Easily add tasks to RTM from a Chrome web page or GMail
martingchapman says:
This tip uses the “Remember the Milk for email” feature, plus one or two Chrome extensions.
Below are described four version of this tip, increasing in complexity as you go down, use whichever one suites your workflow;
The first two tips (Default and Manual) use the “Send from Gmail (by Google)” chrome extension;
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/send-from-gmail-by-google/pgphcomnlaojlmmcjmiddhdapjpbgeoc
The second two tips (Auto and Scripted) also use the “Text Blaze” chrome extension;
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/text-blaze/idgadaccgipmpannjkmfddolnnhmeklj
Default;
The title of the page/gmail is added into the name of the task, the url of the page/gmail is added into the task note. The task is added to the default list. No other task parameters are set.
Method;
Install the “Send from Gmail (by Google)” chrome extension.
Click the extension button and it will pop up a new Gmail window, with the title of the page/gmail in the title of the Gmail, the url of the page/gmail in the body of the Gmail and the cursor in the “To” field of the Gmail.
All you have to do is insert your RTM secret email address in the “To” field and click Send.
Manual:
The title of the page/gmail is added into the name of the task, the url of the page/gmail is added into the url field of the task. In addition, you can add any other required task parameters in the email before you sent it to RTM.
Method;
Install the “Send from Gmail (by Google)” chrome extension.
Click the extension button and it will pop up a new Gmail window, with the title of the page/gmail in the title of the Gmail, the url of the page/gmail in the body of the Gmail and the cursor in the “To” field of the Gmail. Insert your RTM secret email address in the “To” field.
Click in the body of the Gmail, immediately to the left of the url (which is already in the gmail body).
Enter any required task parameters, each one on a new line, finishing up with “U: “ (note the space after the colon) immediately to the left of the url (which is already in the gmail body).
A typical entry would look like this;
P: 2
L: mylist
D: today
U: https://.................................
This will set the task Priority to 2, the List name to mylist, the Due date to today and put the url in the URL field. Change these parameters and/or add more to suite your workflow.
To send the Gmail to RTM, click Send.
For more information on what parameters are available in the “Remember the Milk for email” feature, see the RTM help article (look for “Method #2”) here - https://www.rememberthemilk.com/services/email/
Auto;
The title of the page/gmail is added into the name of the task, the url of the page/gmail is added into the url field of the task. In addition you can set up default values for any task parameters and change these defaults and/or any other task parameters before you send the email to RTM.
Method;
Install the “Send from Gmail (by Google)” and “Text Blaze” chrome extensions.
Follow the Text Blaze instructions to set up a snippet exactly as shown below (between the quotes);
“yourRTMsecretemailaddress@rmilk.com{key:enter}{key:tab}{key:tab}{key:tab}Priority: 2
Start:
Due: today
Repeat:
Estimate:
Tags: {cursor}
List: mylistA
Location:
URL: “
(note the space after the U:)
The snippet above contains my default parameters (Priority: 2, Due: today, List: mylistA), modify the snippet to your defaults.
When you enter the shortcut for this snippet it will paste the email address into the “To” field of the Gmail.
Then it will input the “Enter” key, it will tab three times to the body of the Gmail and then paste the RTM task parameters (as above) into the body of the Gmail.
The bottom line of the gmail body should be “URL: https://......”and the cursor should be next to the “Tags:” parameter.
Once the snippet has inserted the text (but before you Send the Gmail) you can click in the body of the email to change/delete any task parameters as required.
I use Tags a lot which is why the “{cursor}” command is there, it automatically puts the cursor next to the Tags: parameter so I can easily add tags or, if not required for this task, leave it blank. From here I can also easily arrow down to the List parameter and change it if required.
(note: this snippet is not scraping these values from your RTM account, you must enter them manually when you set up the snippet. If you change your Lists/Tags/Locations in RTM you will need to edit the snippet to suite).
To send the Gmail to RTM, click Send.
Scripted;
The title of the page/gmail is added into the name of the task, the url of the page/gmail is added into the url field of the task. In addition any task parameters can be selected from pre-defined values as required, and you can set any non-pre-defined task parameters before you send the email to RTM. Once the required parameters are set the gmail is automatically sent to RTM.
Method;
Install the “Send from Gmail (by Google)” and “Text Blaze” chrome extensions.
This version of the tip uses some Pro features of Text Blaze and although, in the free version you can use the Pro features up to five times a day, when using the Pro features you should really pay for a Pro subscription.
