What is Todo List in Claude Code

Claude Code includes a built-in todo list system accessible through TodoRead and TodoWrite tools. Todo lists help track progress and show what Claude plans to do next during your coding session.

How Todo Lists Work

Claude Code automatically creates and updates todo lists as you work on tasks. Todo items have three states: pending (not started), in_progress (currently working), and completed (finished).

Why Use Todo Lists

Todo lists provide visibility into Claude's work plan and let you see progress in real-time. They're especially useful for complex tasks with multiple steps, helping ensure nothing gets missed. You can request more detailed or broader todo items depending on your preference for granular control.

Simple Example:

When you ask Claude to "add a contact form to the website," the todo list might show:

• Create contact form component
• Add form validation
• Style the form
• Test form submission
• Update navigation to include contact page

This gives you a clear picture of what's planned and lets you modify the approach if needed.

tip

Todo lists give you transparency into Claude's work plan and help track progress on multi-step tasks.

See Also: Todo Lists as Instruction Mirrors | Task Agent Tools | Plan Mode