Task fields and tags

Task details pane

All task fields can be found and modified from the task details pane. Click on any task to reveal its details in the task details pane.

highlight right pane

From the top of the task details pane, you can:

  1. Mark the task complete or incomplete
  2. Like the task
  3. Upload files
  4. Add subtasks
  5. Copy the task's URL
  6. Track the time spent on the task
  7. View the task in full screen
  8. Access additional task options

highlight task details pane

Fill out a task's fields:

  1. Edit the task's name. Task names are often the calls to action for the task.
  2. Add an assignee
  3. Set a due date
  4. Add the task to a project
  5. Add task dependencies
  6. Add tags and view custom fields
  7. Add a description to give the task more context
  8. Post a comment
  9. Add or remove collaborators

Mark tasks complete or incomplete

Mark a task complete to indicate that it is done.

task complete

You can mark a task complete by either:

  1. Clicking the check icon from the main pane
  2. Clicking the Mark complete button from the task details pane

You can mark a task incomplete again if there is still work to be done by clicking the check mark or the Completed button.

By default, only incomplete tasks will appear in your My tasks and projects. You can change the view to show completed tasks. With completed tasks shown, you can mark a task incomplete from the main pane.

Task due dates, due times, and date ranges

Set a due date, due time, or a date range to let your teammates know when a task should be completed by.

Add a due date and due time

due date

To add a due date, navigate to Due date and either type a date or select it from the calendar. To add a due time, click the clock in the calendar and add a time.

Start dates and start times

Start dates and start times are available to all Asana Premium, Business, and Enterprise customers

Start dates and start times enable teams with complex workflows to effectively schedule tasks across multiple days or even down to the minute.

start date and times

To add a start date and time:

  1. Click on the Due date field
  2. Click on or type your desired start date and due date
  3. Click on the Add time icon at the bottom of the calendar to select start and due times

You will see your date range included in the task.

Task dates will default to today's date if:

  1. You set a start time without a date or a due time
  2. You set a start and due time without a date
  3. You remove the due date after the time range is set
  4. You only set a start time or start date

Recurring or repeating tasks

If you have a task that you need to complete on a regular basis, you can set it up as a recurring task.

When you set up a recurring task, it will only appear on your calendar the next time the task is due, not every single time the recurring task is due in the future. Once you mark a recurring task completed, it will duplicate itself for the next time the recurring task is set to be due. The interval you've set for your task's recurrence will determine the new due date.

All fields (except task comments) are copied over when a recurring task copies itself, including subtasks.

recurring

To set a task as a recurring task:

  1. Click on the Due Date field
  2. Select Set to repeat
  3. Click on the days that you would like the task to recur
  4. You will have the option to set the recurring task on a weekly, monthly, yearly, periodical, or customized basis.

If you set a parent task to repeat, do not set any of its subtasks to repeat as well. Doing so will result in the recurring subtask duplicating exponentially.

Due dates for periodically recurring tasks are determined by the date the task was last completed.

Recurring task quick tips

  • If you want a task to repeat on weekdays, set the task to repeat Weekly, then check the MTWTF boxes
  • If you want a task to repeat quarterly, set the task to repeat Monthly and select to repeat every 3 months
  • If you want a task to repeat bi-annually, set the task to repeat Monthly and select to repeat every 6 months

You can also stop a recurring task from repeating ever again by clicking on the remove repeat option. Alternatively, removing the entire due date from the task will stop the task from repeating again.

A task's associated projects

A task can belong to up to 20 different projects at any given time. You can see all projects a task belongs to in the projects field in the task details pane.

multihome 1

A task's associated projects will appear under the due date in the task details pane. You can also view which section it belongs to in a project. To add the task to another project, hover over the project name in your task pane, and click on Add to projects. To remove the task from a project, click on the x icon next to the project's name.

You will see the task in every project that it is associated with. This is useful when a task might be relevant to concurrent goals and when its due date and completion are relevant to multiple projects.

The task will exist simultaneously in all of those projects. This will not duplicate the task - if you complete the task in one project, it will be completed in all projects it is associated with.

Press Tab+P on your keyboard to quickly focus on the projects field.

Task description

Task descriptions allow you to describe, give directions, or add any other context to a task. The description field is in the task details pane of each task.

To edit the task description click on the + icon to open the multi-select toolbar. You can edit the text in your description using paragraphs, headings, and lists. Also, you can add in-line images and embed media from places like YouTube and Figma.

Task descriptions support rich text and emojis.

Likes

Use a like to quickly confirm, approve, or praise your teammate’s work.

likes

To like a task:

Click the thumbs up icon from the task details pane.

You can also like tasks via inbox notifications.

Once the task is liked, it will appear:

  1. Next to the task's name in the main pane
  2. At the top of the task details pane

To un-like the task, simply click the thumbs up icon again.

You will see a like option for:

  • Tasks
  • Task comments
  • Task attachments
  • Task completion

You will also get a notification that you have received a like through your inbox activity feed.

Tags

Tags allow you to give tasks additional context or to group similar tasks for easy viewing. You might use a tag to track the state of a task or to categorize them. Tags on a given task will appear under projects.

Click the tag's name to view a full list of tasks associated with that tag.

add and create tags

To add a tag to a task:

  1. Click the three dot icon
  2. Select Add tags
  3. Select an existing tag or create a new one

Press Tab+T to focus on the tag field.

To remove a tag from a task, simply hover over the tag's name and click the X icon.

Rename or delete tags

Click the tag's name, and you will navigate to another page with a list of tasks associated with the tag.

Remove or delete

To rename or delete a tag:

  1. Click the drop-down arrow
  2. Select Rename Tag to rename
  3. Select Delete Tag to delete

Once a tag is deleted, all tag followers will get an email notification about the deletion with the tag ID. If it was deleted by mistake, anyone can contact us with the ID to have the tag restored.

Tag permissions

  • Tags associated with a private task will be searchable by the assignee and collaborators of that task.
  • Tags associated with tasks within a private project will be searchable by the members of that project.
  • All tags will be searchable via the API.

Using tags vs. Custom fields

Tags and custom fields allow you to categorize, filter, and denote information in Asana. We strongly advocate for custom fields for standard use across an organization because they are more visible and robust, while tags are more informal. Here are some scenarios to help you decide:

Use custom fields if you:

  • Want to add certain data to all the tasks in a project
  • Have standard information you need to track on tasks across projects (e.g., priority level, time costing, work stage)
  • Want to make sure your teammates fill out certain information for each task in a project
  • Need to sort or search by specific data fields

Use tags if you:

  • Need ad-hoc tagging, you have unlimited options, or aren't quite sure what needs to be tagged at the time of creation
  • Need to see the tag from My tasks
  • Only need to mark a few tasks within a project
  • Want to mark template tasks

Learn the basics of task management in our Getting started with Asana webinar. Register now

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