> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.tuckthis.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Why a thought looks actionable

> The words, phrases, and limits behind Tuck's todo suggestions.

When you capture a thought, Tuck checks its wording for a possible todo. **This looks actionable** means Tuck saved a proposed todo linked to the thought.

The check uses a fixed list of English words and phrases. It does not use an AI model, infer your intent, or learn from past captures.

## What Tuck checks

Tuck first parses capture syntax and recognized timing. It checks both the text remaining after a recognized date or time phrase is removed and the full parsed text. Either version can match.

For each check, Tuck:

1. Trims whitespace from the beginning and end of the text, including leading blank lines.
2. Takes the first remaining line.
3. Collapses repeated whitespace on that line into a single space and trims it.

Later lines do not contribute to that check.

## When the wording check returns no

Before checking words, Tuck rejects a line if it:

* Is empty.
* Is longer than 160 characters after whitespace is normalized.
* Starts with `"`, `“`, or `«`.
* Ends with `?`.

These limits apply to the wording check. An explicit todo instruction can still create a todo.

## Words that match at the start

The line must start with one of these words or phrases. Matching ignores capitalization.

```text theme={null}
call, email, text, buy, send, schedule, book, write, review,
pay, fix, follow, follow up, remind, pick up, check, draft,
update, finish, cancel, meet, ask, order, submit, file,
clean, pack, print, renew, rsvp, invite, message, chat,
talk, look at, look into
```

The match must end at a word boundary: `call` matches, but `calling` does not. A verb alone, such as `Call`, also matches.

## Phrases that match anywhere

Any of these phrases can appear anywhere on the checked line:

```text theme={null}
need to
have to
has to
don't forget
do not forget
remind me
todo
to-do
```

Matching ignores capitalization and requires word boundaries around the phrase. The apostrophe in `don't forget` must be the straight apostrophe shown here; `don’t forget` with a curly apostrophe does not match that phrase.

## Examples

These examples describe the wording check, without an explicit todo marker or reminder override.

| Text | Matches? | Why |
| - | - | - |
| `Call Chesley at 2pm` | Yes | Starts with `call`. |
| `I need to send the deck` | Yes | Contains `need to`. |
| `Pick up groceries` | Yes | Starts with `pick up`. |
| `Remember to water the plants` | No | Neither `remember` nor `remember to` is in the lists. |
| `Calling Chesley` | No | `calling` does not match `call`. |
| `Can you call Chesley?` | No | Ends with a question mark. |
| `"Call Chesley"` | No | Starts with a recognized quotation mark. |
| `I don't need to send the deck` | Yes | Contains `need to`; the check does not understand negation. |
| `Book recommendations` | Yes | Starts with `book`; the check does not distinguish a noun from a command. |

If the first checked line is `Meeting notes` and the next line is `Call Chesley`, the wording check returns no. Put the action on the first line if you want it considered.

## Why you might get a todo without the suggestion

Explicit todo syntax tells Tuck to create an open todo directly:

* Start with `*`, `todo:`, or `/todo`, followed by your thought.
* Include a supported repeat token: `~daily`, `~weekly`, or `~monthly`.

For example, `* Remember to water the plants` creates a todo even though the wording alone does not match.

<Note>
  The `*` prefix skips the suggestion by creating a todo directly. It does not suppress todo creation or mean “keep this as a thought only.”
</Note>

For ordinary in-app captures, a wording match creates a proposed todo and the capture box shows **This looks actionable**. Explicit todos are saved as open and show **Tucked as a todo.**

Inbound SMS, email, and API captures that qualify as todos are also saved as open, without that ask. Being inbound does not by itself make every capture a todo.

The web app capture store also creates a todo when an explicit reminder timestamp is supplied. Unless the capture is inbound or marked explicit, that todo is still proposed. A recognized date in the text alone is not an additional wording rule.

See [Capture thoughts](/use/capture), [Use todos](/use/todos), and [Capture syntax](/reference/capture-syntax) for the surrounding workflow.


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