this in your Mac's System Settings).
Then begin typing `add to sonto`. As soon as you see it coming up, you can press Enter.
![Typing 'add to sonto' in Spotlight to start capturing a task]()
You can then begin typing your task name, again hit enter, and select where you'd like to add the task.
Or hit again immediately to accept the default of adding to your inbox.
![Typing a task name in Spotlight to add it to Sonto]()
## Adding tasks with Siri (iOS)
You can say "Add task to Sonto". Siri will respond asking you to name your task,
and then where you want to store it.
Valid options are inbox, today, tomorrow, this week, or next week.
# Overdue Tasks
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/overdue-tasks
How Sonto surfaces tasks you scheduled but didn't finish
When a task was scheduled for a day that has passed and you didn't complete it, Sonto presents it
clearly as **overdue** rather than letting it quietly slip out of view. You then decide what to do with
it, one task at a time.
## Keep or postpone
Each overdue task comes with two quick actions:
* **Keep** — bring the task into today, so you tackle it now.
* **Postpone** — push it to a later day, when you'll realistically get to it.
This keeps your day honest: nothing disappears, and you make a deliberate choice instead of carrying an
ever-growing backlog.
![An overdue task shown with Keep and Postpone actions]()
## Availability
Overdue handling is available on both **Mac** and **iPhone**.
## Related
Where overdue tasks surface as you plan.
Scheduling and completing tasks.
# Plan your Year and Quarter
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/planning/quarter-year
Plan states, linking, and the Plans area — the reference for long-term planning
A step-by-step guide to planning a quarter from start to finish.
Yearly and quarterly **plans** are documents you create to capture your [intention](/reference/glossary#intention),
your [groups](/reference/glossary#group), and the goals or [milestones](/reference/glossary#milestone)
under them. Unlike planning a day or week — which simply schedules tasks — a plan is a thing in its own
right that lives in your sidebar.
## Starting a plan
There are a few ways to begin:
* On Mac, click `File → Planning → Plan your Quarter or Year…`.
* Hover the **+** at the bottom of the sidebar and choose **New Plan**.
* Sonto also prompts you near the start of a new quarter or year.
* On iPhone, tap the **+** on the home screen and choose **New Plan**.
![Creating a new plan from the sidebar]()
## The guided flow
Creating a plan puts you in planning mode, which walks you through four steps — **Review → Intention →
Plan → Finalize** — and then you commit. For the full step-by-step, see the
[tutorial](/guides/planning-your-year-and-quarter).
The guided step-by-step flow is currently a **Mac** feature. You can create plans on iPhone, but
without the guided flow.
It's recommended to plan your **year before your quarter**, and your **quarter before your week or
day** — each level anchors the next. That said, starting at the quarter is perfectly fine if a year
feels like too much.
## Plans live in your sidebar
A plan is a document — think of it as a roadmap with your goals and vision — and it lives in your
sidebar, always a click away.
![Yearly and quarterly plans listed in the Sonto sidebar]()
## Updating plan progress
As the quarter or year unfolds, click a plan in the sidebar and check off what you've completed; long-
click a checkbox to mark something in progress. Plans behave much like projects.
When a plan is finished — at the end of the period, or once you've done what you set out to — **close**
it by clicking the green progress pie next to its title. Closed plans leave the sidebar to keep it
uncluttered; you can always find them in the Plans area.
![A closed plan shown with a completed progress indicator]()
## Plan states
A small badge below a plan's title shows its state:
* **Active** — planned, current, and open. The stuff to focus on.
* **Past** — planned but no longer current, and still open. Worth reviewing and closing.
* **Future** — planned but starts later. Prepared, but not yet begun.
* **Draft** — you haven't finished planning it yet.
* **Closed** — reviewed and done.
## Linking plans
When you create a plan, Sonto links it to relevant others — the quarter or year before it, or the year
a quarter belongs to. Linking lets Sonto show the right previous plan during the Review step, and lets
you jump quickly between plans. Set links in the new-plan dialog, and change them later on the plan page.
![A plan showing its linked plans, with controls to navigate and change the link]()
## The Plans area
New plans are gathered in a `🎯 Plans` area, created automatically with your first plan. Closed plans
leave the sidebar but remain here, so current and past plans are always in one place.
