How to Create a Daily Task Tracker in Google Sheets

Building a daily task tracker can bring much-needed clarity to your workday, but you don't need fancy software to get started. In fact, one of the most powerful and flexible options is likely already open in another tab: Google Sheets. This article will guide you step-by-step through creating a smart, automated daily task tracker tailored to your exact needs.

Why Use Google Sheets for a Daily Task Tracker?

Before jumping into the how-to, it’s worth understanding why Google Sheets is such a fantastic choice for managing your tasks. It strikes a perfect balance between simplicity and power, offering a great alternative to both rigid project management apps and limited paper-based lists.

It’s collaborative and cloud-based. Your tracker is available on any device, anywhere. You can share it with team members, and everyone sees real-time updates - no more wondering who has the latest version of an Excel file.
It’s completely customizable. You aren't locked into a specific layout or workflow. You can add any column you want, create custom categories, and design a system that works exactly the way you do.
It can be automated. With a few simple formulas and built-in features, you can make your plain spreadsheet feel like an interactive application. Automated timestamps, progress bars, and color-coded statuses are all within reach.
It's free. If you have a Google account, you have access to Google Sheets. There are no subscription fees or user limits to worry about.

Building Your Google Sheets Task Tracker: A Step-by-Step Guide

Let's move beyond the basics and build a tracker that truly works for you. Follow these steps to create a dynamic and visually intuitive system to manage your daily to-do list.

Step 1: Set Up Your Basic Columns

First, open a new Google Sheet and name it "Daily Task Tracker". Give yourself a clean slate by deleting all but a few columns and rows. Now, let's create the headers for our tracker. These columns will form the structure of your system. In row 1, enter the following headers:

Column A - Done (Checkbox): We'll use this for a simple checkbox to mark tasks as complete. It’s a very satisfying way to track progress.
Column B - Task: A clear, action-oriented description of the task. For example, "Draft Q3 marketing report" instead of just "marketing report."
Column C - Category: Grouping tasks by category (e.g., Marketing, Admin, Client Work, Sales) helps you see where you're spending your time.
Column D - Priority: This is for assigning a priority level to each task, like High, Medium, or Low.
Column E - Due Date: The deadline for the task.
Column F - Date Created: A timestamp for when the task was added. We'll explore ways to automate this later.
Column G - Notes: An optional field for any extra details, links, or context.

Bold the header row to make it stand out. Your sheet should look something like this:

(Example image showing the basic column structure in Google Sheets)

Step 2: Add Drop-Down Menus for Consistency

To keep your data clean and easy to sort, use drop-down menus for columns with predefined options like 'Category' and 'Priority'. This prevents typos and ensures everyone uses the same terminology.

How to create a drop-down menu:

Select the entire column where you want the drop-down. Let's start with Column D (Priority). Click on the "D" at the top of the column to highlight it.
Go to the menu and click Data > Data validation.
In the "Criteria" dropdown, select "List of items."
In the box to the right, enter your priority levels, separated by commas: High,Medium,Low.
Make sure "Show dropdown list in cell" is checked. You can choose to either "Show warning" or "Reject input" if someone tries to enter a value not on the list. Rejecting input is generally better for data hygiene.
Click "Save."

Now, repeat this process for the 'Category' column (Column C), adding your relevant work categories (e.g., Client A, Client B, Marketing, Internal Project, Admin). When you click on any cell in these columns, a small arrow will appear, letting you select from your predefined list.

Step 3: Add Checkboxes and Conditional Formatting

Visual cues make your task list much easier to scan. We're going to set up two key visual features: checkboxes for 'Done' and color-coding for priority and status.

Adding Checkboxes:

Select Column A by clicking on the header.
Go to the menu and click Insert > Checkbox.
This converts the entire column into interactive checkboxes. When you check one, the cell's value becomes TRUE.

Conditionally Formatting Completed Tasks:

Let's make it so that when you check a box, the entire row becomes grayed out with a strikethrough - a clear visual signal that the task is finished.

