Goblin Tools for ADHD: How to Use Magic ToDo and More

You know the task. "Clean the kitchen." "Do my taxes." "Reply to that email from last week." It sits on your list like a locked door, and every time you look at it your brain slides off.

The problem usually isn't laziness. It's that the task is too big and too vague to have a first move. You can't start "taxes." You can start "find last year's tax folder."

Goblin Tools is a small, free website that does that translating for you. You type the big scary thing, and it hands back smaller steps. Here's what it is, how to use the most useful tools, and when to trust your own judgment instead.

What Goblin Tools is (and who makes it)

Goblin Tools is a set of single-purpose tools. According to its About page, it is written and maintained by Bram De Buyser, an AI, software and data engineer. The app store listings credit Skyhook Belgium.

The Google Play listing describes it as "Smart tools for the neurodivergent."

As of November 2026, the goblin.tools home page lists nine tools:

Magic ToDo: "Break down todo items"
Formalizer: "Text transformers for tone"
Judge: "Read a text for emotion"
Taskmaster: "Focus on one task at a time" (marked new)
Professor: "Explain anything"
Consultant: "Help me decide"
Estimator: "Guess an activity's timeframe"
Compiler: "Turn a braindump into actions"
Chef: "Create a recipe from ingredients"

Why task breakdown helps an ADHD brain

The National Institute of Mental Health lists inattention symptoms such as difficulty "keeping on task, or staying organized" (NIMH). A big, vague task asks you to organize and start at the same time. That's two hard jobs stacked together.

Breaking it down splits those jobs apart. Someone, or something, does the organizing first. Then all you have to do is start step one. We cover the full method, with or without an app, in how to break down tasks with ADHD.

This isn't medical advice: if trouble starting or finishing tasks is affecting your work, health or relationships, talk to a doctor or qualified professional.

What's free and what costs money (as of November 2026)

The website is free. The About page says the site has no ads or paywalls and will stay that way. The header says it is "kept free by our sponsors."
The mobile apps cost a small one-time price. When we checked in November 2026, the US App Store listing showed $1.99 and the US Google Play listing showed $0.99. App prices can vary by country, so check your own store. The About page says app sales help cover running costs.
Goblin Tools Pro is an optional monthly subscription. The About page calls it "a low monthly subscription," and says existing features will never be locked behind a paywall. The Google Play listing says Pro adds continuous syncing, reusable to-do templates, list sharing, custom Formalizer tones and history across tools. The Magic ToDo page notes that saving your own templates "is part of Pro."

How to use Magic ToDo, step by step

Step 1: Type the task the way you'd say it

Open Magic ToDo. The page header reads "Breaking things down so you don't." Type your task as a plain phrase, like "clean the bathroom" or "book a dentist appointment." Add it to the list.

The help text puts it simply: "Magic Todo acts as a standard todo list, with some special sauce."

Step 2: Set the spiciness before you break it down

Above the list you'll see "Spiciness level:" with pepper icons. The helper text asks: "How much breaking down do you need?"

The site explains that the spiciness "gives the tool a hint about how hard or stressful you find the task." It also says: "The spicier, the more steps it will attempt to break it down into."

A simple way to choose:

One or two peppers: you know how to do this, you just need a nudge.
Three peppers: a normal "I keep avoiding this" task.
Four or five peppers: you feel frozen and need tiny, almost silly steps.

The page says you can change spiciness at any time and it will apply to all items. The site also calls it "not an exact measure, more a hint to the system," so don't overthink the number.

Step 3: Press the breakdown button

Press the button on your task, and the goblin generates a list of steps underneath it.

Read the steps once. Is the first one doable in the next two minutes? Delete steps that don't apply and add anything missing. Each item has a menu with edit, remove, add subtask and estimator, and you can drag items to reorder them.

Step 4: Break down the step that still feels too big

Sometimes step three of your list is still a wall. You can break a single step down again. A Gigazine walkthrough describes clicking the "Break down item" button again on any step to split it further.

Only do this for the step that's blocking you. Sub-break everything and the list itself becomes the overwhelm.

Step 5: Do the first step before you tidy the list

As soon as the first step looks doable, do it. Then decide whether you need the rest of the list at all.

If you get stuck partway, the newer Taskmaster tool works through your Magic ToDo items one at a time with a timer. It has a 🪄 button that breaks the current task into smaller steps when you're stuck, and a 💡 button that suggests what to do next. For the full set of unsticking moves, see ADHD paralysis: how to get unstuck.

Estimator: a reality check for time blindness

If "this will take five minutes" is a lie you tell yourself daily, the Estimator is worth a try. Its tagline is "Just tell me how long this is probably gonna take."

Type the activity, like "fold and put away one load of laundry."
Set the spiciness. Here it means something different: "How hard is it for you to focus on the activity?"
Press Estimate.

The site says the result is a rough timeframe meant to set expectations, not a precise number. Spiciness isn't a fixed multiplier either. You can also estimate individual Magic ToDo items.

Then time yourself once and write down the real number. That beats any AI guess. Our time blindness tips cover more ways to make time feel visible.

Formalizer: emails you've been avoiding

Many avoided tasks are really avoided emails. The Formalizer rewrites text in a new tone while keeping the content.

Type what you actually mean, messily. "Sorry this is late, I forgot, here's the thing you asked for."
Under "Make my text:", pick a tone. Options include "More professional," "More polite," "Less emotional," "More to the point (unwaffle)" and "Bullet points."
Set the spiciness. Here it asks: "How strongly do you want the text to come across?" More peppers means a stronger style.
Press Convert. Each press makes a new version, so press again if the first one sounds off.
Edit the result so it sounds like you, then send it.

If email is a bigger problem than one message, pair this with the ADHD email overwhelm inbox system.