![The Plans area gathering all current and past plans in one place]()
## Multiple plans for the same period
You can create more than one plan for the same period — for example, separate work and personal plans,
so you can share your work plan without revealing everything personal. Double-click a plan's title to
rename it to something more descriptive.
![Multiple differently-named plans for the same period]()
## Related
The shorter routines that draw on your plans.
Intention, goal, milestone, group, intensity score.
# Weekly and Daily Planning
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/planning/weekly-daily-planning
How the weekly and daily planning flows work in Sonto
See weekly and daily planning in action.
Weekly and daily planning are the short, recurring routines that turn your longer-term plans into
action. Weekly planning pulls your quarterly [milestones](/reference/glossary#milestone) into the week
ahead; daily planning decides what you actually do today.
These flows work best once you've made a quarterly plan, so there's something to pull forward. See
[Plan your Year and Quarter](/reference/planning/quarter-year).
## Starting a planning session
There are three ways to begin:
* Press Cmd + B on the Day or Week screen.
* Use the **planning reminder** at the top of the screen when it appears.
* Open the Day or Week screen and start the flow from there.
## Weekly planning
Weekly planning takes about ten minutes. The flow walks you through:
1. **Review the past week** — see what you completed and what's still open.
2. **Pull milestones forward** — bring the quarterly milestones you want to move on into this week.
3. **Add what's urgent** — capture the time-sensitive items the week will demand.
4. **Time-block on the calendar** — drag the week's priorities onto your [calendar](/reference/calendar)
to protect time for them before meetings fill it up.
5. **Leave some slack** — don't fill every hour; reserve room for the inevitable urgent task.
6. **Write a weekly reflection** — a free-form note on how the week is shaping up.
## Daily planning
Daily planning takes about three minutes, every morning. The flow walks you through:
1. **Review yesterday** — what got done, what's still open, and a moment to reflect.
2. **Choose today's tasks** — pull from this week's tasks, anything rolled over, and your
important-flagged items.
3. **Schedule the day** — a final pass to lay today out in time, scheduling tasks onto the calendar
where it helps.
Keep the Day screen as your home base. When new tasks arrive that aren't on fire, resist adding them
to today — drop them in your [inbox](/reference/screens) or onto the week instead.
## When you're reminded to plan
Sonto nudges you with a **planning reminder** when it's time to plan. You control when it appears in
Settings, so the nudge fits your own routine — many people plan their week on a Friday afternoon and
their day first thing each morning.
## Availability
The guided, step-by-step planning flow is currently a **Mac** feature. On iPhone you can still view
your day and week and schedule tasks, but the guided flow itself isn't available there yet.
## Related
The longer-term plans that weekly and daily planning draw from.
Time-blocking tasks during weekly and daily planning.
# Privacy & Data
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/privacy-and-data
Your ambitions and reflections stay private
Sonto is built so that your plans, reflections, and tasks stay yours. Privacy isn't a setting to find —
it's how the app works by default.
## End-to-end encrypted
Your data syncs through **iCloud** and is **end-to-end encrypted**. Not even the developer can read it.
Your most personal notes — your reflections, your ambitions — stay private.
## No tracking
Sonto has **no tracking, no analytics, and no ads**. Nothing about how you use the app is collected or
sold. There's no Sonto account and no email required, so there's no profile of you to build. See
[Account & Pricing](/reference/account-and-pricing).
## Where your data lives
* Your Sonto data lives in **your iCloud** and syncs between your devices. See [Sync](/reference/sync).
* **Backups** stay on your Mac, in a folder only Sonto can write to — nothing is uploaded. See
[Manage Data](/reference/manage-data).
* You can **export** or **delete** everything whenever you like, from
[Manage Data](/reference/manage-data).
## Availability
These protections apply on both **Mac** and **iPhone**.
## Related
Back up, export, or erase your data.
The full terms and privacy policy.
# Projects & Areas
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/projects-areas
Making the most of areas and projects
Get introduced to projects and areas in Sonto.
## The difference between projects and areas
An **area** represents an ongoing part of your life, or a role you play. Like "work", "family" or "marketing".
A **project** on the other hand, is finite. It has a clear outcome in mind and you're working towards a
day where you can mark the project complete and close it.
## Creating new projects and areas
You can create a new project or area from the File menu, or from + button at the bottom of the sidebar.
When you hover over that +, a menu will pop up.
![Creating a new project or area from the sidebar plus button]()
## Organising tasks in projects and areas
At first glance, a project or area might look exactly like the inbox -- but that is not the case.
