The bullet journal key, mark by mark
Contents
A bullet journal key is the short list of symbols that tells you what each line in your notebook is. The official key has three bullets: a dot (•) for a task, a circle (○) for an event and a dash (–) for a note. A task then changes state: × when it's complete, > when it's migrated, < when it's scheduled. A few optional signifiers, such as an asterisk for priority, add emphasis.
That is the key of the Bullet Journal method, created by Ryder Carroll, as described on the official site (linked in the Sources). Below you'll find each mark with its use, then one filled-in page where every mark appears.
The official bullet journal key
| Mark | Name | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| • | Task | Anything you have to do |
| × | Task complete | A task you finished |
> | Task migrated | A task moved forward, to the next monthly log or to a collection |
< | Task scheduled | A task moved into the future log |
| Line struck out | Irrelevant | A task that no longer matters |
| ○ | Event | An entry tied to a date, planned or logged after it happened |
| – | Note | Facts, ideas, thoughts, observations |
* | Priority | A signifier placed to the left of a bullet |
! | Inspiration | A signifier for a great idea or insight, usually next to a note |
| Small eye | Explore | A signifier for something that needs research |
The first seven rows are the core. The last three are signifiers, and they are optional.
The official pages we read don't ask you to draw a key page. Writing these ten lines inside the front cover is simply useful for the first weeks, until your hand knows them.
Rapid logging: why the key exists
Rapid logging is the method's way of writing. The official site defines it as writing information down fast, in short structured entries that each start with a bullet.
The bullet replaces half a sentence. You don't write "I need to call the plumber tomorrow". You write:
• Call the plumber
When you look at a page later, the shapes sort it for you. Dots are what's left to do. Circles are what happens at a given moment. Dashes are what you wanted to remember. You can read a full day in a few seconds.
Bullet journal symbols, mark by mark
• Task
A dot is anything actionable: "Pay the electricity bill", "Reply to Jonas". A dot is handy because you can turn it into ×, > or < without erasing anything.
× Complete
Draw an × over the dot when the task is done.
> Migrated
Turn the dot into > when you move a task forward and rewrite it somewhere else. Officially, that means the next monthly log or a collection, and it happens at the monthly review. We also use it when a task rolls from one day to the next.
The mark only means something if the task was actually copied to its new place.
< Scheduled
Turn the dot into < when a task belongs to a later month. You copy it into the future log, where it waits for that month to arrive. The official site describes this as moving the task backward, since the future log sits near the front of the notebook.
Struck out
When a task no longer matters, strike through the whole line. It is easy to skip, and it is the mark that keeps a list honest.
○ Event
A circle is anything tied to a date. It can be planned ("Budget meeting 10:00") or written down after it happened ("Handed in the keys"). The official advice is to keep events brief and objective. Feelings about the event, if you want them, go in a note.
– Note
A dash is information with nothing to do attached: a fact from a meeting, an idea, an observation. If a note turns into something to do, write a new line with a dot.
Signifiers
Signifiers sit to the left of a bullet and add context:
*marks a priority;!marks an inspiration, an idea you don't want to lose;- a small drawn eye marks something to explore or research.
Use them sparingly. If half the page has an asterisk, the asterisk says nothing.
A filled-in page with every mark
Here is a daily log for a Wednesday, as it looks at the end of the day. A drawn eye can't be typed, so it is written as (eye).
Wed 14
○ Budget meeting 10:00
– Travel budget is cut by 10 percent
* × Send the signed contract to Marta
× Pay the electricity bill
> Book car inspection
< Plan Dad's birthday trip
• Research standing desks (line struck out)
! – Put the weekly report in one table, not three
(eye) – What is a zero-based budget
○ Ran into Claire, she is moving to Lisbon
• Reply to Jonas
Read it line by line:
| Line | What the mark tells you |
|---|---|
| ○ Budget meeting 10:00 | An event, planned in advance |
| – Travel budget is cut by 10 percent | A note taken during the meeting. Nothing to do |
* × Send the signed contract to Marta | The day's priority, and it is done |
| × Pay the electricity bill | Done |
> Book car inspection | Not done today. It has been rewritten under tomorrow's date |
< Plan Dad's birthday trip | Too early. It has been copied to the future log |
| Research standing desks, struck out | Dropped. It will not be rewritten anywhere |
! – Put the weekly report in one table | An idea worth finding again |
| (eye) – What is a zero-based budget | Something to look up |
| ○ Ran into Claire | An event logged after it happened |
| • Reply to Jonas | Still open. It gets decided tomorrow morning |
Two more lines complete the picture. On the next page:
Thu 15
• Book car inspection
And in the future log, in the box of the month it belongs to:
• Plan Dad's birthday trip
Every > and every < has a twin somewhere else in the notebook. That is the rule that makes the key work.
