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OmniFocus 4 Reference Manual

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Glossary

Some words and phrases used in OmniFocus have very specific meanings, and though we strive to make those meanings clear, this is a good place to come for further assistance.

Is there is a term missing from this list, or something here that doesn’t quite make sense? Please email us about what would be helpful, and we’ll do our best to clarify or update.

Action

A specific item which can be accomplished, and which you can capture in OmniFocus. Actions can be found in the Inbox, as part of a Project, or part of an Action Group within a project.

In other areas of your life, these are often referred to as tasks or to-dos. In OmniFocus, using the word action reminds you to always be thinking about the next step you can take to move a project towards completion, and attain your goal.

Action Group

A collection of child Actions nested underneath a parent action, which must all be Resolved before the parent action can be considered completed.

Action Groups are normally part of a Project, and can be thought of as subprojects, but may also be part of the Inbox.

Similar to a project, an action group may be Parallel or Sequential.

Action Groups use bold text, making it easy to quickly tell them apart from actions.

Action Group Type

Action Groups may be Parallel or Sequential.

Compare this to Project Types, which also includes Single Actions List.

Active

See Status.

Added Date

The date and time that a given Action, Action Group, Project, Folder, or Tag was Added.

Apple User Guides

Apple provides User Guides for a variety of devices, operating systems, and applications:

Availability

Availability is a state that is derived for actions or action groups, based both upon the assigned Status of the item, and the states of containing Folders, Projects, Action Groups, or assigned Tags; this can include project status, project dates, project type, status of assigned tags, and Additional. Possible availability states include:

Available

To learn more about the concept of Availability in OmniFocus, and how it impacts Actions, Action Groups, and Projects, see Availability.

To learn more about the filter option named Available, see View Options.

Blocked

See Availability.

Blocked with Container

See Availability.

Changed Date

The date and time that a given Action, Action Group, Project, Folder, or Tag was Changed.

Compact View

Default view on iPhone, or iPad (when running in some split screen sizes). This view shows each pane of OmniFocus individually, and can be thought of as navigating a series of stacked cards. You can see the Sidebar, Outline, or Inspector.

Compare this with Regular View.

Completed

See Status.

Completed Date

The date and time that a given Action, Action Group, or Project was Completed.

Container

A Folder which contains folders or Projects, or a project or Action Group which contains action groups or Actions. This term is used in the Inspector when viewing items which inherit Availability, Status, or properties such as Flagged or Due Date from their container.

Context Menu

See Shortcut Menu.

Contextual Menu

See Shortcut Menu.

Database

The collection of files, that are bundled together as an OmniFocus.ofocus package, which OmniFocus uses to store all the information that you add to the app. Under normal circumstances, you should rarely need to interact directly with the database folder, and the various perspectives show you all the contained information. There are Database settings that can optimize the performance of OmniFocus, and you can email us if it looks like something isn’t working correctly. When using a Mac or iPad, you can have multiple windows open, in order to see different views of your data at the same time. When using a Mac, you can open multiple database files at once to restore from a backup or archive, or view the contents of an OmniFocus database other than your primary data.

You may also see this referred to as your OmniFocus data, or OmniFocus library.

Defer Until Date

The date and time that an item becomes Available for work. Using Defer Until is an excellent way to get something off of your plate for now, knowing that it will return when it’s ready for work.

This is sometimes referred to as a Defer Date or Start Date.

Projects or actions that have a future Defer Until date are referred to as Deferred projects or actions.

Defer Until dates may also be inherited from their Container. Read about Inherited Dates to learn more.

Compare to Due Date

Device

Hardware that runs each platform supported by OmniFocus.

Supported devices include Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro.

Drag and Drop

A system-level function that allows dragging items into OmniFocus, out of OmniFocus, and between OmniFocus and other apps on Macs, iPads, and iPhones. Try dragging text into OmniFocus from other apps, reordering items in the outline, and dragging rows or selected text from OmniFocus to other apps on your device.

Dropped

See Status.

Dropped Date

The date and time that a given Action, Action Group, or Project was Dropped.

Due Date

The date and time by which a given Action, Action Group, or Project must be completed.

Due dates may also be inherited from their Container. Read about Inherited Dates to learn more.

Compare to Defer Until Date

Due Soon

A designation for Actions, Action Groups, and Projects with assigned due dates that are approaching, and may need additional attention. Items that are due soon have a special style to make them more visible in your outline.

The exact meaning of Due Soon can be changed using the “Due Soon” Means setting.

Editing Menu

A menu available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro, that allows editing of text in text fields; normally accessed by tapping in a text field, while editing text. Most often contains system commands such as cut, copy, paste, and more; may also contain OmniFocus commands, such as Paste with Original Style.