One superpower that projects and areas have is [groups](/reference/glossary#group). Groups allow you to create structure.
A group has a name, and you can drag tasks into it. (These are *task groups* — distinct from the planning groups you create in a quarterly plan.)
![Tasks organised into named groups inside a project]()
## Project progress and completion
As you check tasks off, you'll notice the progress pie fills up. This provides a visual indicator
of the progress of your project.
![A project's progress pie partially filled as tasks are completed]()
You can click the progress pie to complete (or un-complete) the project. If there are still open tasks,
you'll be asked if you are sure.
![Clicking the progress pie to mark a project complete]()
## Project deadlines
You can add a deadline to a project. When you do this and the deadline is near (less than 30 days away) it will show up in your sidebar to remind you. The week of the deadline, the project will also show up in your Week screen, and on the day of the deadline, on your Day screen.
## Area emoji
Areas can have an emoji, to give them some colour. You can set an emoji using the … menu or (on Mac) by
clicking the icon. Double clicking the icon removes the emoji.
![Choosing an emoji for an area]()
## Availability
Projects and areas are available on both **Mac** and **iPhone**.
## Related
Where projects and areas sit among your screens.
A cross-cutting alternative to projects and areas.
# Quick Capture
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/quick-capture
Add tasks to Sonto from anywhere, without breaking focus
The fastest way to stay focused is to get a thought out of your head and into Sonto without stopping
what you're doing. Anything you capture this way lands in your [inbox](/reference/screens) (unless you
choose otherwise), ready to be sorted during planning.
## On Mac
* **Global hotkeys** — set up two custom hotkeys that work even when Sonto is in the background: one to
add a task to your inbox, another to add to today. Configure them in **Settings → Tasks**. See
[Keyboard shortcuts](/reference/other-topics/keyboard-shortcuts#global-hotkeys).
* **Spotlight** — type `add to sonto` in Spotlight to capture a task without bringing Sonto to the
front. See [Siri & Spotlight](/reference/other-topics/siri).
* **Share extension** — send text or links to Sonto from any app's Share menu. See
[Share extension](/reference/other-topics/share-extension).
## On iPhone
* **Siri** — say "Add task to Sonto", then name the task and where it should go (inbox, today,
tomorrow, this week, or next week). See [Siri & Spotlight](/reference/other-topics/siri).
* **Share extension** — tap the Share icon in any app and choose Sonto. See
[Share extension](/reference/other-topics/share-extension).
Quick capture saves your text as a plain task name. Once it's in Sonto, open the task and use
[natural language input](/reference/natural-language-input) to schedule it, block time, file it, and
tag it — just by typing.
## Availability
Quick capture is available on both **Mac** and **iPhone**, though the specific entry points differ as
above.
## Related
Capture by voice or with a few keystrokes.
Send to Sonto from other apps.
Type dates, times, projects, and tags into a task's name.
# Repeating Tasks
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/repeating-tasks
Tasks that come back on a schedule or when you complete them
See repeating tasks set up from start to finish.
A repeating task comes back automatically, so you only set it up once. Sonto supports two repeat styles
and can optionally add each occurrence to your calendar.
## Make a task repeat
Open a task and choose **Edit Repetition** — on Mac you can also right-click the task and pick it from
the menu. From there you set how the task should recur.
![The Edit Repetition dialog for setting how a task repeats]()
## Two ways to repeat
* **On a fixed schedule** — the task reappears on set dates (for example, every Monday, or the first of
the month), regardless of whether you finished the previous one.
* **On completion** — the next occurrence is created only once you complete the current one. This suits
tasks where the interval matters from when you *actually* did it, like "water the plants every 5 days".
## Add repeating tasks to your calendar
A repeating task can also create a calendar event for each occurrence. You can have Sonto place the
event at a **fixed time**, or let it **find an opening** in your schedule that respects your working
hours and existing commitments — see [Auto-schedule](/reference/auto-schedule).
## Availability
Repeating tasks can be created and completed on both **Mac** and **iPhone**. Finding an opening for a
calendar event uses [auto-scheduling](/reference/auto-schedule), which is a Mac feature.
## Related
Let Sonto find a free slot on your calendar.
How events and time blocks work in Sonto.
# Screens
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/screens
Finding your way around Sonto — inbox, day, week, projects, and areas
Get introduced to the basic functionality of Sonto.
