Eisenhower Matrix Online | Free Urgent-Important Tool

What is the Eisenhower Matrix?

The Eisenhower Matrix sorts tasks by two questions: is it important, and is it urgent? Type a task, set the Important and Urgent toggles, and it lands in the right quadrant: Do first, Schedule, Delegate or Eliminate. Drag tasks between quadrants (sorting and search no longer get in the way), give them due dates so scheduled work is flagged when it becomes urgent, assign delegated tasks to a person, add estimates and notes, and tick things off. The action plan view turns the matrix into a to-do list, focus view shows only what needs you today, and live insights tell you if you're firefighting. Keep separate boards for work and home, and export or print the result.

The Eisenhower Matrix, also called the urgent-important matrix or Eisenhower box, is named after US President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who is often quoted as saying that what is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important. Stephen Covey popularised it as four quadrants in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Urgent tasks demand attention now; important tasks move your goals forward. Crossing the two questions gives four kinds of work, each with a different response.

Features

Four quadrants: Do first, Schedule, Delegate, Eliminate, with drag and drop on desktop and touch
Important / Urgent toggles that pick the quadrant as you type
Due dates with overdue and due-soon labels
“Now urgent” alert that moves scheduled tasks to Do first as their deadline nears
Delegate-to names, time estimates, notes and colour labels
Tick tasks done, hide or clear completed, and see how many you finished this week
Sort by manual order, due date, newest or A–Z, plus search
Three views: matrix, action plan and today's focus
Live insight on your balance (e.g. too much firefighting)
Quadrant time totals from your estimates
Multiple boards, for work, home or each project
Export PNG image, CSV and JSON, print an action plan, import boards
Undo for deletes, autosaved and private

How to use Eisenhower Matrix

1
Add a task
Type what needs doing, then set Important and Urgent. The button shows which quadrant it will go to.
2
Add a due date (optional)
Pick a due date so the matrix can flag scheduled work when the deadline gets close.
3
Drag to adjust
Drag tasks between quadrants as priorities change. Open a task to add notes, an estimate, a label or who it's delegated to.
4
Act on each quadrant
Do first today, put a date on everything in Schedule, assign Delegate tasks to someone, and drop or batch Eliminate.
5
Use the action plan and focus views
Action plan lists tasks by what to do with them; Focus shows only urgent important work and scheduled tasks due soon.
6
Review and clear
Tick tasks as done, check the weekly count and clear completed tasks. Export a PNG or print the plan to share it.

Common use cases

Morning triage of email, requests and to-dos
Managers deciding what to delegate to the team
Students prioritising assignments by deadline and weight
Separating work and personal boards
Weekly reviews: moving Schedule tasks onto the calendar
Cutting busywork by naming what belongs in Eliminate
Sharing a prioritised plan with a manager as an image or printout

Detailed guide

The four quadrants

Each quadrant has a clear action:

Quadrant	Urgent?	Important?	What to do	Examples
1. Do first	Yes	Yes	Do it today	Deadlines, crises, a broken release
2. Schedule	No	Yes	Put it on the calendar	Planning, learning, exercise, relationships
3. Delegate	Yes	No	Hand it to someone	Many meetings, some emails and requests
4. Eliminate	No	No	Drop it or batch it	Mindless scrolling, busywork

Why Quadrant 2 matters most

Quadrant 1 can't be avoided, but much of it is Quadrant 2 work that waited too long. Giving important, non-urgent tasks a date is how you prevent future emergencies. That's why this tool lets you add due dates and warns you when a scheduled task is about to become urgent, and why the action plan nudges you to set a date on everything in Schedule and a name on everything in Delegate.

Deadlines, delegation and focus

Due dates show as overdue, due today or due in a few days. When scheduled or eliminate-quadrant tasks reach your ‘urgent within’ window (two days by default), one click moves them to Do first or Delegate. Delegated tasks carry the person's name. Focus view strips everything else away and lists only what needs you today, a calm list for the next few hours.

Boards, exports and privacy

Keep separate boards for work, home or each project and switch between them. Export a board as a PNG image for a status update, a CSV for a spreadsheet or a JSON file to back it up or move it to another device, or print a clean action plan grouped by quadrant. Everything is saved automatically in your browser and nothing is uploaded.

Related prioritisation tools

Rank tasks by impact and effort, compare options with weighted scores, or plan the day once priorities are clear.

Priority Matrix Decision Matrix Daily Planner

Frequently asked questions

What is the Eisenhower Matrix?

A prioritisation method that sorts tasks by urgency and importance into four quadrants: Do first, Schedule, Delegate and Eliminate.

How do I decide if a task is important or urgent?

Important tasks move your goals, values or responsibilities forward. Urgent tasks have a near deadline or someone waiting. Set the two toggles when you add a task and the tool picks the quadrant.

What should go in Quadrant 2 (Schedule)?

Important work without a pressing deadline: planning, learning, exercise, relationships, preventing problems. Give each a date so it actually happens.

Can I drag tasks between quadrants?

Yes, with a mouse or touch, even while sorting or searching. You can also open a task and pick its quadrant.

Can I add due dates?

Yes. Tasks show overdue, due today or due in N days, and scheduled tasks that become due within your chosen window are flagged so you can move them to Do first.

How do I track delegated tasks?

Open a task and fill in “Delegate to”. The name shows on the card and in the action plan.

What is the action plan view?

It turns the matrix into four lists by action: do it today, book a time, hand it off, or drop it, with shortcuts to set dates and owners.

What is focus view?

A single list of urgent important tasks plus scheduled tasks due soon: what needs your attention today.

Can I keep separate matrices for work and personal?

Yes. Create as many boards as you like, rename them and switch with the board menu.

Can I export or print my Eisenhower Matrix?

Yes. Export a PNG image, CSV or JSON, or print an action plan grouped by quadrant (Save as PDF works too).

What's the difference between the Eisenhower Matrix and a priority matrix?

Eisenhower sorts by urgency and importance. A priority matrix sorts by impact and effort (or value and complexity) to find quick wins.

Is my task list saved?

Yes, automatically in your browser. Nothing is uploaded; export JSON to back it up.

What are the four quadrants?

Do First (urgent + important), Schedule (important, not urgent), Delegate (urgent, not important), and Eliminate (neither).

Should I really eliminate Quadrant 4 tasks?

Yes: tasks that are neither urgent nor important mostly consume time without adding value, so dropping them frees you for what matters.

Eisenhower Matrix: Free Online Urgent vs Important Tool

What is the Eisenhower Matrix?

Features

How to use Eisenhower Matrix

Add a task

Add a due date (optional)

Drag to adjust

Act on each quadrant

Use the action plan and focus views

Review and clear

Common use cases