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### 5.1 Basic TODO functionality

Any headline becomes a TODO item when it starts with the word ‘`TODO`’, for example:

         *** TODO Write letter to Sam Fortune

The most important commands to work with TODO entries are:

`C-c C-t (``org-todo``)`
  Rotate the TODO state of the current item among

                ,-> (unmarked) -> TODO -> DONE --.
                '--------------------------------'

  The same rotation can also be done “remotely” from the timeline and agenda buffers with the `t` command key (see Agenda commands).

`C-u C-c C-t`
  Select a specific keyword using completion or (if it has been set up) the fast selection interface. For the latter, you need to assign keys to TODO states, see Per-file keywords, and Setting tags, for more information.

`S-<right>` / `S-<left>`
  Select the following/preceding TODO state, similar to cycling. Useful mostly if more than two TODO states are possible (see TODO extensions). See also Conflicts, for a discussion of the interaction with `shift-selection-mode`. See also the variable `org-treat-S-cursor-todo-selection-as-state-change`.
`C-c / t (``org-show-todo-key``)`
  View TODO items in a sparse tree (see Sparse trees). Folds the entire buffer, but shows all TODO items (with not-DONE state) and the headings hierarchy above them. With a prefix argument (or by using `C-c / T`), search for a specific TODO. You will be prompted for the keyword, and you can also give a list of keywords like `KWD1|KWD2|...` to list entries that match any one of these keywords. With numeric prefix argument N, show the tree for the Nth keyword in the variable `org-todo-keywords`. With two prefix arguments, find all TODO states, both un-done and done.
`C-c a t (``org-todo-list``)`
  Show the global TODO list. Collects the TODO items (with not-DONE states) from all agenda files (see Agenda Views) into a single buffer. The new buffer will be in `agenda-mode`, which provides commands to examine and manipulate the TODO entries from the new buffer (see Agenda commands). See Global TODO list, for more information.
`S-M-<RET> (``org-insert-todo-heading``)`
  Insert a new TODO entry below the current one.

Changing a TODO state can also trigger tag changes. See the docstring of the option `org-todo-state-tags-triggers` for details.