# Task lists and tasks

> Break a project into task lists and tasks, assign them, complete them, and work with a task's details.

Source: https://help.clockworkcrm.com/projects/tasks
Last updated: 2026-10-09

The work in a project is organised into task lists, and each task list holds tasks. A task can hold
subtasks, and a subtask can hold its own subtasks. The **List** view in a project's top bar shows
them all.

![A project's task lists, each with its tasks, assignees and due dates](https://clockworkcrm.blob.core.windows.net/public-internal/docs/projects/project-task-list.png?v=aca62f68)

## Task lists

### Adding a task list

1. Select **Add Task List** at the top right of the **List**, **Board** or **Timeline** view.
2. Enter a **Name**. It is required.
3. Optionally enter a **Description** and choose a **Colour**.
4. Select **Save**. **Close** leaves without saving.

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Name** | The task list's name. Required |
| **Description** | Shown under the list's name in the **List** view |
| **Colour** | The colour of the marker next to the list's name, the border of its column on the board and the background of its row on the timeline |

### Working with a task list

The header of each task list holds:

| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| The dotted handle | Drag it to move the list up or down among the other lists |
| The arrow | Collapses the list to its name, or expands it again |
| The tick | Marks the list as complete, after you confirm. It is only available once every task in the list is complete. On a completed list, it marks the list as not complete |
| The pencil | Opens **Edit Task List**, to change the name, description and colour |
| The bin | Deletes the list permanently, after you confirm |

Completed task lists are hidden unless **Show Completed Task Lists** is on in the filters. You
cannot add tasks to a completed list.

## Adding a task

1. Select **Add a Task** at the foot of a task list.
2. Type the task's name where it says "My new task".
3. Fill in any of the other fields.
4. Select **Save**. The form stays open for the next task. **Close** ends it.

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Assigned to** | The users doing the task. You can choose more than one, from the users who can see the project. **Anyone** means the task is not assigned to anyone |
| **Due Date** | When the task is due |
| **Description** | Details of the task, shown at the top of the task panel |
| **Colour** | The colour marker shown next to the task's name. Each new task starts with a colour picked for it |
| Task properties | Any custom properties for the project's tasks. See [Task properties](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/projects/task-properties) |

**Save** stays unavailable until the task has a name and every required property is filled in.

A task cannot start or be due before the project's start date. An earlier date is moved to the
project's start date when the task is saved. You change a task's start date by moving its bar on
the timeline. See [Project views](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/projects/views#timeline).

A task with a due date has a calendar entry called "Task Due:" followed by the task's name, on the
due date, for the users it is assigned to. It is updated when the task's name, description, due date
or assignees change, and removed when the due date is cleared.

## Working with tasks

Each task row shows, from left to right:

- a handle for dragging the task
- the circle that marks the task complete
- who the task is assigned to. Click it to change the assignees
- the task's colour, its name and its tags
- its due date, in red. Hovering over it shows how many days until it is due, or how many days
  overdue it is
- the task's actions

Click a task's name to open the task panel. See [The task panel](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/projects/tasks#the-task-panel).

### Actions on a task

| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| The pencil (**Edit**) | Opens **Edit Task**, with the same fields as adding a task |
| The bin (**Delete**) | Deletes the task permanently, after you confirm. Its subtasks and all of their time logs are deleted with it |
| **Subtasks** | Shows or hides the task's subtasks, with **Add a Subtask** at their foot |
| **Add tag** | Adds a tag to the task. Tags show next to the task's name, and the cross on a tag removes it |
| **Progress** | The percentage shows how far through the task is. Click it to set the progress with a slider, from 0 to 100% |
| **Log Time** | Records time spent on the task. Once time is logged, the number of time logs is shown next to it. See [Time tracking](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/projects/time) |
| **Comments** | Opens the task panel. Shows the number of comments, and pulses when there are comments you have not seen |
| **Files** | Opens the task panel. Shows the number of files attached |
| **Time Estimate** | Sets how long the task is expected to take, in **Hours** and **Minutes**. The estimate is shown next to it, for example "2h, 30m" |

### Completing a task

Click the circle next to a task to mark it complete. Click it again on a completed task to mark it
as not complete.

A task with subtasks that are not complete shows how many are left in its circle. Clicking the
circle opens the subtasks instead of completing the task. Complete the subtasks first. Marking a
subtask as not complete also marks its parent task as not complete.

Completed tasks are hidden. **Show Completed** at the foot of a list shows them again, and **Hide
Completed** hides them.

### Moving and reordering tasks

Drag a task by its handle to:

- change its place in the list
- move it to another task list, with its subtasks
- move it into another task's subtasks

Tasks cannot be dragged while any filter is active or while completed tasks are shown.

**Move Task** in the task panel moves a task to a task list in any project. See
[Moving a task to another project](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/projects/tasks#moving-a-task-to-another-project).