Sonto is organised around a handful of screens. Each one answers a different question — *what's
unsorted?*, *what am I doing today?*, *what's coming this week?*, *what's the bigger picture?*
## Inbox
This is a great place to capture things that come up ad-hoc. Go through this list occasionally (during
daily planning, for instance) and *move everything out* — either schedule it, assign it to a project or
area, or delete it. That keeps the inbox a functional temporary staging area rather than a place things
pile up.
![The Inbox screen listing unsorted tasks]()
## Day
This is where you spend most of your time. All your work for the day is here, including your schedule
and calendar. Staying on this screen helps you focus on what matters now.
![The Day screen showing today's tasks alongside the calendar]()
## Week
This screen gives you an overview of what's coming up this week. You can schedule a task *on the week* —
meaning you want it done sometime this week, but not on a specific day yet. During daily planning, you
review open tasks for the week and pull what you can into today.
![The Week screen showing tasks scheduled across the week]()
## Projects
When you need more structure, group tasks into a [project](/reference/projects-areas). A project should
have a clear outcome you're working toward and can mark complete.
![A project screen showing its tasks and progress]()
## Areas
For ongoing parts of your life, create an [area](/reference/projects-areas). Areas represent
never-ending aspects like *work* or *family*. A project can live inside an area — drag the project onto
the area to nest it.
![An area screen with nested projects and tasks]()
## Finding anything
Wherever a task lives, you can jump straight to it with [Search](/reference/search), and narrow any
screen with [tag filters](/reference/tags).
## Availability
All of these screens are available on both **Mac** and **iPhone**.
## Related
What a task can hold.
Structure beyond the inbox.
# Search
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/search
Find any task, wherever it lives in Sonto
Search finds your tasks no matter where they are — in a project, an area, the inbox, a past day, or a
future week. Results can be sorted and filtered so you can zero in quickly.
## Search on Mac
Press Cmd + \\ to open search. The same panel lets you jump to any screen in the
app, so you can navigate and search from one place. Start typing to match tasks by their text.
![The Mac search panel showing matching tasks]()
## Search on iPhone
Tap the **magnifying glass** on your Home Screen to search or navigate from anywhere in the app.
## Sorting and filtering
Within results you can sort and filter to narrow things down — handy when a common word matches many
tasks. Combine search with [tags](/reference/tags) to focus on a specific slice of your work.
## Availability
Search is available on both **Mac** and **iPhone**.
## Related
Where your tasks live across Sonto.
Filter across everything by tag.
# Settings
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/settings
What you can configure in Sonto, and where to find it
This page is a map of what you can adjust in Sonto. Open Settings from the **Sonto** menu on Mac, or the
settings entry on iPhone. Settings are specific to each device — they don't sync.
## General
* **Sync status** — see whether iCloud sync is healthy, in progress, or stalled. See
[Sync](/reference/sync).
* App appearance, including dark mode (which can follow your system setting).
## Tasks
* **Global hotkeys** — two custom, system-wide hotkeys for adding a task to your inbox or to today,
even when Sonto is in the background. See [Quick capture](/reference/quick-capture).
## Calendar
* **Calendar access** — grant Sonto access to your device's calendars, and choose which to show. See
[Calendar](/reference/calendar).
* **Working hours** — the hours Sonto treats as available when it
[auto-schedules](/reference/auto-schedule) a task.
* **Default event duration** — the length of a time block Sonto creates (30 minutes by default).
## Planning
* **Planning reminders** — when Sonto nudges you to plan your day and week, as both an in-app prompt and
a system notification. See [Notifications & Reminders](/reference/notifications).
## AI
* **MCP server** — connect AI tools to Sonto, with read-only or read-and-write access. See
[Connect to AI Agents](/reference/ai-with-mcp).
## Backups
Automatic and manual backups live in the **Manage Data** window rather than Settings. See
[Manage Data](/reference/manage-data).
## Availability
Settings exist on both **Mac** and **iPhone**, but some options — global hotkeys, working hours, the MCP
server, and Manage Data — are **Mac-only**.
## Related
Including how to configure global hotkeys.
Backups, restore, import, and delete.
# Sync
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/sync
How Sonto keeps your devices in step through iCloud
Sonto syncs your data across all your devices using **iCloud**. There's no Sonto account to create and
no email to hand over — if you're signed in to iCloud, sync just works.
