Free Google Sheets Task List Template [Checklist, Progress Bar, and Setup]

You can start with Google’s built-in to-do list template, or build one from a blank sheet. The fastest setup is a checkbox column for completion, a task column, and a date column for due dates. Once the basics work, add Priority, Status, and Notes so the list stays useful when it grows.

Open Google Sheets, then click Template gallery and look under the Personal section for the to-do list template. If you do not see it right away, scroll through the personal templates until you find it. After it opens, customize columns and formatting to match your workflow.

Open the template, then use File > Make a copy. That creates an editable version in your Google Drive. Rename it with a date or project name so it is easy to reuse week to week.

Select the range where you want checkboxes, then use the checkbox option in Google Sheets to insert them across the selection. If you want the deeper setup options, you can also add them via data validation.

Add a Status column, then create a dropdown list with values like Not Started, In Progress, Blocked, Done. Keep the list short so filtering stays clean.

Add a Priority column, then create a dropdown list with values like High, Medium, Low. If you want faster scanning, pair the dropdown with conditional formatting so High stands out.

Use conditional formatting on your due date column or your task row. A common pattern is “Date is before today” plus a second condition that the checkbox is not checked, so completed items do not get flagged. If you are building multiple rules, you can also copy rules across ranges.

Apply conditional formatting to your task rows based on the Priority dropdown. For example, if Priority equals High, set a fill color and bold text is optional, but not necessary.

Use conditional formatting on the task text range, then set the rule to trigger when the checkbox cell is TRUE. Apply a strikethrough style to the task cell range so completed tasks visually drop away without being deleted. If you later expand your list, copy the rule to the new rows instead of rebuilding it.

A simple approach is a SPARKLINE bar that fills as tasks are completed. If column A contains checkboxes and column B contains your dated tasks, you can place this formula in your progress cell (example: D4):

=SPARKLINE(COUNTIF(A5:A, TRUE), {"charttype", "bar"; "max", COUNT(B5:B); "color1", "#0f9d58"})

We also have a full guide on inserting Sparklines in Google Sheets.

Use COUNTIF for completed checkboxes and COUNT for total tasks, then combine them. Example, if checkboxes are in A5:A and due dates are in B5:B:

=COUNTIF(A5:A, TRUE)&"/"&COUNT(B5:B)

This pairs well with a sparkline progress bar so you get the number and the visual in the same header area.

If your due dates live in a date column, COUNT will only count cells that contain numbers, which includes valid dates. That is why this progress approach uses COUNT(B5:B) for total tasks, it counts only rows where a date exists. If you want to count tasks based on the task name column instead, use COUNTA on that text range.

Create a filter, then sort by the checkbox column so unchecked items appear first. If your sheet mixes personal and team tasks, add Status and Owner columns, then filter before sorting so you do not scramble the entire list. If you are collaborating, consider using filter views so each person can sort without changing everyone’s view.

Add Owner, Priority, and Status columns, then create a filter on the header row. Dropdowns work well here because they keep values consistent, which makes filtering reliable. If you want a clean separation, build a dedicated “Today” view on a new sheet that pulls only the tasks you need.

Add an Owner column and use a dropdown list of team members, or type names consistently. If you want accountability without clutter, keep the assignment to one column, then use comments for discussion. For more formal responsibility tracking, you can also use a RACI-style structure.

Right-click a task cell and add a comment, then @mention a collaborator so they are notified. Use comments for handoffs, blockers, and clarifying notes that do not belong in the main grid. If you want longer notes that do not fit cleanly inside a cell, a text box can help.

Go to View > Freeze, then freeze 1 row so your headers stay in view. If you have a progress header above the list, freeze up to the row that contains your column labels.

Select the column letter, right-click, then choose Hide column. This is useful when you want a cleaner working view but still want the information available later. Here’s how to hide columns in Google Sheets.

Protect the cells that contain formulas, typically your progress header cells, dropdown lists, and any helper columns. Leave the checkbox column and the task entry columns unprotected so collaborators can update work. If you are sharing via link, assign Viewer or Commenter permissions unless someone truly needs edit access.

Add a Repeat column with values like Daily, Weekly, Monthly, then decide how you want recurrence to behave. The simplest method is manual, when a recurring task is checked, duplicate the row and change the due date. If you want automation, an Apps Script can clone rows and roll the due date forward on a schedule, but that is a more advanced build.

Create a new sheet called This Week, then filter tasks where the due date falls within the next 7 days and the checkbox is not checked. You can do it with a filter view, or pull the items into a dedicated view using a filter-style formula so the weekly list updates automatically. Keep the main list as your source of truth.

Create a summary section that counts each Status value, for example, Not Started, In Progress, Blocked, Done. You can do this with COUNTIF, or with a pivot table if you want quick grouping by Owner and Status.

The cleanest approach is File > Make a copy, then rename it for the new project or week. If you only want a fresh tab inside the same workbook, duplicate the sheet tab, then clear task rows while leaving header formulas and dropdowns intact. If your progress formula uses open-ended ranges like A5:A, it will still work as long as the structure stays the same.

Keep the sheet narrow, avoid excessive columns, and freeze the header so labels stay visible. Use dropdowns instead of free text for Priority and Status so it is faster to update on a phone. If your list is wide, consider a mobile view tab that shows only Task, Due date, Priority, Status, and Checkbox.

Before printing, hide any non-essential columns like Notes, then print only the selected range so it fits. Use print settings to scale the sheet to fit the width and keep headers visible across pages if needed.

Insert columns next to the area you want to expand, then update the header labels to match. If your progress formula references specific columns, keep completion in the checkbox column and keep your “total tasks” column consistent so your counts remain correct. If your formatting rules need to apply to the new column, copy the existing conditional format