How to Use Stoplight
Master your productivity with this comprehensive guide to all of Stoplight's features
- Start small: Begin with 2-3 routines per day and gradually increase as you build the habit.
- Be realistic: Add buffer time to your estimates. It's better to finish early than run over.
- Use focus intervals: Set focus reminders every 15-30 minutes to stay on track during long routines.
- Take breaks: Use the Break page for quick games to reset your mind between intense routines.
- Review weekly: Check your Analytics every week to understand your patterns and improve.
Create a Routine Template
Go to Routines → Create New. Set a title, duration, and configure your routine settings including warning times and focus intervals. Check 'Save as reusable template' to make it available as a template while still scheduling it.
Schedule Your Routine
Choose a date and start time. You can set recurring patterns (daily, weekly, monthly) or create one-time routines. Routines saved as templates also appear under the Scheduled tab so you can still run them.
Start Your Routine
When it's time, click Start. The stoplight timer will guide you through: green (all good), yellow (nearing end), and red (time's up).
Pause if Needed
Life happens! Pause your routine with a reason (interruption, change priority, personal). Resume when ready — and optionally add the paused time back to your session.
Scheduled Rest
Set a rest period after any routine (in minutes). This red buffer time is tracked separately and never counted toward your routine's work duration.
Complete & Earn Points
Finish your routine to earn points, maintain your streak, and unlock achievements!
Create Task Templates
Build a library of recurring tasks in the Task Bank. Add title, description, category, estimated time, and due dates.
Organize with Tags & Goals
Use tags to categorize tasks and link them to your broader goals for better organization.
Assign Tasks to Routines
Drag and drop tasks from your Task Bank onto upcoming routines. Tasks can be checked off during the routine.
Filter & Sort
Use filters (category, tags, type) and sorting (due date) to find tasks quickly in your backlog.
🟢 Green: You're Good
Plenty of time remaining. Stay focused and keep working on your routine tasks.
🟡 Yellow: Warning Time
Approaching the end (default: last 5 minutes). Start wrapping up your current work.
🔴 Red: Time's Up
Your planned time has elapsed. You can add more time if needed or complete the routine.
Progress Ring
The circular progress indicator shows exactly how much time remains at a glance.
Log Your Daily Mood
Track positive and negative moods throughout the day to understand your emotional patterns.
Animal of the Day
Choose an animal that represents your day. An AI-generated image will be created for your mood log.
Color of the Day
Select a color that reflects your current state or feelings for visual mood tracking.
Review Your History
Look back at your mood logs to identify trends and patterns in your emotional well-being.
Earn Points
Complete routines to earn points. On-time starts and perfect days give bonus points!
Build Your Streak
Complete at least one routine every day to maintain your streak. Don't break the chain!
Unlock Badges
Achieve milestones to unlock special badges like 'Early Bird', 'Week Warrior', and 'Consistency King'.
Track Progress
View your total points, current streak, and earned badges on the Dashboard and Achievements page.
Monthly Overview
See all your scheduled routines at a glance in the calendar view.
Drag to Reschedule
Easily move routines to different dates by dragging and dropping in the calendar.
Daily Details
Click any date to see detailed information about routines scheduled for that day.
Routine Clusters
Use the Cluster Builder on the calendar to group multiple routines together in a single session. Apply presets like Pomodoro stacks (e.g. 4× 25-minute work blocks with 5-minute breaks between them), set recurrence, and assign tasks — all in one flow.
Pomodoro Stacks
From the Cluster Builder, select a Pomodoro stack (1–6×). Each Pomodoro = 25 min work + 5 min rest. The rest time between sessions is tracked separately and never counted toward your routine duration.
Completion Trends
Track your routine completion rates over time to see your consistency patterns.
Time Analysis
Understand how much time you actually spend vs. planned time for different routines.
AI Insights
Get personalized recommendations and insights based on your routine and mood data.
Predictive Analytics
See forecasts for your future performance based on historical trends.
Still have questions?
Contact us at joe@hephaestustech.com