## How it works
* Your areas, projects, tasks, tags, and planning sync between every device signed in to the **same
Apple Account**.
* Sync is **end-to-end encrypted** through iCloud — not even the developer can read your data. See
[Privacy & Data](/reference/privacy-and-data).
* Changes propagate quickly; the first sync on a new device can take a few minutes as it pulls
everything down.
## Setting up
There's nothing to switch on inside Sonto. Just make sure that, on every device you want to sync:
1. You're **signed in to iCloud** with the same Apple Account.
2. **Sonto is allowed to use iCloud** (Settings → your name → iCloud → Apps using iCloud).
3. You have a little **free iCloud storage** available.
You can check the current sync status any time in **Settings → General**.
App settings and calendar connections are specific to each device and don't sync — only your Sonto
data does.
## Availability
Sync works across any number of **Mac** and **iPhone** devices on the same Apple Account.
## Related
Fixes for when sync misbehaves.
How your data stays private.
# Sync Troubleshooting
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/sync-troubleshooting
What to do if you have trouble syncing across devices
Sonto allows you to sync tasks across any number of devices using iCloud.
This is great for privacy as your data is encrypted and not accessible to anyone.
It also means you don't need to create yet another account for Sonto, you don't need to give me your email address,
and even I as developer cannot see how you are using Sonto.
Normally, you should not have to do anything special for syncing to work.
If you are signed in with iCloud, it *just works*.
However, occasionally folks run into issues.
When you do, there are a number of things you can do to make sure you're set up right. This article walks you through them.
## 1. Check your iCloud accounts
It is crucial to understand that sync works through Apple iCloud, only.
Being signed in to **the same** Apple Account on all devices that you would like to sync is a hard requirement. Is it also **required** that you have some free storage space available on iCloud.
If you're not signed into iCloud at all, Sonto will warn you in settings:
![A Sonto settings warning that you're not signed in to iCloud]()
Make sure that error goes away before proceeding, by signing in via iOS / MacOS Settings > iCloud.
Once signed in on all your devices, also check your iCloud storage is not full. That will prevent syncing.
And while you're in your iCloud settings, pull up the list of applications that use iCloud for data storage. Check that list: Sonto should be in it, and its toggle should be ON.
## 2. Check syncing status
When you open Sonto Settings (the General tab), you'll see the sync status displayed.
Healthy indicates everything is set up for sync and you should be good to go.
If you see a Syncing status and its your first time launching the app on a new device,
it might take a few minutes to finish syncing. Best to just keep the app open and lets it do its thing.
Subsequent syncs will be much faster.
![The Sonto settings sync status showing a sync in progress]()
## 3. If syncing hangs
If for any of your devices you see that your sync status shows *stalled*, iCloud might have gotten stuck.
This happens sometimes, and unfortunately is not entirely within Sonto's control to fix. Usually, it is iCloud itself having issues.
Usually, this is easily fixed by restarting Sonto. If that does not help, restarting your Mac also helps. This problem does not seem to happen on iOS.
## 4. Clear Sonto's local cache
If restarting Sonto or your Mac does not help, a nuclear option that works for some users is to remove the local cache that Sonto holds for your data, so it fetches it anew from iCloud. This usually solves syncing issues.
Do remove the cache, follow these steps:
* Quit Sonto on the Mac
* Open the Finder
* In the Go menu click Go to Folder and enter this: `~/Library/Group Containers/group.net.map-territory.space/Library/Application Support/`
* You end up in a folder where you'll see a bunch of files and folders
* Delete the following files `default.store`, `default.store-shm`, `default.store-wal`
* Start Sonto, it should start syncing
Note that if you remove the local cache you will lose any changes that had not synced to iCloud yet!
## 5. Still having problems?
Send me an email and tell me the following:
* please confirm you've followed the steps above
* what OS version are you on?
* what Sonto version and build number are you on? (Menubar `Sonto` and `About Sonto`)
* did sync work for you in the past?
# Tags
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/tags
Making the most of tags in Sonto
Get introduced to tags in Sonto.
A **tag** is a label you define yourself that cuts across areas, projects, dates, and tasks. Unlike a
project or area — where a task lives in exactly one — tags overlay your work, so the same task can be
grouped and filtered by several at once.
## Where tags live
* **Create and manage** — in **Settings**. There's no fixed taxonomy; you name your own.
