Juggler
A to-do list where any to-do can hold others, so a big job breaks into smaller ones. It runs in your browser, needs no account, and keeps your data on your own device.
Add a to-do. Nest it. Finish it. That is the whole idea.
The idea
Most to-do lists are flat. Real work is not. "Launch the report" is really a dozen smaller jobs, and each of those has its own pieces.
In Juggler every to-do is a panel, and any panel can hold other panels. You can drag them, indent them, collapse them and finish them one at a time. The list looks the way your work actually looks.
The rule: if it takes more than one step, nest it. If it takes one step, check it off.
Why it works
Nothing to set up
Open the page and start typing. There are no projects to create, no lists to configure and no account to make first.
Structure when you want it, none when you do not
A flat list works fine. The moment a job grows, press the indent key and the to-do becomes a sub-task. Collapse a branch and it disappears from view until you need it.
It is fast
Everything happens on the page you are looking at. Typing, dragging, searching and filtering respond instantly, because nothing waits on a server.
Your data stays with you
Your to-dos live in your browser. Juggler does not send them anywhere unless you turn on the optional Cloud Sync, which uses your own Google Drive.
Built for the keyboard, friendly to the mouse
Every common action has a shortcut, and every shortcut has a button. Press ? at any time for the full list.
Hard to ruin by accident
Completing a to-do takes two clicks, so a stray click cannot finish something. Undo and redo cover moves, edits and deletions. Locks protect a group from accidental drags.
How it compares
This is a comparison with the typical cloud to-do app, not with any one product.
| Juggler | Typical cloud to-do app | |
|---|---|---|
| Account needed | No | Usually |
| Where your data lives | Your browser, plus backups you control | The vendor's servers |
| Nested sub-tasks | Unlimited, drag and drop | Often one or two levels |
| Works offline | Yes, once loaded | Varies |
| Install | None, or add it as an app from Options | App store or sign-up |
| Sync between computers | Optional, through your own Google Drive | Built in, through the vendor |
| Export | Text, Markdown and PDF | Varies |
Honest trade-off: because your list lives in your browser, you are responsible for backing it up. Juggler makes that easy (see Your data and backups), but it will not happen invisibly on a server somewhere.
A quick tour
Organize
- Nesting. Indent a to-do under the one above it. Outdent to bring it back.
- Move pad. Hover the four-way arrow beside each to-do's grip for a pad of Up, Down, Indent and Outdent buttons. Click one repeatedly to walk an item along; the item stays put on screen while it moves.
- Move dialog. To send a to-do somewhere far away, press Shift+Ctrl+V. An outline of your list opens. Click where it should go and it lands there, selected and in view.
- Priority, color and hashtags. Mark what matters, color-code it, and tag it with
#words. Filter by any of them from the status bar. - Notes. Every to-do can carry a note, including dated log entries.
- Search. Press / to search. Put a word in quotes for an exact match.
Stay on top of time
- Deadlines and reminders. Set a date and time and ask for a reminder.
- Deadline views. Click "deadlines" in the status bar to see what is due, soonest first. Click again to see everything with no deadline at all.
- Overdue and touched-today. See what slipped, and what you have already worked on today.
- Hide what you do not need now. Hide completed to-dos, or hide anything due after today.
Make it yours
- Light and dark themes, adjustable text size and density.
- A Getting started card that you can print, and full Help built in.
A daily workflow
- Dump. Open Juggler and type everything on your mind. Press Enter between items. Do not organize yet.
- Nest. Indent related items under a parent. Give big jobs a deadline.
- Narrow. Hide completed to-dos and anything due later, so you see only what matters today.
- Work. Check things off as you go. Add notes where a to-do needs context.
- Back up. Press Ctrl+S before you close, or let Auto-backup do it.
Keyboard shortcuts
The essentials. Press ? in the app for every one.
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Enter | Accept the to-do; press again to start the next one |
| Shift+Enter | Add a line break inside a to-do |
| Ctrl+↑ / ↓ | Move the selected to-do up or down |
| Ctrl+→ / ← | Indent or outdent |
| Shift+Ctrl+V or Alt+M | Open the Move dialog |
| / | Search |
| Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y | Undo and redo |
| Ctrl+E | Open the note |
| Ctrl+= / Ctrl+- | Expand all or collapse all |
| Ctrl+S | Save a backup |
| ? | Show the shortcut cheat sheet |
Who it is for
| You are | Why Juggler fits |
|---|---|
| A manager or executive | Break a quarter's goals into projects and tasks, then collapse what you are not working on today. |
| A writer or researcher | Outline a piece as nested to-dos, attach notes to each part, and tag themes with hashtags. |
| A freelancer | One branch per client, deadlines on the deliverables, an overdue view for the Monday check. |
| A developer or maker | Keyboard-first, no account, a plain list you can export as text or Markdown. |
| Someone tired of apps | One page, nothing to sign up for, nothing to relearn when a vendor changes its plans. |
Your data and backups
- Where it lives. In your browser, on your device. Juggler does not send your to-do content anywhere unless you turn on Cloud Sync.
- Manual backup. Ctrl+S saves a copy you can keep anywhere.
- Auto-backup. Turn it on in Options to save backups to a folder you choose.
- Cloud Sync (optional). Uses your own Google Drive so one list follows you between computers.
- Export. Text, Markdown and PDF, with the nesting preserved.
The short privacy policy is on the privacy page.
Phones, tablets and other computers
Juggler is a web page, so it works in any modern browser, and the controls respond to touch. You can install it as an app from Options for a cleaner, window-of-its-own experience. To use one list on several computers, turn on Cloud Sync or move a backup file across.
FAQ
Do I need an account?
No.
What happens if I clear my browser data?
Your list can go with it, which is why backups matter. Turn on Auto-backup, or press Ctrl+S regularly, and restore from a backup whenever you need to.
How many levels can I nest?
As many as you like. Collapse a branch to keep the list calm.
Can I use it with a team?
Juggler is a personal tool. Each person keeps their own list, and you can share a list by exporting it.
Will it work without an internet connection?
Once the page has loaded, yes. Only optional features such as Cloud Sync need a connection.
Is it too simple?
That is the point. It does a small number of things, and it does them without getting in your way.
Start in 30 seconds
- Click Open Juggler.
- Click + and type your first to-do. Press Enter.
- Type a second one, then press Ctrl+→ to nest it under the first.
- Press ? to see what else it can do.
Done.