Navigating Asana
Interface
Asana's interface is divided into 5 areas:
- Sidebar - access Homepage, My Tasks, Inbox, Teams, and projects in your Workspace or Organization
- Header - contains the actions and views for the project, My Tasks, or View you're currently using
- Top Bar - Search, Quick Add, your Profile Settings, and Workspace or Organization Settings
- Main Pane - displays a list of tasks, Conversations, Calendar, progress or Files
- Right Pane - contains the details of a task or Conversation
Sidebar
From the sidebar, you can:
- Access your Homepage, My Tasks, Inbox and Portfolios
- Access your favorites
- Access your reports
- View the teamsteamsA team is a group of people in an Organization who are working together on a collection of projects.Read more you belong to and join other Teams in your Organization
Teams are only available in Organizations.
Projects
The sidebar lists the projects in your Team or Workspace. Click any project's name and it will load in the main pane. Or, click the + button to create a new project.
The lock icon indicates a private project.
Open up the project to reveal more actions in the project header.
Learn also about the power of Dashboards in Asana and how a project level tab containing charts can be used for visual reporting.
Favorites
Favorite projects, people (their My Tasks lists) or tags to save and bookmark them at the top of your sidebar for easier access.
Your favorited items will appear in a fixed position near the top of your sidebar.
Drag and drop to rearrange your favorited items.
Click the star icon in the header to add it to your favorites. Notice the star turns yellow and the project now appears at the top of your sidebar under favorites. To remove it from your favorites, simply click the star icon again.
Only you see what you've favorited. Everyone in your Workspace or Organization has their own favorites list.
How to unfavorite and duplicate a Project
Hover over a Project's name and click the three dot icon to reveal 2 Project actions.
Unfavourite and Duplicate
- Click the three dot icon next to a Project in your sidebar
- You can remove Project from Favorites
- You can choose to Duplicate Project
Expand and collapse the sidebar
Collapse the sidebar if you you want more room in your browser window for the center and right panes.
To collapse the sidebar:
Click the three column button at the top of the sidebar.
To expand the sidebar:
Click the three column button.
Top Bar
From the top bar, you can:
- Run a searchsearchSearch allows you to find any task, project, or Conversation in your Workspace or Organization.Read more to find tasks, projects, conversations, tags, or people in your Workspace or Organization
- Use Quick Add to create a task, project, conversation, or invite more people
- View Help Content
- Access your Profile SettingsProfile SettingsProfile Settings lets users adjust preferences related to their specific account.Read more, Access the Workspace or Organization Settings, or switch between your Workspaces & Organizations
Omni Button
The Omni button allows you to easily:
- Create a tasktaskTasks are the basic unit of work in Asana. Tasks can represent any kind of work, break down work into smaller pieces, or store information.Read more
- Start a conversationconversationConversations are how users communicate in Asana. Start a conversation on any project or team page.Read more
- Create teamteamA team is a group of people in an Organization who are working together on a collection of projects.Read more
- Create a projectprojectProjects are lists of tasks.Read more
- Invite someone new into your current Workspace or Organization
Help
Click the ? button to access helpful resources.
Top Bar Drop down
Click your profile photo from the top bar to reveal a drop down menu.
From the top bar drop down menu, you can:
- Switch between your Workspaces and Organizations
- Upgrade your current Workspace or Organization
- Access your current Workspace or Organization's Settings
- Create a new Workspace or team
- Leave your current Workspace or Organization
- Access your Profile SettingsProfile SettingsProfile Settings lets users adjust preferences related to their specific account.Read more
- Log out of your account
The checkmark indicates the Workspace or Organization you're currently viewing.