Go to Format > Conditional formatting.
In the "Apply to range" box, enter a range that covers all of your task columns, like A2:G1000. This ensures the formatting applies to your future tasks as well.
Under "Format rules," choose "Custom formula is" from the dropdown.
In the formula box, enter: $A2=TRUE
Under "Formatting style," set the text color to light gray and click the Strikethrough button.
Click "Done."

Now, whenever you check a box in Column A, the entire row from B to G will change its formatting automatically!

Color-Coding Priorities:

You can use the same technique to make high-priority tasks pop.

Click "Add another rule" in the Conditional formatting pane.
Keep the range as A2:G1000.
In "Format rules," choose "Custom formula is" and enter: $D2="High"
For the formatting style, you might choose a light red background color. Don’t make it too bright, as it can be distracting.
Click "Done."

You can create additional rules for "Medium" and "Low" priorities with different colors if you'd like.

Step 4: Create a Simple Task Dashboard

With your tracker's structure in place, let's create a small dashboard at the top of your sheet to see a live summary of your workload. This helps you get a quick snapshot of what you have on your plate without needing to manually count rows.

Setting up the Dashboard Area:

Add a few empty rows at the top of your sheet. Right-click on row 1 and select "Insert 1 row above" three times.
In this new space, you can create a simple summary table. For example:
- In cell I2, type "Total Tasks".
- In cell I3, type "Tasks Complete".
- In cell I4, type "Tasks Open".

Using Formulas for an Automated Summary:

Now, let's use some simple formulas in the adjacent cells (Column J) to automatically calculate these numbers. Our task list now starts at row 5.

To count total tasks: In cell J2, enter this formula. It counts every cell in column B that isn't empty. =COUNTA(B5:B)
To count completed tasks: In cell J3, enter this formula. It counts every checkbox in column A that is checked (TRUE). =COUNTIF(A5:A, TRUE)
To count open tasks: In cell J4, you can either subtract completed from the total, or count every checkbox that is unchecked (FALSE). =COUNTIF(A5:A, FALSE)

These summary numbers will now update in real-time as you add and complete tasks.

Step 5: Visualize Your Progress with a Chart

A simple pie chart is a great way to visualize your open vs. completed tasks. It’s very easy to set up from our new dashboard section.

Highlight the cells with your summary labels and numbers (I3 to J4 in our example).
Go to the menu and click Insert > Chart.
Google Sheets will likely default to a pie chart, which is perfect for this. If not, you can select it from the "Chart type" dropdown in the Chart editor.
You can customize the chart's colors and title in the editor to match your preference. Double-click the chart title to change it to "Task Progress."
Once you're happy with it, you can drag and resize the chart to fit nicely in your dashboard area at the top of the sheet.

Putting It All Together: Becoming a Task Master

You now have a robust, highly-functional task tracker. The final step is integrating it into your daily routine.

Bookmark It: Keep your tracker one click away by bookmarking it in your browser. This removes one small bit of friction that might stop you from opening it.
Start and End Your Day Here: Make it a habit to review your tracker first thing in the morning to plan your day, and again at the end of the day to update your progress and add tasks for tomorrow.
Don't Over-Engineer It: It can be tempting to add more and more columns and features. Start with this simple foundation and only add new elements if you find they're truly necessary. The most effective system is the one you actually use.
For Teams, Define the Rules: If you're sharing this tracker, create a simple "README" tab explaining what each column is for and how to use the different statuses and priorities. It ensures everyone is on the same page.

Final Thoughts

Creating a daily task tracker in Google Sheets puts you in complete control of your workflow, with a flexible system that can grow and change with your needs. By combining simple columns with powerful features like data validation, conditional formatting, and summary dashboards, you can transform a basic spreadsheet into a productivity powerhouse.

While many daily tasks and workflows are perfectly managed in Google Sheets, we know that business performance data is often scattered across dozens of systems. When you need a unified view of your CRM, ad platforms, and analytics, the manual exporting and copy-pasting can quickly become overwhelming. This is where Graphed comes in. We make it simple to connect all your data sources and create live, real-time dashboards just by describing what you want to see in plain English. For those moments when you need to level up from spreadsheets to a complete, automated view of your business, Graphed is the easiest way to get there.