Microsoft To Do Action Block

What it does: Create and manage tasks and task lists in Microsoft To Do directly from your workflow automation.

When to Use This

Use the Microsoft To Do action when you need to:

• ✅ Create tasks automatically from form submissions or webhook events
• ✅ Track workflow action items with due dates and reminders
• ✅ Organize tasks into lists based on project or category
• ✅ Update task statuses as workflow stages complete
• ✅ Sync tasks between Microsoft To Do and other project management tools

Example: When a support ticket is escalated, create a task in the team lead's Microsoft To Do with the ticket details and a due date.

Features

• OAuth2 Authentication: Secure Microsoft identity platform connection
• Task CRUD: Create, read, update, and delete tasks
• List Management: Create, read, update, and delete task lists
• Due Dates: Set due dates and reminders on tasks
• Task Status: Mark tasks as completed or in progress
• Variable Support: Use workflow variables in task titles, descriptions, and dates

Setup

1. Connect Your Microsoft Account

1. Click Connect Microsoft Account in the block settings
2. Sign in with your Microsoft 365 account
3. Grant the requested permissions (Tasks.ReadWrite)
4. Your account will be linked securely via OAuth2

2. Configure Settings

1. Select the desired Action from the dropdown (e.g., Create Task, Update Task)
2. Choose the Task List (or use the default list)
3. Fill in action-specific fields (title, body, due date, etc.)

Supported Actions

Task Operations

List Operations

Using Variables

You can use workflow variables in any task field:

Task Title:

Review: {{ticket.subject}} (Priority: {{ticket.priority}})

Task Body:

Customer: {{ticket.customerName}}
Issue: {{ticket.description}}
Ticket ID: {{ticket.id}}
Link: {{ticket.url}}

Due Date:

{{date.addDays(3)}}

List Name:

{{project.name}} Tasks

Response Mapping

Map results from Microsoft To Do actions to workflow variables:

Available Values (Task):

• Task ID: Unique identifier for the task
• Title: The task title
• Body: Task description content
• Status: Current status (notStarted, inProgress, completed)
• Importance: Priority level (low, normal, high)
• Due Date: The task's due date
• Created Date: When the task was created
• Completed Date: When the task was marked complete
• Is Reminder On: Whether a reminder is set

Available Values (List):

• List ID: Unique identifier for the list
• Display Name: The list name
• Is Owner: Whether the connected account owns the list

Example Mapping:

Task ID → {{todo.taskId}}
Status → {{todo.status}}
List ID → {{todo.listId}}

Common Use Cases

1. Support Ticket Follow-Up

Trigger: Escalated support ticket To Do Action: Create Task

List: Support Follow-Ups
Title: Follow up: {{ticket.subject}}
Body: Customer {{ticket.customerName}} needs resolution by {{ticket.slaDeadline}}
Due Date: {{ticket.slaDeadline}}
Importance: High

2. Project Milestone Tracking

Trigger: New project created To Do Action: Create List, then Create Task (multiple)

List Name: {{project.name}}
Tasks:
  - Kickoff meeting (due: {{project.startDate}})
  - Requirements review (due: {{date.addDays(7)}})
  - Design approval (due: {{date.addDays(14)}})

3. Approval Reminder

Trigger: Approval request pending > 24 hours To Do Action: Create Task

List: Pending Approvals
Title: Approve: {{approval.documentName}}
Body: Requested by {{approval.requestedBy}} on {{approval.requestDate}}
Due Date: {{date.tomorrow}}
Importance: High

4. Completed Task Sync

Trigger: Task completed in external system To Do Action: Update Task

Task ID: {{externalTask.todoTaskId}}
Status: Completed

Best Practices

Task Organization

• ✅ Use dedicated task lists for each workflow or project type
• ✅ Include relevant context in the task body (links, IDs, descriptions)
• ✅ Set appropriate importance levels to help users prioritize
• ✅ Include due dates for time-sensitive tasks

Workflow Design

• ✅ Store the Task ID from Create Task responses for later updates
• ✅ Check if a task already exists before creating duplicates
• ✅ Use Get All Tasks with filters to find existing tasks
• ✅ Clean up completed tasks periodically with Delete Task

Security

• ✅ Tasks may contain sensitive information -- limit access to task lists
• ✅ Use organizational accounts for shared team task lists
• ✅ Review connected accounts regularly

Troubleshooting

Task Creation Fails

Check:

• Microsoft account is properly connected
• The target task list exists and is accessible
• Required fields (at minimum, a title) are provided
• OAuth token has not expired -- try reconnecting

Cannot Find Task List

Solutions:

• Use Get All Lists to discover available list IDs
• List names are case-sensitive -- verify exact spelling
• Shared lists may require additional permissions

Update Task Does Nothing

Check:

• The Task ID is correct and belongs to the specified list
• You are providing at least one field to update
• The task has not been deleted by another process

Limitations

• Attachments: Task attachments cannot be added through this block
• Subtasks: Checklist items within tasks are not supported via the API
• Shared Lists: Limited support for lists shared by other users
• Recurrence: Recurring task patterns cannot be set through this block
• API Rate Limits: Microsoft Graph API throttling applies

Related Blocks

• Outlook Trigger: Create tasks from incoming emails
• Trello: Alternative task management with boards
• Jira: For more complex project management needs
• Condition: Add logic before creating or updating tasks
• Set Variable: Prepare task content dynamically