Free online GTD contexts resources
Free GTD contexts resources: Allen's p.144 starter list, what each context is for, official vs practical guidance, and when to skip the lot.
The short answer
GTD contexts group next actions by the tool, place, or person required. Allen's starter list (Getting Things Done, p.144) is Agendas, Anywhere, Calls, Computer, Errands, Home, Office, and Waiting For. Keep a context only if it changes what you would do next. Done Bear is a local-first task manager; labels can stand in.
Key takeaways
- A GTD context is the tool, place, or person a next action requires.
- Allen's p.144 starter set is eight contexts, plus Projects and Someday Maybe lists.
- Contexts are suggestions, not a requirement; one Next Actions list still works.
- Keep a context only when it changes which task you would pick next.
- A phone in your pocket collapsed Calls and Computer for most people.
What these free GTD contexts resources cover
This page is a reference pack: the starter list from Getting Things Done, what each context is for, an official-versus-practical table, and the test for dropping the lot. It is not a second how-to.
For the five steps, five lists, and why most of the apparatus is optional, use Getting Things Done, reduced to what sticks. For the weekly pass that reviews next-action lists, see How to run a weekly review.
The starter names come from page 144 of Getting Things Done, quoted on the David Allen Company site. Meanings for Calls, Computer, Office, Home, Errands, Anywhere, and Waiting For come from the company paper organizers setup guide. Agendas is on the p.144 list; the meaning here follows Allen's own example of things to talk through with a specific person.
Official GTD starter context list
Allen's suggested set, from Getting Things Done p.144:
- Agendas
- Anywhere
- Calls
- Computer
- Errands
- Home
- Office
- Waiting For
That same page also names Projects and Someday Maybe. Those are lists in the method, not tool-or-place contexts, so they stay off this table.
What each GTD context is for
Open the list that matches where you are and what you have. Leave the others closed so you are not reminded of work you cannot start.
| Context | Meaning | Still earns a list? |
|---|---|---|
| Agendas | Topics to raise with a specific person when you next see them | Yes, if you batch conversations instead of interrupting |
| Anywhere | Actions you can start from any location, with no special tool | Often skippable; Today and Anytime already hold these |
| Calls | Actions that need a phone, from any phone | Yes if you batch them; no if every device can call |
| Computer | Actions that require a computer | Rare now; a phone does most of this list |
| Errands | Out-and-about actions, such as a shop or a pickup | Yes, because you are not at a desk when they apply |
| Home | Actions that require being at or around your house | Yes if home work is a distinct pile from work-from-home |
| Office | Actions that require being at the office | Yes if the office still holds tools or people you lack at home |
| Waiting For | Actions others are supposed to be doing, which you care about | A chase-dated task can stand in if you rarely delegate |
Official GTD contexts vs a practical 2026 setup
Keep the official names when a constraint is real. Borrow the shortcuts only when they stop you maintaining empty lists.
| Topic | Official (Allen / DAC) | Practical (this site) |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Sort next actions by the context required (Calls, Computer, Errands) | One Next Actions list still works if contexts do not filter |
| How many | Eight starter contexts on p.144, plus Projects and Someday Maybe | Start with none; add one when you keep scanning for it by hand |
| Calls vs Computer | Calls from any phone; Computer for actions that need a computer | A smartphone collapsed those two lists for most people |
| Waiting For | Waiting For is its own list of other people's actions | A dated "chase Sam" task covers it if you rarely delegate |
| Agendas | Agendas hold things to talk through with a specific person | Keep if you batch those talks; skip if you just interrupt |
| Software | No app is required; paper context lists are the original form | A label on a task can stand in if a context still earns its place |
When to skip GTD contexts
Contexts were load-bearing when acting meant being in a particular place with particular equipment. A phone in your pocket removed most of that. Skip the full set when:
- You work from one device all day, so Calls and Computer are the same list
- You hold fewer than about twenty active next actions
- A tag would not change which task you would pick next
- You have not yet built the capture and weekly-review habits
Add one back the moment it earns its place. If you keep scanning Anytime for the three things you can only do at the office, that is a context doing real work.
Labels instead of GTD context lists
Done Bear does not ship a separate contexts feature. Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday, and Logbook are the lists. If a leftover constraint still changes what you pick next, a label on the task can stand in for @Errands or @Office.
Do not label inbox items as a way of deferring the clarify step. The decision an inbox item needs is which list it belongs on. A label that does not change the next pick is maintenance without a payoff.
Frequently asked questions
What is a GTD context?
A GTD context is the tool, place, or person a next action requires before you can do it. Allen groups next actions onto those lists so you only see work you can start from where you are. Calls, Computer, and Errands are the usual examples. The filter is the point; a mixed list reminds you of work you cannot do yet.
Do I still need GTD contexts in 2026?
Usually not as a full set. A phone collapsed Calls and Computer for most people, which is why the GTD guide on this site treats contexts as optional. Keep one or two if they change what you pick next, such as Errands when you leave the house. Skip the rest until a real constraint shows up.
Is there an official GTD contexts list?
No single official PDF exists for contexts the way the weekly review checklist does. Allen's Getting Things Done (p.144), quoted on the David Allen Company site, suggests Agendas, Anywhere, Calls, Computer, Errands, Home, Office, and Waiting For. Company setup guides call those the most common starter set, not a requirement.
How many GTD contexts should I have?
Start with none, then add one when you catch yourself scanning for the same constraint by hand. Three to five is enough for most people. The paper setup guide from the David Allen Company says sorting by context is the common suggestion, not a requirement, and a single Next Actions list still works.
Should I use this page or the GTD guide?
Use this page for the starter list, the official-versus-practical table, and when a context still earns its place. Use Getting Things Done, reduced to what sticks for the five steps, five lists, and why most of the apparatus is optional. This is the pack; that guide is the method.
Where this information comes from
- Getting Things Done, David Allen on why sorting your lists by contexts even matters (suggested starter contexts on p.144 of Getting Things Done: Agendas, Anywhere, Calls, Computer, Errands, Home, Office, Waiting For, plus Projects and Someday Maybe)
- The David Allen Company, GTD Paper Organizers setup guide (sample PDF) (the most common contexts are Calls, Computer, Office, Home, Errands, Anywhere, and Waiting For; sorting by context is the common suggestion, not a requirement)
- The David Allen Company, What is GTD? (the five steps are capture, clarify, organize, reflect and engage)
When you might not need this
If you work from one device and hold a short next-action list, contexts are ceremony. Capture well, clarify once, and run a weekly review. Add a context only when a real constraint keeps stealing scans.