### Notifications

When a task changes, its assignees and the users following it get a notification. The user who
made the change is not notified. See [Notifications](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/general/notifications).

## Filters

**Filters** at the top right of the **List**, **Board** and **Timeline** views opens the filters
panel. The filters apply to all three views, and change the tasks shown as you set them.

| Filter | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Search** | Shows tasks whose name contains what you type |
| **Due Date** | **Anytime**, **Late** (the due date has passed), **Yesterday**, **Today**, **Tomorrow**, **This week**, **No Due Date**, **Has Due Date** or **Custom Date Range**. A custom range asks for a start and end date |
| **Date Created** | **Anytime**, **Yesterday**, **Today**, **This week**, **Last Week**, **This month**, **Last month**, **Last 3 months**, **Last 6 months** or **Custom Date Range** |
| Tags | Shows tasks with the tags you choose |
| **Match Any Tag** / **Match All Tags** | Whether a task needs any one of the chosen tags or all of them |
| **Show only untagged items** | Shows only tasks with no tags, and turns off the other tag filters |
| **Created By** | Shows tasks created by the users you choose |
| **Assigned Users** | Shows tasks assigned to the users you choose. Choose **Anyone** to include tasks that are not assigned |
| **Show Completed Task Lists** / **Hide Completed Task Lists** | Whether completed task lists are shown |
| **Show Completed Tasks** / **Hide Completed Tasks** | Whether completed tasks are shown |
| **Include Subtasks** / **Exclude Subtasks** | With **Include Subtasks**, a task is also shown when one of its subtasks matches the filters. It is on to start with |
| **Only show me tasks I'm following** | Shows only the tasks you follow. When off, the toggle reads **Show me tasks whether I follow them or not** |

While any filter is active, a warning at the top of the panel says that tasks cannot be reordered.
**Reset** clears the filters.

### Saving a filter

1. Set the filters you want.
2. Select **Save**. The **Filter Name** box appears.
3. Enter a name, up to 400 characters, that you have not used for another filter.
4. Select **Save** again.

Saved filters are your own. Once you have one, **Saved Filters** at the top of the panel lists them.
Choose one to apply it, or use its bin to delete it.

## The task panel

Clicking a task's name opens **Task Details**.

![A task's details: its properties, time logs, files and comments](https://clockworkcrm.blob.core.windows.net/public-internal/docs/projects/task-detail.png?v=dbb0211f)

The buttons across the top are:

| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Move Task** | Moves the task to a task list in this or another project |
| **Follow** | Follows the task, so you are notified when it changes. Once you follow it, the button reads **Following**, and opens **Mute**, **Unmute** and **Unfollow** |
| **Log Time** | Records time spent on the task. See [Time tracking](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/projects/time) |
| **Edit Task** | Changes the task's details |
| **Task History** | Lists the changes made to the task, with **Who**, **What** and **When** |

**Mute** keeps you following the task without sending you notifications. It shows as **Following
(Muted)**. **Unmute** turns notifications back on.

Below the buttons are:

- the task's description
- the task itself, with its assignee, due date, actions and subtasks
- **Properties**, the task's custom properties. Each can be changed in place and saved on its own
- **Time Logs**, the time logged on this task. See [Time tracking](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/projects/time)
- **Files**. **Select a file** attaches a file to the task, and **Update** uploads a new version of
  a file
- **Comments**. Write a comment, with formatting, and select **Save**. You can **Edit** and
  **Delete** your own comments. An edited comment shows when it was last edited

The cross at the top right closes the panel.

### Moving a task to another project

1. Open the task and select **Move Task**.
2. Choose the **Project**, then the **Task List**.
3. Select **Move Task**.

The task's logged time, comments and files move with it.

## Searching a project's tasks

**Detail Search** in the top bar, inside a project, opens **Advanced Task Search** for that project.
It works in the same way as the contact search: **Filters** control which tasks come back, **Show**
controls the columns, and **Sort** controls the order. See
[Searching contacts](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/contacts/searching#advanced-search).

![The task search inside a project](https://clockworkcrm.blob.core.windows.net/public-internal/docs/projects/project-task-search.png?v=e04f73d3)

You can filter on **Name**, **Description**, **Complete**, **Due Date**, **Start Date**,
**Completed Date**, **Created Date**, **Last Updated**, **Estimate (hours)**, **Progress (%)**,
**Assigned User**, **Created By**, **Tag** and the project's task properties.

A new search shows the name, description, due date, whether the task is complete, and when it was
last updated. Clicking a result opens the task panel. Exports are listed under **Documents** in
your profile when ready. See [Your profile](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/general/profile#documents).

## Related

- [Time tracking](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/projects/time), logging time against tasks
- [Task properties](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/projects/task-properties), adding your own fields to tasks
- [Project views](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/projects/views), the board and timeline
- [To do](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/general/todo), your project tasks in one place