Carnet's five marks next to the official key
We make Carnet, a digital bullet journal in the browser that grew out of its founder's paper bullet journal. It uses five marks inspired by this key. They are not the official key, so here are both, side by side.
| Official Bullet Journal key | Carnet |
|---|---|
| • Task | To do |
| ○ Event | Appointment. It has a time, and can come from your Google Calendar |
| – Note | Note |
| × Complete | Done. What's done turns gray |
> Migrated | Migrated |
< Scheduled | Not one of Carnet's five marks |
| Line struck out | Not one of Carnet's five marks |
* ! and the eye | Three highlighters to mark what matters |
If you love the full key and the notebook, paper does it best. Carnet has no handwriting and no drawing. If you want the short version of the key on a typed weekly spread, our bullet journal app roundup compares Carnet ($10 a month, no free plan) with handwriting apps and free options.
Making your own key
The official site says the method is yours to customize. A few rules keep a custom key readable:
- Start with the official seven. Add a symbol only when you've missed it several times.
- One meaning per mark. If a triangle means "waiting for someone", it never means anything else.
- Keep it under a dozen. Past that, you look things up instead of reading.
- Color is a second key. Add it later, if at all.
Common mistakes with the key
- Marking
>without rewriting the task. The arrow then points to nowhere, and the task is lost. - Never striking anything out. A list where everything survives stops being a decision.
- Confusing
>and<.>goes forward to the next log.<goes to the future log. - Turning events into diary entries. One short, factual line. Use a note for the rest.
- Inventing fifteen symbols on day one. You won't remember them, and the page becomes a code to crack.
If you're new to the method, our guide on how to start a bullet journal sets up the index and the logs this key is used in. For the typed version, see our digital bullet journal guide, and when you're ready for layouts, our bullet journal weekly spread ideas show 16 options.
FAQ
What are the bullet journal symbols?
The core symbols are a dot for a task, a circle for an event and a dash for a note. A task dot becomes × when complete, a right arrow when migrated and a left arrow when scheduled, and an irrelevant task is struck out. Optional signifiers include an asterisk for priority and an exclamation mark for inspiration.
What does the arrow mean in a bullet journal?
A right arrow means the task was migrated: moved forward and rewritten in the next monthly log or in a collection. A left arrow means the task was scheduled: moved into the future log for a later month.
What is rapid logging?
Rapid logging is the Bullet Journal method's way of taking notes. You write short, one-line entries, and each starts with a bullet that shows whether it is a task, an event or a note. It replaces long sentences with lines you can scan.
Do I need a key page in my bullet journal?
It isn't required. The official pages describe the bullets without asking for a key page. Writing the key inside the front cover helps in the first weeks, and you can stop looking at it once the marks are familiar.
Can I make my own bullet journal key?
Yes. The official site encourages you to adapt the method and create symbols that match your needs. Keep the list short, and give each mark one meaning only.
What is the difference between a bullet and a signifier?
A bullet says what an entry is: a task, an event or a note. A signifier is an extra mark placed to the left of the bullet to add context, such as an asterisk for a priority.
See the five marks on a week
Carnet's digital bullet journal has a demo that works without an account. Click a line and write. Nothing is saved.
Read next
- Digital bullet journal: how to keep one, and which tool
- How to start a bullet journal: a simple guide for beginners
- Best bullet journal app in 2026: 8 honest options
Sources
Checked on October 9, 2026.
- Bullet Journal, rapid logging (definition, bullets for tasks, events and notes, task states, signifiers, customizing): https://bulletjournal.com/blogs/faq/what-is-rapid-logging-understand-rapid-logging-bullets-and-signifiers
- Bullet Journal, migration (
>, striking out irrelevant tasks, monthly review): https://bulletjournal.com/blogs/faq/migration - Bullet Journal, how to bullet journal (future log, monthly log, daily log): https://bulletjournal.com/pages/how-to-bullet-journal
- Bullet Journal, about (created by Ryder Carroll): https://bulletjournal.com/pages/about
- Carnet, homepage (five marks, beta price, demo without an account): https://gocarnet.com/en