SOURCE-BASED ANALYSIS · NO HANDS-ON RATING
Check the recovery boundary
Todoist documents backups for Pro and Business, downloadable through web or desktop. They contain active project data, not completed tasks or archived projects; attachment links are included rather than a promise of independently stored file copies. A recovery plan therefore needs to distinguish restoring active work from retaining historical evidence or files.
Example: recover a deleted launch checklist
Assume a project had 14 open tasks when it was accidentally removed. First record the approximate deletion time and last known useful change. Choose a backup from before the deletion, then extract the project's CSV. Do not choose a file simply because it is the newest download on the computer.
Use a new project named Recovery rehearsal rather than adding uncertain recovered data into another active project. Keep the downloaded archive unchanged so the recovery input remains available if someone needs to repeat the procedure.
Reconcile the restored result
- Record the backup timestamp and intended project.
- Create a separate project and import the extracted CSV through Manage data.
- Compare open tasks with a known checkpoint or owner-maintained list.
- Inspect dates, recurrence rules, descriptions and selected comments.
- Open representative attachment links with the intended authorized account.
- Have the project owner approve the recovered working state before using it.
Do not confuse a successful import with complete recovery
In the hypothetical example, seeing 14 tasks is encouraging but not sufficient. One may have the wrong date, a changed recurrence or a link that no longer opens. Keep a discrepancy list with an owner and resolution for each item. A task restored without its required source material may be visible yet impossible to complete.
Changes made after the selected backup need separate reconstruction. Ask owners for their known recent additions and compare them deliberately. Do not invent missing task details from the order in which items appear.
Keep a practical recovery record
Record the input file, restoration date, counts, remaining gaps and the person who accepted the result. Store sensitive backup files with access appropriate to their contents and follow your own retention policy. This article proposes a drill and does not claim a restore was performed.
Repeat the rehearsal when the project structure changes materially or a new owner takes responsibility. The useful result is evidence that the team can resume the current work and understands what still needs reconstruction, rather than confidence based only on having a ZIP file somewhere.
For the complete learning path, visit the Todoist practical guide hub.
Sources and verification
Official documentation checked on 2026-10-29. Worked examples are hypothetical planning exercises, not measured product benchmarks.