Follow the Text Blaze instructions to set up a snippet exactly as shown below (between the quotes);
“yourRTMsecretemailaddress @rmilk.com{key:enter}{key:tab}{key:tab}{key:tab}Priority: {formmenu: 1; default=2; 3; 4}
Start: {formtext: name=Start}
Due: {formtext: name=Due: ; default=today}
Repeat: {formtext: name=Repeat}
Estimate: {formtext: name=Estimate}
Tags: {formmenu: default= ; taga; tagb; tagc; tagd; tage}
List: {formmenu: default=mylistA; mylistB; mylistC; mylistD; mylistE}
Location: {formtext: name=Location}
URL: {wait:delay=2s}{key:ctrl-enter} “
The snippet above contains my default parameters (Priority: 2, Due: today, List: mylistA), modify the snippet to your defaults.
When you enter the shortcut for this snippet it will open up a Text Blaze pop-up window filed with the above parameters. You can change the “{formmenu}” values by using the drop-down arrow and the “formtext” values by typing in the associated text box.
Once you have set the required values, click the “Insert” button and it will paste the email address into the “To” field of the Gmail. Then it will input the “Enter” key, it will tab three times to the body of the Gmail and then paste the RTM task parameters as shown above into the body of the Gmail.
It will wait 2 seconds for the paste to complete, and then input the Gmail shortcut “ctrl-enter” to send the email to RTM.
(note: this snippet is not scraping these values from your RTM account, you must enter them manually when you set up the snippet. If you change your Lists/Tags/Locations in RTM you will need to edit the snippet to suite).
Additional tip for keyboard users;
You can set up keyboard shortcuts for Chrome extensions, go to;
chrome://extensions/shortcuts
Click in the “Activate the extension” box for the “Send from Gmail (by Google)” extension and enter the keyboard shortcut you require (must start with ctrl or alt)
You will already have set up a keyboard shortcut for the Text Blaze snippet you are using.
You can also manually use “ctrl-enter” to Send the Gmail and “ctrl-w” to close the Gmail compose window.
Disclaimers;
From their website – “Text Blaze is currently in Beta testing. During the Beta, you may encounter significant issues.”
I have no connection with Remember the Milk, Google or Text Blaze other than as a satisfied customer.
Below are described four version of this tip, increasing in complexity as you go down, use whichever one suites your workflow;
The first two tips (Default and Manual) use the “Send from Gmail (by Google)” chrome extension;
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/send-from-gmail-by-google/pgphcomnlaojlmmcjmiddhdapjpbgeoc
The second two tips (Auto and Scripted) also use the “Text Blaze” chrome extension;
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/text-blaze/idgadaccgipmpannjkmfddolnnhmeklj
Default;
The title of the page/gmail is added into the name of the task, the url of the page/gmail is added into the task note. The task is added to the default list. No other task parameters are set.
Method;
Install the “Send from Gmail (by Google)” chrome extension.
Click the extension button and it will pop up a new Gmail window, with the title of the page/gmail in the title of the Gmail, the url of the page/gmail in the body of the Gmail and the cursor in the “To” field of the Gmail.
All you have to do is insert your RTM secret email address in the “To” field and click Send.
Manual:
The title of the page/gmail is added into the name of the task, the url of the page/gmail is added into the url field of the task. In addition, you can add any other required task parameters in the email before you sent it to RTM.
Method;
Install the “Send from Gmail (by Google)” chrome extension.
Click the extension button and it will pop up a new Gmail window, with the title of the page/gmail in the title of the Gmail, the url of the page/gmail in the body of the Gmail and the cursor in the “To” field of the Gmail. Insert your RTM secret email address in the “To” field.
Click in the body of the Gmail, immediately to the left of the url (which is already in the gmail body).
Enter any required task parameters, each one on a new line, finishing up with “U: “ (note the space after the colon) immediately to the left of the url (which is already in the gmail body).
A typical entry would look like this;
P: 2
L: mylist
D: today
U: https://.................................
This will set the task Priority to 2, the List name to mylist, the Due date to today and put the url in the URL field. Change these parameters and/or add more to suite your workflow.
To send the Gmail to RTM, click Send.
For more information on what parameters are available in the “Remember the Milk for email” feature, see the RTM help article (look for “Method #2”) here - https://www.rememberthemilk.com/services/email/
Auto;
The title of the page/gmail is added into the name of the task, the url of the page/gmail is added into the url field of the task. In addition you can set up default values for any task parameters and change these defaults and/or any other task parameters before you send the email to RTM.
Method;
Install the “Send from Gmail (by Google)” and “Text Blaze” chrome extensions.