* **Apply** — to any area, project, or task. While naming a task you can also tag it inline by typing
`@` (see [Natural language input](/reference/natural-language-input)).
* **Filter** — from the **filter bar** on the Day, Week, and project views.
## What a tag can do
| Behaviour | Detail |
| ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Targets** | Areas, projects, and individual tasks can each be tagged. |
| **Multiple tags** | One item can carry several tags at once, describing it along more than one dimension (for example `office` + `waiting`). |
| **Independent of containers** | A tagged project keeps its tag; tasks inside it can still carry different tags of their own. |
| **Never schedules** | Tagging a task doesn't schedule it. A tagged task appears on your Day only once you schedule it for that day — then filter the Day by the tag. |
## Filtering
* **Filter bar** — pick a tag to narrow the Day, Week, or a project to matching items. You can filter
inside a project that already carries its own tag.
* **Sticky** — an active filter persists for a couple of hours, so you stay focused without reapplying it.
* **Per view** — each screen remembers its own filter independently; filtering your Week by `waiting`
doesn't change what your Day shows.
## Availability
Tags and filtering are available on both **Mac** and **iPhone**.
## Related
The Day, Week, and project views you can filter.
Another way to find tasks across Sonto.
# Tasks
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/tasks
Everything a task can hold, and how to work with it
Get introduced to the basic functionality of Sonto.
A **task** is the atomic unit of work in Sonto. Everything you do flows through tasks — capturing them,
scheduling them, and checking them off.
## Adding tasks
Click or tap the purple `+` button to add a task. On Mac you can also press Cmd + N.
![Adding a new task with the purple plus button]()
## Type tasks naturally
You can set a task up as you name it. Type a date, a time, a project or area, and tags right into the
name, and Sonto files them for you — `Prepare deck #Work @urgent tomorrow 3pm` schedules the task for
tomorrow at 3 pm, files it in **Work**, and tags it **urgent**, leaving the name as *Prepare deck*. See
[Natural language input](/reference/natural-language-input) for everything it understands.
## Editing tasks
To begin editing a task, double-click it (or tap it on iPhone), or select it with the arrow keys and
press Return. The buttons at the bottom-right let you take quick action — move it, schedule
it, or reach many more actions through the … menu.
![The quick-action buttons on a task, including move and schedule]()
You can do almost everything to a task from the keyboard. See
[Keyboard shortcuts](/reference/other-topics/keyboard-shortcuts).
## What a task can hold
A single task can carry all of the following:
* **Important flag** — mark a task important so it stands out and surfaces on your day
(Cmd + T).
* **Scheduling** — assign a task to a **day** or a **week**, or place it on the
[calendar](/reference/calendar) as a time block.
* **Notes & checklist** — context, links, formatting, and sub-tasks. See
[Notes & Checklists](/reference/notes).
* **Project or area** — file a task in a [project or area](/reference/projects-areas), or leave it in
the [inbox](/reference/screens).
* **Tags** — label a task so it shows up across [tag filters](/reference/tags)
(Cmd + Shift + T).
* **Deadline** — a task inherits the deadline of its [project](/reference/projects-areas), which Sonto
surfaces as the date approaches.
## Task states
A task moves through three states:
* **Open** — not started.
* **In progress** — currently being worked on. Toggle with Cmd + R, or long-press
the checkbox.
* **Complete** — done. Toggle by clicking the checkbox or pressing Cmd + E.
## Repeating tasks
Any task can repeat — on a fixed schedule or when you complete it — and optionally add itself to your
calendar. See [Repeating tasks](/reference/repeating-tasks).
![The Edit Repetition dialog for a task]()
## Focus
To work on a task distraction-free, open it in [Focus](/reference/focus) — full screen, with everything
else out of the way (Cmd + . on Mac).
## Related
Where tasks live: inbox, day, week, projects, areas.
Every task action from the keyboard.
# Troubleshooting
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/troubleshooting
Quick fixes for the most common questions
Most issues have a quick fix. Find the topic below; if you're still stuck, get in touch and we'll help.
## Syncing between devices
If changes aren't appearing on another device, work through the dedicated guide — it covers iCloud
accounts, sync status, and a few deeper fixes. See [Sync troubleshooting](/reference/sync-troubleshooting).
## A calendar isn't showing up
Sonto uses the calendar accounts on your Mac or iPhone. If a calendar is missing, add or enable the
account in your device's system settings — Sonto picks it up automatically. See
[Calendar](/reference/calendar).
