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5.2 Extended Use of TODO Keywords

By default, marked TODO entries have one of only two states: TODO and DONE. Org mode allows you to classify TODO items in more complex ways with TODO keywords (stored in org-todo-keywords). With special setup, the TODO keyword system can work differently in different files.

Note that tags are another way to classify headlines in general and TODO items in particular (see Tags).

• Workflow states  From TODO to DONE in steps.
• TODO types  I do this, Fred does the rest.
• Multiple sets in one file  Mixing it all, still finding your way.
• Fast access to TODO states  Single letter selection of state.
• Per-file keywords  Different files, different requirements.
• Faces for TODO keywords  Highlighting states.
• TODO dependencies  When one task needs to wait for others.