Follow the Text Blaze instructions to set up a snippet exactly as shown below (between the quotes);
“yourRTMsecretemailaddress@rmilk.com{key:enter}{key:tab}{key:tab}{key:tab}Priority: 2
Start:
Due: today
Repeat:
Estimate:
Tags: {cursor}
List: mylistA
Location:
URL: “
(note the space after the U:)
The snippet above contains my default parameters (Priority: 2, Due: today, List: mylistA), modify the snippet to your defaults.
When you enter the shortcut for this snippet it will paste the email address into the “To” field of the Gmail.
Then it will input the “Enter” key, it will tab three times to the body of the Gmail and then paste the RTM task parameters (as above) into the body of the Gmail.
The bottom line of the gmail body should be “URL: https://......”and the cursor should be next to the “Tags:” parameter.
Once the snippet has inserted the text (but before you Send the Gmail) you can click in the body of the email to change/delete any task parameters as required.
I use Tags a lot which is why the “{cursor}” command is there, it automatically puts the cursor next to the Tags: parameter so I can easily add tags or, if not required for this task, leave it blank. From here I can also easily arrow down to the List parameter and change it if required.
(note: this snippet is not scraping these values from your RTM account, you must enter them manually when you set up the snippet. If you change your Lists/Tags/Locations in RTM you will need to edit the snippet to suite).
To send the Gmail to RTM, click Send.
Scripted;
The title of the page/gmail is added into the name of the task, the url of the page/gmail is added into the url field of the task. In addition any task parameters can be selected from pre-defined values as required, and you can set any non-pre-defined task parameters before you send the email to RTM. Once the required parameters are set the gmail is automatically sent to RTM.
Method;
Install the “Send from Gmail (by Google)” and “Text Blaze” chrome extensions.
This version of the tip uses some Pro features of Text Blaze and although, in the free version you can use the Pro features up to five times a day, when using the Pro features you should really pay for a Pro subscription.
Follow the Text Blaze instructions to set up a snippet exactly as shown below (between the quotes);
“yourRTMsecretemailaddress @rmilk.com{key:enter}{key:tab}{key:tab}{key:tab}Priority: {formmenu: 1; default=2; 3; 4}
Start: {formtext: name=Start}
Due: {formtext: name=Due: ; default=today}
Repeat: {formtext: name=Repeat}
Estimate: {formtext: name=Estimate}
Tags: {formmenu: default= ; taga; tagb; tagc; tagd; tage}
List: {formmenu: default=mylistA; mylistB; mylistC; mylistD; mylistE}
Location: {formtext: name=Location}
URL: {wait:delay=2s}{key:ctrl-enter} “
The snippet above contains my default parameters (Priority: 2, Due: today, List: mylistA), modify the snippet to your defaults.
When you enter the shortcut for this snippet it will open up a Text Blaze pop-up window filed with the above parameters. You can change the “{formmenu}” values by using the drop-down arrow and the “formtext” values by typing in the associated text box.
Once you have set the required values, click the “Insert” button and it will paste the email address into the “To” field of the Gmail. Then it will input the “Enter” key, it will tab three times to the body of the Gmail and then paste the RTM task parameters as shown above into the body of the Gmail.
It will wait 2 seconds for the paste to complete, and then input the Gmail shortcut “ctrl-enter” to send the email to RTM.
(note: this snippet is not scraping these values from your RTM account, you must enter them manually when you set up the snippet. If you change your Lists/Tags/Locations in RTM you will need to edit the snippet to suite).
Additional tip for keyboard users;
You can set up keyboard shortcuts for Chrome extensions, go to;
chrome://extensions/shortcuts
Click in the “Activate the extension” box for the “Send from Gmail (by Google)” extension and enter the keyboard shortcut you require (must start with ctrl or alt)
You will already have set up a keyboard shortcut for the Text Blaze snippet you are using.
You can also manually use “ctrl-enter” to Send the Gmail and “ctrl-w” to close the Gmail compose window.
Disclaimers;
From their website – “Text Blaze is currently in Beta testing. During the Beta, you may encounter significant issues.”
I have no connection with Remember the Milk, Google or Text Blaze other than as a satisfied customer.
martingchapman says:
The Gmail pop up window has changed slightly and now my "Auto" script needs one less {key:tab}, only needs two tabs not three now.
martingchapman says:
@raymond.bergmark
Thanks for the kind words.
I have been using the above Auto setup for some time now and it really works for me. I wish RTM would develop a proper Gmail/Chrome extension to do this but until they do this is the best I could come up with (I am not skilled in programming).
Thanks for the kind words.
I have been using the above Auto setup for some time now and it really works for me. I wish RTM would develop a proper Gmail/Chrome extension to do this but until they do this is the best I could come up with (I am not skilled in programming).
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