## The Share extension isn't there (Mac)
On Mac the Share extension has to be enabled once before it appears in Share menus. See
[Share extension](/reference/other-topics/share-extension).
## An AI tool won't connect
Check that the MCP server is set up and that you're using the right command for your tool. See
[Connect to AI Agents](/reference/ai-with-mcp).
## I lost a task or project
If you deleted something or it's gone missing, you can restore it from a backup — restoring only ever
**adds**, so it can't make things worse. See [Manage Data](/reference/manage-data).
## Still stuck?
Email [support@sonto.app](mailto:support@sonto.app). It helps to include your OS
version, your Sonto version and build number (Mac: **Sonto → About Sonto**), and a short description of
what you're seeing.
## Related
Step-by-step fixes for sync.
Restore from a backup.
# Widgets
Source: https://help.sonto.app/reference/widgets
See your day at a glance from the Home Screen and Lock Screen
Sonto offers widgets so you can see what matters today without opening the app.
## On iPhone
Add a Sonto widget to your **Home Screen** or **Lock Screen** to keep today's tasks in view.
* **Home Screen** — touch and hold an empty area, tap the **+** in the corner, search for **Sonto**,
pick a size, and add it.
* **Lock Screen** — touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap **Customise**, choose the widget area, and add
the **Sonto** widget.
## On Mac
Sonto widgets are also available on Mac. Add them from Notification Centre the same way you add any
widget: click the date/time in the menu bar to open Notification Centre, scroll down, click **Edit
Widgets**, and choose **Sonto**.
## Availability
Widgets are available on both **iPhone** (Home Screen and Lock Screen) and **Mac** (Notification
Centre).
## Related
The Day screen the widget mirrors.
Add tasks without opening the app.
# The Sonto Method
Source: https://help.sonto.app/sonto-method
Align your days with your long term aspirations
Sonto is a planning method with an app wrapped around it. The app makes the method easy to live with;
this page is the thinking underneath it. For the mechanics — the Year → Quarter → Week → Day cascade and
how a plan turns into a day — see [The big picture](/concepts).
## Four principles
**Know who you are.** Work feels meaningful when it serves something you genuinely care about. What that
is rarely arrives fully formed — it surfaces through reflection and a little experimentation. The method
starts here, not with a longer task list.
**Sustainable productivity.** Less rushing, more thought. Do fewer things, better. Progress compounds
when you keep a pace you can hold — not when you sprint and stall.
**Gentle focus.** Sharp priorities and a plan, held lightly. The point isn't to control every hour; it's
to give your days grounding and a few guardrails — then to welcome change when life upends the plan. When
it does, you pause and make a new one.
**Mindset over toolset.** Sonto is a nudge, not a cure. An app can remind you to plan and keep your goals
in front of you, but the intent has to be yours. That's the point, not a limitation: the accomplishment
is yours too.
These principles set the cadence the app runs on — **an hour a year, thirty minutes a quarter, ten
minutes a week, three minutes every morning** — small, repeatable reviews that keep your days pointed at
what matters.
## Why I built Sonto
As a longtime coach, a recurring theme with the people I work with is how much they struggle to make progress on
the things that truly matter to them, yet don't seem to align with their days. I noticed that what most people
lack is a habit of reflecting on their life, using those learnings to set goals for their future,
and consistently using those long term goals to inform their short term actions.
And that's not surprising, since this is a lot if you have a busy life.
So I built Sonto. Sonto is designed to help you reflect. To remind you to plan, and guide you to set long term goals.
And then to recall those goals when planning your days, weaving your long term aspirations into your everyday
tasks.
The fuller story behind the method — with examples and background — on the Sonto website.
# What's New
Source: https://help.sonto.app/whats-new
Recent releases
## Updates
### 1.7 — Space is now Sonto
Same app, new name: Space is now Sonto ([why](/why-sonto)).
July 7, 2026 This update brings **natural language input**: type a task the way you'd say it —
`Prepare deck #Work @urgent tomorrow 3pm` — and Sonto pulls out the project, tags, date and time for you, leaving a clean name.
Next to that: switching to Sonto was never easier with new import from Things, Todoist and Apple Reminders.
