Your first project in two minutes

Your first project

These steps use Operant on Mac. Everything you create appears on iPhone and iPad as well, once you're signed in to the same Apple ID.

1. 1

   Choose where your data lives

   The first time Operant opens, it asks for a folder to store your data in. To use Operant on more than one Mac, pick a folder that syncs, such as one in Dropbox or iCloud Drive, and choose the same folder on each Mac.

   You can move your data later with File → Change Data Folder…. See §16 Data Storage and Syncing.

2. 2

   Create a project

   Click the + button on the left side of the ribbon at the top of the window, or press ⌘⇧N. A new project tile appears in the left pane with its name ready to type. Type a name and press Return.

   TipDouble-click any tile to rename it. See §6 Renaming Tiles.
3. 3

   Add a task

   With your project selected, click the + button in the centre section of the ribbon, or press ⌘T. A new task tile appears in the centre pane. Type its name and press Return.

   Add as many tasks as you like. They sit in a row beside their project, and you can scroll the row left and right. Drag a task to reorder it, or drag it into another project's row to move it there. See §7 Reordering and Moving.

4. 4

   Write notes for the task

   Click the task tile. The right-hand pane shows that task's notes. Click in it and start typing. The usual shortcuts work: ⌘B bold, ⌘I italic, ⌘U underline.

   Web addresses become clickable links automatically. To link to a file or an email, drag it straight from Finder or Mail into the notes. See §13 The Notes Pane.

   TipProjects have notes too. Click a project tile instead of a task tile and the right-hand pane shows the project's notes.
5. 5

   Mark the task complete

   When a task is done, click the checkbox in the bottom-right corner of its tile to tick it off. To archive the task, which hides it without deleting it, click the archive icon (▤) in the tile's bottom bar. You can restore archived items at any time with Archive → Unarchive Task…. See §9 Archiving.

What to explore next

Once the basics feel familiar, these features are worth trying. Each card opens the relevant section of the User Guide.