Estimated Duration

The amount of time you think an Action, Action Group, or Project will take to complete.

Estimated Duration can be assigned using the Inspector, or the Outline (depending on your Layout Settings).

Estimated Duration is used when calculating the Latest Start Date, and can be used when building Custom Perspectives.

Everything

See View Options

Favorite

Favorite perspectives can be selected to display in the Perspectives Bar on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro; or on the main screen of OmniFocus for Apple Watch.

Setting your favorite perspectives:

  • Click or tap on the empty Favorite button to add a favorite perspective.
  • Click or tap on the filled Favorite button to remove a favorite perspective.

This can be done in the Perspectives List on Mac, in Quick Open on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro, and in Settings on Apple Watch.

First Available

Unlike the other availability states, which can also apply to Projects and Action Groups, First Available is a state that can only apply to Actions.

See View Options

Flagged

An indication that an Action, Action Group, or Project is important. Children of flagged items are also considered flagged, making it very easy to prioritize an entire project with a single click.

Items that are flagged also have a special orange Status Circle, with a flag hat.

Use Set/Clear Flag to add or remove Flagged status to an item.

Folder

A way to group together related projects or folders. By default, folders are shown in the Sidebar, and can optionally be shown in the Outline using Projects View Options.

Forecast Tag (Pro)

Requires OmniFocus Pro

A way of indicating that an Action, Action Group, or Project should be displayed in Forecast.

Select the Forecast Tag in Forecast View Options, and use Apply/Remove Forecast Tag to apply or remove the Forecast Tag to items.

Group

See Action Group.

Hidden

An item that exists in your OmniFocus data, but that isn’t currently visible, based on your setting for View Options. This can be relevant when OmniFocus alerts you that something might be deleted by mistake.

Hierarchy

See Structure & Hierarchy.

Inbox

The built-in Inbox perspective is designed to hold Actions and Action Groups that you have captured in OmniFocus, prior to processing them… creating new projects, adding them to existing projects, or assigning tags.

Inbox Item

An Action which has been captured in the Inbox, and which has not yet been processed.

Inbox items can be assigned to a new or existing Project, or may be converted to a project.

Inbox Order

The order in which Action Groups and Actions are listed in the Inbox. This is a very common order in which to display your OmniFocus data, even when you are in other Perspectives.

Related: Projects Order, Tags Order

Inspector

A view on the trailing side of the OmniFocus window (in Regular View), or that can be opened by swiping from the trailing side (in Compact View), which allows you to adjust all the details for Actions, Action Groups, Projects, Folders, and Tags. With something selected in the Outline or Sidebar, the Inspector automatically shows relevant fields. Click the Inspector button in the Toolbar, or choose Show Inspector from the View menu.

Additional information is available in the Inspector chapter.

Item

Term that may refer to Actions, Action Groups, Projects, Folders, or Tags. This reference manual will typically refer to the specific type of item being discussed, but there are a few topics where referring to an item is either necessary, or sufficiently clear.

Keyboard Shortcut

A single key, or set of keys pressed in combination, that calls a menu command. These are available when using a Mac, or with an external keyboard attached to an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro. When using an iPad, pressing and holding the Command key (⌘) will see a list of shortcuts available from your current location in the app.

Latest Start Date

Date and time by which work must begin on a given Action, Action Group, or Project, in order to have work completed by the Due Date.

Latest Start Date is calculated by subtracting the Estimated Duration from the Due Date.

Leading/Trailing Edge

When using OmniFocus with a left to right language, the leading edge is the left side, and the trailing edge is the right side.

When using OmniFocus with a right to left language, the leading edge is the right side, and the trailing edge is the left side.

Omni Account

Your Omni Account can be used to start a free trial of our applications, purchase a license or subscription, upgrade an existing license, and sync our applications using the Omni Sync Server.

Additional information about Omni Accounts can be found in our Using and managing your Omni Account support article.

Omni Automation

A method of scripting OmniFocus with JavaScript. See the Omni Automation website for more information on this feature.

On Hold

See Status.

Outline

The main view of OmniFocus, where you see and interact with your Actions, Action Groups, and Projects, usually through a Structured view of your data. On a Mac or iPad, this is the center area of the OmniFocus window, with the Sidebar available on the Leading Edge, and the Inspector available on the Trailing Edge. On an iPhone, this is also the primary area of OmniFocus, with both the Sidebar and Inspector hidden most of the time, but available for changing your view or data. Some perspectives, such as Forecast, Nearby, and Review have specific ways of viewing your data, that may differ from the typical project structure.

Additional information is available in the Outline chapter.

Overdue

A state for items with a Due Date which has passed. Items that are overdue have red Status Circles for greater visibility.

