About this article
This article was created using an automated generation workflow powered by generative AI. By reviewing official Microsoft To Do/Outlook information and current Microsoft 365 details, we have structured this guide so that general users, administrative staff, and IT administrators alike can understand where To Do tasks are stored and how they connect with Outlook and Planner.Verification Status: 📘 Microsoft Official Information Verified / Live Environment Unverified (2026-09-17)
Microsoft To Do is a personal task management app for organizing your "next actions." It is not just a simple sticky notes app. With a work account, your tasks are stored in the Exchange Online service and integrate with Outlook on the same account.
- Clarifying Terminology First
- Where is To Do Located?
- How to Think About E3 vs. E5?
- Try This First: Add Just 3 Items to My Day
- Don't Leave Emails Sitting in Your Inbox
- How to Choose Between To Do and Planner?
- Start with Read Operations in Microsoft Graph
- Practical Prompts for Breaking Down Tasks with Generative AI
- Administrative Staff Example: Never Forget Month-End Processing
- Points for IT Admins and Managers to Check
- Common Misconceptions
- Official Information & Primary Sources
Clarifying Terminology First
| Term | Simple Meaning |
|---|---|
| Task | A "to-do" item whose completed/incomplete status is tracked |
| My Day | A view to temporarily gather tasks you want to focus on today |
| Smart List | A list that automatically aggregates tasks based on specific criteria |
| Flagged Email | A list for viewing emails flagged in Outlook as tasks |
| Exchange Online | The cloud service that powers Microsoft 365 email, calendars, and more |
| Planner | A task and plan management service for sharing assignments and progress among multiple people |
| Microsoft Graph | The official API for programmatically accessing Microsoft 365 data |
Where is To Do Located?
flowchart LR
U[利用者] --> T[Microsoft To Do]
U --> O[Outlook]
T <--> E[(Exchange Online)]
O <--> E
P[Plannerの自分への割り当て] --> V[Assigned to me]
V --> T
M[Outlookでフラグを付けたメール] --> F[Flagged Email]
F --> T
The key is not to think of To Do and Outlook as separate "to-do databases." Official Microsoft Support explains that To Do tasks are stored in the Exchange Online service and automatically appear in Outlook as well.
How to Think About E3 vs. E5?
When Microsoft 365 E3/E5 users utilize To Do, avoid assuming that personal task management suddenly becomes highly advanced just because of E5. Rather than focusing solely on basic features, organizations should evaluate usage based on surrounding management conditions, including Exchange Online, identity, devices, and Conditional Access.
| Perspective | E3 | E5 | Practical Focus Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Task Management | Included | Included | Whether the service is provisioned to users |
| Outlook Integration | Supported | Supported | Whether the same Microsoft account is being used |
| E5-Specific Advanced Features | Not the primary focus of To Do standalone | Not the primary focus of To Do standalone | Verify security and compliance as separate features |
Since licensing tables are affected by contract types and SKU changes, please also check Microsoft's latest plans and Service Descriptions when making adoption decisions.
Try This First: Add Just 3 Items to My Day
My Day is "the place to choose what to do today." It resets daily, but the original tasks themselves are not deleted.
- 会議資料の数字を確認する - Aさんへ回答する - テスト環境のログを確認する
What to Look For
Add three tasks to My Day and confirm that the "today's view" and the "original task list" are separated.
Success Criteria
It is successful if a task marked as completed in My Day is also treated as completed in the original task list.
Try Changing One Thing
Set only "Review weekly report" to repeat every Friday. This helps you get a feel for not handling one-off tasks and routine work in the exact same way.