NEW
* A new name: Sonto
* Natural language input for scheduling and categorisation
* Automated weekly backups, and incremental restore
* Import from Todoist, Things and Apple Reminders
* Open multiple windows on Mac
IMPROVED
* Repeating tasks are now more robust and predictable
* Many small bug fixes and performance improvements all across the app
### 1.6.1 - Overdue tasks and 6 new languages
June 20, 2026 Overdue tasks are now more clearly presented, with handy actions to keep or postpone them. Also, Space is now available in French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese and Korean! And of course, plenty of bugfixes.
### 1.6 - Tags, Project Deadlines, and so much polish!
June 14, 2026 Tags arrive in Space: add them to tasks, projects, and areas, then filter any screen to focus on exactly what matters. Projects can now have deadlines, too.
NEW
* Tags everywhere — tag tasks, projects, and areas, then filter any screen to find what you need in seconds.
* Project deadlines — give any project a deadline and see it right in the sidebar, day, and week.
* Bullet lists in notes — type "- " to start a list in any notes field.
IMPROVED
* A brand-new drag-and-drop system that feels smoother and more intuitive everywhere you use it.
* Dozens of styling refinements across the calendar, planning, and task editor.
* Better performance and stability throughout the app.
ON IPHONE
* Select multiple tasks at once and act on the whole selection in a single step.
* Edit events faster — just long-press an event to open it.
* Go anywhere instantly — tap the magnifying glass on your Home Screen to navigate or search.
* A fresh calendar layout with the dates along the bottom, easier to reach with your thumb.
### 1.5 - New notes editor: checklists and formatting + Dutch localization
Apr 16, 2026 This release is all about polish:
* a cleaner design
* a better looking dark mode
* checklists, bold and italic in your notes
* a calendar that's swipeable on iOS
* date handling that respects your regional specifics
* a better experience when using AI
* and many more small tweaks and bug fixes
### 1.4.3 - New notes editor: checklists and formatting + Dutch localization
Mar 20, 2026 You can now add checklists (sub tasks) in the notes field! Just press the checklist button when editing a task, or type `[]` in the notes field to insert a checklist item.
You can also indent them to create nested lists. On top of that there is now basic formatting: make text bold or italic. Of course all of this can be controlled with your keyboard.
And for all the Dutchies: Je kunt Space nu in het Nederlands gebruiken.
### 1.4 - Brand new Calendar & AI integration
Mar 13, 2026 A huge release! Space now uses your Mac / iOS native calendars, which means practically ALL calendars are supported. iCloud, Yahoo!, Exchange, Google, plain CalDAV, you name it! This was a very often requested feature and I'm excited to finally ship it.
Another exciting feature in this release is support for MCP (Model Context Protocol). This is a standard to let application connect to AI tools. So now you can wire up your Claude or ChatGPT to Space and do *just about everything you can do in Space itself, but through AI*. This creates really cool opportunities for long term planning, for instance by pulling in data from your journal, project planning tools, or basically anything else that holds context that can help with your plan. I'd love to hear how you're using MCP support, so I can make it better!
And there is more: several widgets (normal and lock screen), a share extension and app shortcuts deepen Space' integration into the Apple ecosystem.
Finally, a long list of polish, bug fixes and performance improvements.
### 1.3 - Search
Dec 3, 2025 Quickly find your tasks, no matter where they are hiding! One of the most requested features, Search lets you instantly find your tasks from anywhere. Sorting and filtering included.
Also, a whole bunch of small tweaks and improvements around performance, Mac icons, Siri/Shortcuts, and more.
### 1.2 - Repeating tasks
Nov 7, 2025 Much requested and finally here: repeating tasks. Tasks can repeat upon completion or on a fixed schedule. You can also have repeating tasks automatically create events on your calendar, either at a fixed time, or by letting Space find time an opening in your schedule.
Finding an opening in your schedule respects your working hours, configurable in Settings. This feature also lets you create events for any task at the click of a button (or by pressing Cmd + F). Space will respect your working hours and existing commitments and try to find an opening for your task.
### 1.1 - Outlook support
Oct 27, 2025 This release adds support for Outlook calendars. Add your Microsoft account and use your Outlook calendars in Space. Alongside your Google calendars, if you like.
Also: tuned icons, better keyboard handling, more robust weekly planning, copy improvements, and more.
### 1.0 - Here we go!
Sept 27, 2025 After about two years of work and one year of beta testing, Space is out!
A big thanks to everyone who helped me in the process.