Parallel

A Project or Action Group that contains actions which may be accomplished in any order. By default, all Active actions are considered Available. For a parallel project or action group, View Options set to First Available or Available will show different results, as the topmost action is considered first available.

Compare Sequential projects or action groups, and Single Actions List projects.

Additional information is available in the Perspectives chapter.

Pending

This Custom Perspective filter rule from earlier versions of OmniFocus is now named Has an active project which has a future defer date.

Perspective

A view of your OmniFocus data, that can be quickly visited from the Perspectives Bar, Perspectives List, or Quick Open.

OmniFocus comes with nine Default Perspectives. Custom Perspectives can be created using OmniFocus Pro.

Read the Perspectives chapter, to learn more.

Platform

Operating system that runs on each Apple device supported by OmniFocus.

Supported platforms include iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS.

Plug-In

Omni Automation Plug-Ins are written in JavaScript, and can be used for automating various tasks, when using OmniFocus Pro. Visit the Omni Automation in OmniFocus website for more information.

Project

A collection of Actions and Action Groups that are all working towards a common goal (see Parallel or Sequential) or that are united by another common element (see Single Actions List).

Project Type

Projects may be Parallel or Sequential, or they may be a Single Actions List.

Compare this to Action Group Types, which does not include Single Actions List.

Additional information is available in Project Type

Projects Order

The order in which Projects, Action Groups, and Actions are listed in the Projects perspective. This is a very common order in which to display your OmniFocus data, even when you are in other Perspectives.

Related: Inbox Order, Tags Order

Regular View

Default view on Mac, iPad (when running in full screen), and Apple Vision Pro. This view can show the Sidebar, Outline, and Inspector at the same time.

Compare this with Compact View.

Remaining

See View Options

Resolved

Projects, action groups, or actions that have either been Completed or Dropped.

Sequential

A Project or Action Group that contains actions which must be completed in a specific order, from top to bottom. By default, only the topmost Active action is considered Available, and all actions below that one are considered Blocked. For a sequential project or action group, View Options set to either First Available or Available should show the same result.

Compare Parallel projects or action groups, and Single Actions List projects.

Additional information is available in the Perspectives chapter.

Shortcut Menu

If you touch and hold on an Item, Outline Row, or selection of text, a menu may appear with relevant commands.

Apple previously referred to this type of menu as a context or contextual menu.

A pane to the left of the Outline, which can display folders, projects, tags, or a calendar, depending on which Perspective you are viewing. When using Regular View, choosing Show/Hide Sidebar will show or hide the Sidebar, next to the Outline. When using Compact View, the Sidebar will slide in from the left, and will slide out to the left when you are finished using it, leaving the Outline visible.

Additional information is available in the Perspectives chapter.

Single Actions List

A Project which contains actions that may (or may not) be related in some way, but that are not part of an overall goal. Unlike with parallel or sequential projects, the position of an action in a single actions list does not matter; each action can be thought of as a very small standalone project. For a single actions list, View Options set to First Available or Available will show identical results, as all actions are considered first available.

Compare Parallel and Sequential projects and action groups.

Additional information is available in the Perspectives chapter.

Stalled

This Custom Perspective filter rule from earlier versions of OmniFocus is now named Has an active project which has no remaining actions.

Status

Status can be directly assigned to an action, action group, project, folder, or tag.

Status can be updated by clicking or tapping on the Status Circle (for actions and action groups), using the Status sub-menu in the Edit menu, using the Status shortcut menu, or using the Inspector:

  • Active — Status for an Action, Action Group, Project, or Folder that is planned for work, or a Tag that is currently in use. This is the default status for a newly added Item.
  • On Hold — Status for a Project or Tag which is not currently planned for work, but which may be in the future. Actions or action groups which are part of an On Hold project will be considered Unavailable for work; actions or action groups (but not projects) which are assigned to an On Hold tag will be considered Blocked.
  • Completed — Status for an Action, Action Group, or Project when you have finished work on the item. You can also complete the item using the Space bar.
  • Dropped — Status for an Action, Action Group, Project, Folder, or Tag that is no longer planned for work. You can also drop the item using Option-Space bar.

Inherited Status

Status can also be inherited from the item which contains it: actions can inherit status from action groups and projects, projects can inherit status from folders, and so on.

  • Completed with container — Active Actions or Action Groups which are part of a Container which has been Completed will be considered Completed with container.
  • Dropped with container — Active Actions, Action Groups, Projects, and Folders which are part of a Container which has been Dropped will be considered Dropped with container. When dropping a Tag Group, any child tags will also be dropped; note that dropping a tag does not drop actions with that tag assigned.

When a status is inherited, the item keeps the original value of any assigned fields, and shows the inherited values through slight modifications of icons and text, in both the Outline and Inspector.

