Feature Deep Dives

Blocking & Unblocking Steps

Sometimes a step can’t be completed because it depends on something outside your control. Step-By-Step To Done lets you block a step so it’s visually flagged and tracked separately.

To Block a Step:

1. Open a Trail Map
2. Click the block/pause icon on the step you want to block
3. Enter a reason (e.g., “Waiting on client feedback”)
4. Optionally set an expected resolution date

What Happens When a Step is Blocked:

• The step is visually marked as blocked (amber/yellow indicator)
• It appears in the Waiting On section of your Dashboard and Daily Review
• The next unblocked step becomes your active next step
• Block history is preserved, so you can see when items were blocked and resolved

Example: You’re working on “Launch Portfolio Website” and step 4 is “Get professional headshots taken.” You’ve booked the photographer but the appointment isn’t for two weeks. Block this step with the reason “Photography appointment on March 30th” and set the expected resolution date. Meanwhile, you can continue with other steps that don’t depend on the headshots.

Parallel Steps

By default, Trail Map steps are sequential—you work through them one at a time. But sometimes multiple steps can (or should) be done simultaneously. Parallel Steps let you group steps that can be worked on at the same time.

To Create Parallel Steps:

1. Open a Trail Map
2. Click the “Manage Parallel Steps” button
3. Select two or more consecutive steps
4. Click “Group Selected”

When to Use Parallel Steps:

• Steps that are independent of each other (e.g., “Order business cards” and “Set up email signature” can happen at the same time)
• Steps assigned to different people
• Steps where you’re waiting on one but can work on another

Example: In your “Launch a Podcast” trail map, these steps can happen in parallel:

• Design podcast cover art
• Write intro/outro scripts
• Research and purchase recording equipment

Group them as parallel steps, and all three will show as active next steps simultaneously.

Notes

You can attach notes to almost any entity in Step-By-Step To Done: Trail Maps, steps, collections, collection items, routines, tasks, and contexts. Notes support Markdown formatting and can be pinned to the top for quick reference.

To Add a Note:

1. Click the note/sticky icon on any item
2. Write your note (Markdown supported)
3. Press Ctrl+Enter or click “Add Note”

Note Features:

• Markdown Support - Format with headers, bold, italic, lists, links, and more
• Pin Notes - Pin important notes to the top of the list
• Sort Order - View newest or oldest first
• Edit in Place - Click any note to edit it

Example Uses:

• Add meeting notes to a Trail Map step: “Client wants blue color scheme, not green. See email from March 15.”
• Pin a reference link to a collection: “Product comparison spreadsheet: [link]”
• Add context to a routine: “Remember to use the new report template starting Q2”

Super Search

Press Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K on Mac) anywhere in the app to open Super Search—a powerful fuzzy search that finds anything across your entire system.

What You Can Search:

• Trail Maps (projects)
• Steps within projects
• Standalone Tasks
• Collections and Collection Items
• Contexts
• Tags (prefix with # to search tags specifically)

Search Tips:

• Type # followed by a tag name to search tags directly (e.g., #client-acme)
• Search matches titles, descriptions, and tags
• Results show where each match was found (title, description, or tag)
• Use arrow keys to navigate results, Enter to select

Example: You remember discussing something about “API integration” but can’t remember which project it’s in. Press Ctrl+K, type “API integration,” and Super Search shows you:

• A step called “Implement API integration” in the “Mobile App v2” trail map
• A task called “Research API rate limits”
• A collection item “API Documentation Links” in your “Dev Resources” collection

Context Focus View

Click on any context in the Contexts page to open the Context Focus View. This gives you a comprehensive overview of everything within that context:

• All Trail Maps (grouped by status)
• All Tasks
• All Collections
• Sub-contexts and their contents

Example: Click on your “Work → Client A” context and instantly see:

• Active project: “Website Redesign” (3 steps remaining)
• Upcoming project: “Q3 Marketing Campaign”
• 2 standalone tasks
• Collection: “Client A Brand Assets”

This is incredibly useful for preparing for client meetings or switching between different areas of focus.

The Floating Action Button (Mobile)

On mobile devices, a floating + button appears in the bottom-right corner. Tap it to quickly create:

• A new Trail Map
• A new Template
• A new Collection
• A new Routine
• A new Task

This makes it easy to capture ideas on the go without navigating through menus.