Don't Leave Emails Sitting in Your Inbox
When you flag an email in Outlook, you can manage the corresponding email from the Flagged Email list in To Do. According to official information, this requires using the same Microsoft account and having an email account hosted by Microsoft.
sequenceDiagram
participant U as 利用者
participant O as Outlook
participant E as Exchange Online
participant T as To Do
U->>O: 要対応メールへフラグ
O->>E: フラグ状態を保存
E-->>T: Flagged Emailとして表示
U->>T: 期限・My Dayなどを設定
U->>T: 完了を管理
As a caveat, official Microsoft Support states that flagged emails in shared folders or shared mailboxes are not supported by the Flagged Email integration. This workflow is not suitable for processing department-shared emails solely within a personal To Do list.
How to Choose Between To Do and Planner?
| Scenario | Best Tool | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| What I will do today | To Do | Best suited for personal focus |
| Viewing Planner tasks assigned to me | To Do / Planner | Easy to review across plans via "Assigned to me" |
| Sharing assignees and progress with a team | Planner | Primary purpose is sharing plans, assignments, and progress |
| Following up on my own emails | To Do | Works well with Flagged Email |
| Organization-wide project registry | Consider Microsoft Lists, etc. | Personal tasks often lack the necessary information structure |
Instead of "putting everything into To Do,"consolidate your personal next actions into To Doto make organization much easier.
Start with Read Operations in Microsoft Graph
When automating, do not start by creating a large number of tasks all at once. First, verify the connection endpoint and permissions.
Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "Tasks.Read" Get-MgContext | Select-Object Account, Scopes
What to Look For
Accountis the intended user, orScopescontains read permissions.
Success Criteria
The first step is successful if you connect with the intended account and can verify the data without requesting write permissions.
If You Change One Thing
Next, use Graph Explorer or the Microsoft Graph To Do API documentation to proceed with "reading your task list." Creation, updates, and deletions should be separated into a different step after reading and verifying the target list.
Practical Prompts for Breaking Down Tasks with Generative AI
次の仕事を、30〜60分程度で完了確認できる個人タスクへ分解してください。 各タスクは動詞で始め、成果物または完了条件を1つ付けてください。 他人へ依頼する作業と、自分が実行する作業を分けてください。 推測で期限を付けないでください。 仕事: 「新しいファイル共有ルールを部内へ説明する」
Do not register the generated results as-is; only add "what you actually need to execute next" to To Do. Separate the roles: AI assists with decomposition, while To Do manages execution.
Administrative Staff Example: Never Forget Month-End Processing
For example, suppose you have three steps at the end of the month: "Verify billing data -> Report to manager -> Archive." Instead of making this one giant task, break it down into steps or multiple tasks, and set due dates and recurrences only where necessary.
月末処理 ├─ 請求データの件数を確認 ├─ 差異を上司へ報告 └─ 確定ファイルを所定場所へ保管
Because the completion criteria are visible, you can reduce the occurrence of vague tasks like "month-end processing" lingering for days.
Points for IT Admins and Managers to Check
Microsoft 365/Exchange Online usage requirements for target users
Sign-in and Conditional Access
Device and app protection policies when allowing access from mobile devices
Ensuring workflows do not assume shared mailboxes are processed individually via Flagged Email
Delegated permissions and consent when integrating with Graph
Operational guidelines to prevent users from carelessly writing sensitive information in tasks
Verify the actual contracted SKU and management policies rather than focusing on E3 vs. E5 differences
Common Misconceptions
"It disappeared from My Day, so the task must be deleted."
My Day is a view for daily focus. Incomplete tasks remain in their original lists.
"If I flag an Outlook email, it will appear in To Do regardless of the mailbox."
There are limitations with shared mailboxes and other configurations. It is safer not to design workflows assuming they behave the same as a personal primary mailbox.
"If I have To Do, I don't need Planner."
To Do is for personal execution management, while Planner is for team planning and assignment management. Even though they integrate, their roles are not the same.
Official Information & Primary Sources
The value of To Do lies not in the sheer number of features, but in its ability to break down your "next actions"—gathered from email, Planner, and elsewhere—into actionable units for today. It is safest to start by adding just three items to My Day and renaming them so that their completion criteria are clear.