Header
From the header, you can:
- Access actions for the project, My Tasks, or Search View you're currently viewing (indicated by the down arrow icon)
- Favorite the project or My Tasks list you're currently viewing (indicated by the star icon)
- Set a status for your project
- View a list of Project Members and Limited Access Members
- Share your project
Project Actions
Click the down arrow icon to access the following options for a project:
- Edit project details - modify the name or description of your project
- Color - changes the colorcolorUsers can associate a project or tag with a color.Read more of the project
- Copy Project URL
- Save layout as default
- Duplicate Project
- Convert to template if in a paid team or Organization
- Manage apps - from here you can add apps and access Jira Cloud
- Import CSV files, Email and connect Wuffoo to Project /Export your project or My Tasks or Print your project
- Move to Another Team (only available in Organizations) - move the project to another teamteamA team is a group of people in an Organization who are working together on a collection of projects.Read more in your Organization
- Archive or Delete your project
Open up the project to reveal more actions in the project header.
Learn more about all of these actions in the project actionsproject actionsProject actions allow you to take action on a project such as print, archive, or delete.Read more article of the Guide.
Views
The header allows you to switch between seven different views:
- List - this is the default View and displays a list of tasks
- Board - Board view organizes your tasks within columns
- Timeline - if in a paid team or Organization.
- Calendar - this View filters only tasks with due datesdue datesThe date that a task or subtask is due.Read more and displays them in a calendar format
- Dashboard - this view offers you a real-time status update; where you can use pre-configured charts to visually report and communicate project progress
- Progress - this view shows what’s done, what’s next, what’s blocked, plus insights into task activity
- More - Offers Forms, Conversations and Files - allowing you to: create a form, start conversationsconversationsConversations are how users communicate in Asana. Start a conversation on any project or team page.Read more with fellow Project membersProject membersSomeone that has access to and receives notifications about a project.Read more and access Files (only available in My Tasks & projects) - here you will see all attachments to tasks & conversations within the Project
Main pane
When you select a project, tag, or person from the sidebar, you'll see the relevant list of tasks in the main pane. This is also where you see search results, Inbox notifications and Conversation posts.
From the main pane, you can:
- Add a new task
- Add a section and add milestone
- sortsortLets you sort and view tasks in My Tasks or a project task list by different criteria like due dates, tags, or hearts.Read more the list
- Filter the list
- Mark a task completecompleteTo mark a task with a checkmark to indicate that it is done.Read more or incomplete
- View and edit a task's name
- Identify a task's due datedue dateThe date that a task or subtask is due.Read more
- Identify any custom fields associated with the task
- Identify a task's assigneeassigneeThe person responsible for the task or subtask. Asana allows one assignee per task or subtask.Read more
You can also see the amount of likes a task has received from the main pane.
Right pane
The right pane, is where you see the details for a task you've selected in the main pane.
From the top of the right pane, you can:
- Mark the task completecompleteTo mark a task with a checkmark to indicate that it is done.Read more or incomplete
- Upload attachmentsattachmentsA file that is attached to a task or conversation.Read more
- Build a list of subtaskssubtasksSubtasks break a task into smaller pieces. Subtasks, like tasks, have assignees, due dates, comments, and hearts.Read more
- Copy the task url
- likelikeRead more the task
- Access additional task options
From the right pane, you can also:
- Edit the task's name
- assignassignThe person responsible for the task or subtask. Asana allows one assignee per task or subtask.Read more the task
- Set a due datedue dateThe date that a task or subtask is due.Read more & due time
- Identify what project the task is in
- Add a description to give the task more context
- Post a commentcommentComment on a task or conversation to offer help, answer questions, and help move work forward.Read more, ask a question
- Collaborate or remove yourself as a collaborator on the task
Learn more about the functionality available in the right pane in the taskstasksTasks are the basic unit of work in Asana. Tasks can represent any kind of work, break down work into smaller pieces, or store information.Read more section of the Guide.
Expand and collapse the right pane
Collapse the right pane if you want more room in your browser window for the center pane.
Click the arrow to collapse the right pane and close details.
To expand the right pane, simply click anywhere on the task.
Full Screen Mode
Enter full screen mode if you'd like to focus on a single task or presenting in a meeting.
To enter full screen mode:
- Click the three dot icon from the right pane
- Select Full Screen
You can also press Tab+X on your keyboard to enter full screen mode.