Structure and Hierarchy

OmniFocus data is structured in a specific way, often referred to as the hierarchy of OmniFocus.

The smallest item in OmniFocus is the Action, which can either exist in the Inbox, or as part of a specific Project. While part of the Inbox, an action is just that: a single item which has the potential to be completed, but which may or may not be part of a larger goal (a project).

When switching to the Projects perspective, you begin to see where else an action can exist. Actions, whether or not they are part of an Action Group, are also part of a project. Projects may contain many actions or action groups, but may not contain other projects.

How can you group projects into areas, such as “Work” or “Renovate House”? Look at the Projects Sidebar, where you can create Folders, which can hold projects, or even other folders.

Project Hierarchy

The project hierarchy of OmniFocus is: folders can contain folders or projects, projects can contain action groups or actions, action groups can contain action groups or actions, while at the bottom of the structure lives the most important part: the action.

This hierarchy can most easily be seen in the Projects Sidebar, or in the Projects Outline, after enabling Show folders in outline.

Tag Hierarchy

There is also a tag hierarchy, which is that tags can contain other tags, and any level of tag can be assigned to an action, action group, or project.

This hierarchy can most easily be seen in the Tags Sidebar, as the Tags Outline only displays rows for tags that have been assigned to visible actions, action groups, or projects.

Sub-Project

See Action Group.

Status Circle

The circle next to an Active Action or Action Group that can be clicked or tapped to set the item to Completed, or Option-clicked to set the item to Dropped.

The color of the circle also indicates whether it is Due Soon, Overdue, or Flagged; actions and group configured to Repeat also have a special status circle, containing 3 dots.

For additional information, see the Status Circle section of the Outline chapter.

Sync

Syncing OmniFocus updates your local OmniFocus data with another copy stored on a server, such as the Omni Sync Server.

This allows you to keep all of your copies of OmniFocus up-to-date, as changes go from one device, to the server, to another device, and back again.

Settings

See OmniFocus Settings or System Settings, depending on whether you want to change something about OmniFocus, or something about the system on which OmniFocus is running.

Starred

See Favorite

System Settings

Apple application that allows you to change options that affect either your entire device, or only OmniFocus.

This application is named Settings on iPad, iPhone, or Apple Watch; it is named System Settings on Mac (it was previously called System Preferences).

Tag

Tags can be assigned to an Action, Action Group, or Project, and provide another way of looking at your OmniFocus database.

They can represent a person, place, thing, state of mind, energy level, or any other factor that you find useful. These allow you to pull together all related actions, action groups, and projects into one place.

Your use of tags can be simple, such as showing you all the items related to work; or it can be complex, such as showing you all the items related to work that you need to coordinate with your co-worker, which must be completed while you have high-energy and are sitting near your computer.

Tag Group

A collection of child Tags nested underneath a parent tag. Selecting a parent tag in the Sidebar will also select child tags. Assigning a child tag to an action or project will also assign the parent tag.

Tags Order

The order in which Projects, Action Groups, and Actions are listed in the Tags perspective.

Related: Inbox Order, Project Order

Task

See Action.

Toolbar

An area at either the top or bottom of the OmniFocus window that contains Tools & Commands for modifying the contents of that window, or provides access to additional functionality, such as Settings, Help, or Automation.

For additional information, see the Toolbar chapter.

Unavailable

See Availability.

Unavailable with Container

See Availability.

Untagged

Actions, Action Groups, and Projects without at least one assigned Tag.

Untagged items can be found using an Is untagged perspective rule in a Custom Perspective, and are grouped together in the Tags Sidebar.

View Options

View Options allows for setting many elements that impact how your OmniFocus data displays, and which actions and groups and displayed. Though the details can vary between perspectives, these choices are found in most of the perspectives:

  • First Available — The first of the actions which are Active and Available, in a given project; this is a focused view of the Available option (described next), which additionally takes into account the position of actions within a project, as well as the type of project. In Sequential projects, the first available action must be higher in the project list than any other Blocked or Unavailable actions; it is very common for a sequential project to not have a first available action, if there is another action higher in the project, which is itself blocked or unavailable. In Parallel projects, the action may be anywhere in the project, as actions in parallel projects may be completed in any order. For Single Actions Lists, all available actions are considered first available, as a single actions list is a collection of individual actions, rather than actions working towards a specific goal. This list may also be thought of as a list of next actions.
  • Available — Actions, action groups, projects, folders, and tags which are both Active and Available; items may not be Blocked, Deferred, or On Hold.
  • Remaining — Actions, action groups, projects, folders, and tags which are not Completed or Dropped.
  • Everything — All actions, action groups, projects, folders, and tags, including those which have been completed or dropped.

Additional information is available in the Perspectives chapter.