Compiler: turning a brain dump into tasks

When your head is full of half-thoughts, the Compiler pulls tasks out of messy text.

Do a quick brain dump. Type everything, no order, no punctuation needed. Our 5-minute brain dump template gives you prompts if you go blank.
Paste it into the box under the heading "Compile my braindump into a list of tasks."
Press "Turn into tasks."
Read the list under "Your tasks are:" and delete anything that isn't really a task.
Press "Send result to the Magic Todo" if you want to break any of them down further.

Dump, compile, pick one, break that one down. Not all of them at once.

Moving the steps into your own system

Goblin Tools is good at the first five minutes, not as your whole planning system. Magic ToDo items don't have due dates (the page says so in its iCal export notes), and there are no reminders that tap you on the shoulder.

So once you have your steps, move them somewhere you'll actually see:

Index card or sticky note: copy only the first three steps. Put the card where the task happens, like the bathroom mirror for "clean the bathroom."
Calendar: Magic ToDo can export as iCal events, using time estimates to set each event's length. Or just block one slot for "steps 1 to 3."
Your to-do app: the page lists exports to Todoist, Notion, TickTick, Asana, Amazing Marvin and Markdown, plus copy to clipboard and print. If you're still choosing an app, see Notion vs Todoist vs Obsidian, or Tiimo vs Structured for visual planners.

Copy fewer steps than you think you need. A short list you finish beats a long list you abandon.

Privacy: what happens to what you type

The Goblin Tools privacy policy says it collects "the bare minimum of information necessary." Key points as of November 2026:

For tools that use OpenAI's technology, your text is sent to OpenAI's servers to process the request. The policy says Goblin Tools doesn't store that data on its own servers or share it with other third parties.
Free use keeps settings in your browser. Its analytics are cookieless and, the policy says, collect "none of the text you enter."
Pro accounts store some content on its servers, such as Magic ToDo lists, recent history from each tool, templates and custom instructions. You can clear history or delete your account.

Because your words go to an outside AI provider, don't paste in medical details, passwords, account numbers or other people's private information. "Call the clinic about results" works just as well as the full story.

When not to rely on it

The About page is honest about this. The AI models are general purpose, so accuracy varies, and the results are "only guesswork." Check them against what you know.

Skip it or double-check carefully when:

The task has real stakes. Legal, medical, tax or safety steps need official guidance, not a guessed list.
The steps depend on local rules. The goblin doesn't know your landlord, your employer or your school.
You're using it to avoid starting. Regenerating the list five times is still not doing step one.
You already know the first step. Then just do it.

Common mistakes

Setting spiciness to the max for everything, then drowning in steps.
Breaking down your entire to-do list in one sitting instead of the one task that matters today.
Leaving the steps inside a browser tab you'll close and forget.

If this doesn't work

If the AI steps feel generic or wrong, try the same thing by hand. Write the task at the top of an index card and ask, "What's the very first physical thing I'd do?" Write that down, then ask again. The how to break down tasks with ADHD guide walks through it.

If even one tiny step won't happen, the problem may not be the size of the task. It may be energy, emotion or overload. Start with ADHD paralysis: how to get unstuck, and talk to a professional if it keeps happening.

Final thought

Goblin Tools is a good helper for the hardest part of a task: going from "this is huge" to "this is my first move." Use it to get a draft, cut the draft down, put three steps somewhere you'll see them, and start. If getting started is your sticking point, The Five-Minute Doorway is built around exactly that, and there are free printables at /tools/.

Sources

Goblin Tools, home page and tool list: https://goblin.tools/
Goblin Tools, About: https://goblin.tools/About
Goblin Tools, Privacy Policy: https://goblin.tools/Privacy
Goblin Tools, Magic ToDo: https://goblin.tools/ToDo
Goblin Tools, Estimator: https://goblin.tools/Estimator
Goblin Tools, Formalizer: https://goblin.tools/Formalizer
Goblin Tools, Compiler: https://goblin.tools/Compiler
Goblin Tools, Taskmaster: https://goblin.tools/Taskmaster
Apple App Store, Goblin Tools: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6449003064
Google Play, Goblin Tools: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goblintools
Gigazine, Magic ToDo walkthrough: https://www.gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20250326-magic-todo/
National Institute of Mental Health, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd

Frequently asked questions

Is Goblin Tools free?

Yes, the website at goblin.tools is free, and its About page says there are no ads or paywalls. The mobile apps cost a small one-time price (as of November 2026, $1.99 on the US App Store and $0.99 on US Google Play). An optional Pro subscription adds extras like sync, templates and history.

What does the spiciness level do in Magic ToDo?

It hints at how hard or stressful you find a task. The more peppers, the more steps Magic ToDo tries to break the task into. In other tools spiciness means something else, like how strong a tone should be in Formalizer, or how hard an activity is to focus on in Estimator.

Is Goblin Tools made for ADHD?

It's described as tools for neurodivergent people, and many people with ADHD use it for task breakdown and time estimates. It isn't a medical tool or a treatment. If ADHD symptoms are affecting your life, talk to a doctor or qualified professional.

Is my data safe on Goblin Tools?

Its privacy policy says it collects minimal data and that text for OpenAI-powered tools is sent to OpenAI to be processed, but not stored on Goblin Tools' servers for free use. Pro accounts store some content, like lists and history. To be safe, avoid typing sensitive personal, medical or financial details.

Can I export Magic ToDo lists to another app?

Yes. The Magic ToDo page lists exports for Todoist, Notion, TickTick, Asana, Amazing Marvin, Markdown and iCal tasks or events, plus copy to clipboard and print.

How accurate is the Estimator?

It gives a rough guess, not a measurement. The site describes its results as guesswork you should check against your own knowledge. Time the task once yourself and use that real number next time.