How to turn emails into tasks in a to-do list app for freelancers (without losing track of follow-ups)

As a freelancer, you know that emails are often the first place where client requests, tight deadlines, or reminders land. Turning those emails into clear tasks is key to avoiding oversights, but doing it manually (copying, pasting, organizing) takes time and increases the risk of missing details. In this guide, we’ll explain how to turn emails into tasks in a to-do list app designed for freelancers juggling multiple jobs at once: Foco. You’ll see that the process is fast, avoids duplicates, and keeps everything centralized in one place.

Why freelancers need to turn emails into tasks (and where other methods fall short)

The typical alternative for many freelancers is using generic note-taking apps, spreadsheets, or even paper lists. The issue isn’t the tool itself, but how they handle multiple jobs at once:

• In note-taking apps, emails become loose text without context (Is it urgent? Which client does it belong to? When is it due?).
• In spreadsheets, each row is a task, but there are no automatic reminders or calendar integration, and assigning priorities or due dates requires manual cell editing.
• In project managers designed for a single team or client, mixing personal tasks with multiple clients creates confusion: there’s no way to filter just one client’s tasks without losing sight of the rest.

Foco solves this because it’s built for freelancers with multiple jobs. Each task carries the color of its work (client, project, or personal area), and you can see all tasks together in Panorama mode or filter just one work’s tasks in Foco mode. Plus, when you turn an email into a task, the original email is attached as a note, so you never lose context.

Step-by-step: how to turn emails into tasks in Foco (with and without AI)

• 1. Enable email capture (Plus plan only): Go to Settings > Copilot and activate 'Email Capture'. Foco will assign you a personal forwarding address (e.g., yourusername@capture.foco.app). You can rotate this address anytime for privacy.
• 2. Forward the email: From your email client (Gmail, Outlook, etc.), forward the message you want to turn into a task to your Foco address. You don’t need to modify the subject or body: Foco will automatically extract the task title, due date (if detected), and attach the full email as a note.
• 3. Review and edit the task: In Foco, the task will appear in the work you’ve set as the destination (you can choose a fixed one or let AI decide based on content). Review the fields: title, due date, priority (normal, important, or urgent), and recurrence (if applicable). Edit manually if anything is missing.
• 4. Assign the correct work: If the task wasn’t automatically assigned to the right work, drag it to the corresponding colored container (e.g., 'Client X' in blue or 'Project Y' in green). This keeps everything organized by client or area.
• 5. Add optional details: Use tags to categorize (e.g., 'invoicing', 'review'), assign an estimated duration in minutes, or add a reminder (minutes before due). If the task is recurring (e.g., sending a weekly report), set it up so Foco automatically creates the next occurrence when you complete it.
• 6. Without Plus: manual capture: If you don’t have Plus, copy the relevant content from the email and create the task manually in Foco. Use voice capture to dictate the title and details, and attach the email as a text or photo note. It’s not automatic, but it’s still faster than copying and pasting into a spreadsheet.

What happens next: tracking and completing tasks

• In Panorama mode, you’ll see all your tasks (from all works) with their colors, so you can prioritize without losing sight of anything.
• In Foco mode, enter a specific client’s work to see only their tasks, ideal for focusing on one thing at a time.
• When you mark a task as done, if it’s recurring, Foco will automatically create the next one. If the task came from an integration (e.g., Notion or GitHub) and you have 'complete also in origin' enabled, the original item will be closed or commented in that tool.
• Use Kanban view to move tasks between columns (e.g., 'To Do', 'In Progress', 'Done') with drag-and-drop on desktop or tabs on mobile.

Tips for freelancers: how to get the most out of email capture

• Create a filter in your email client to automatically forward emails with keywords (e.g., 'urgent', 'deadline', 'invoice') to your Foco address. This ensures nothing slips through the cracks.
• Use colored tags to categorize tasks by type (e.g., red for invoicing, yellow for meetings).
• If an email contains multiple actions, use the Burst feature (Plus only) to dictate all tasks in one go, and Foco will separate them automatically.
• Connect your Google or Outlook calendar to Foco to see external events alongside your tasks in Calendar view, avoiding scheduling conflicts.