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# Task Management

# Task Management

Create, organize, and track tasks within your projects to get work done efficiently.

## What are Tasks?

Tasks are individual work items within a project. Each task represents:
- **Work to Do**: Specific action or deliverable
- **Owner**: Person responsible
- **Deadline**: When it's due
- **Status**: Not started, in progress, completed
- **Priority**: Low, medium, high

## Creating a Task

### Quick Create

1. Go to **Projects** → [Select Project]
2. Click **"Add Task"** or **"New Task"**
3. Fill in task details
4. Save

### Required Fields

- **Title**: Task name
- **Project**: Which project (auto-selected if in project view)

### Optional Fields

**Basic Information:**
- **Description**: Task details and requirements
- **Task List**: Which section/phase (e.g., "Planning", "Development")
- **Status**: Not started, in progress, completed
- **Priority**: Low, medium, high
- **Assignee**: Who's responsible
- **Due Date**: When task is due
- **Start Date**: When work begins

**Time Tracking:**
- **Estimated Hours**: How long you think it will take
- **Actual Hours**: Time actually spent (log time)

**Additional:**
- **Parent Task**: Link to parent task (for subtasks)
- **Tags**: Organize tasks
- **Custom Fields**: Your custom data

## Task Lists (Sections)

Organize tasks into groups:

### Creating Task Lists

1. Go to project
2. Click **"Add Task List"** or **"New Section"**
3. Enter name (e.g., "Planning", "Development")
4. Save
5. Add tasks to list

### Common Task List Names

**By Phase:**
- Planning
- Design
- Development
- Testing
- Deployment
- Support

**By Category:**
- Design Tasks
- Development Tasks
- Marketing Tasks
- Content Tasks

**By Sprint:**
- Sprint 1
- Sprint 2
- Sprint 3

## Task Statuses

### Not Started

Task hasn't begun:
- Default status for new tasks
- Not yet worked on
- Shows in "To Do" column

### In Progress

Work has started:
- Task is being worked on
- Actively in progress
- Shows in "In Progress" column

### Completed

Task is finished:
- Work is done
- Task complete
- Shows in "Done" column
- Contributes to project progress

### Other Statuses

May include:
- **Blocked**: Waiting on something
- **On Hold**: Temporarily paused
- **Cancelled**: No longer needed

## Assigning Tasks

### Assign to Team Member

1. **Create/Edit Task**: Open task
2. **Assignee Field**: Select team member
3. **Save**: Task assigned
4. **Notification**: Assignee notified (if configured)

### Multiple Assignees

If supported:
- Assign to multiple people
- All receive notifications
- All can update task

### Unassigned Tasks

- Tasks can be unassigned
- Show in "Unassigned" view
- Can assign later

## Task Priorities

### Priority Levels

**High:**
- Urgent tasks
- Critical work
- Important deadlines
- Shown with red indicator

**Medium:**
- Normal priority
- Standard work
- Default priority
- Shown with yellow indicator

**Low:**
- Nice to have
- Can wait
- Low urgency
- Shown with gray indicator

## Due Dates

### Setting Due Dates

1. Open task
2. Find **"Due Date"** field
3. Select date
4. Optionally set time
5. Save

### Due Date Benefits

- **Prioritization**: See what's due soon
- **Filtering**: Filter by due date
- **Notifications**: Get reminders
- **Tracking**: Monitor overdue tasks

## Subtasks

Break down large tasks:

1. **Create Parent Task**: Main task
2. **Add Subtask**: Click "Add Subtask"
3. **Fill Details**: Enter subtask info
4. **Link to Parent**: Automatically linked
5. **Complete Subtasks**: Mark off as done
6. **Parent Updates**: Parent task reflects progress

**Use Cases:**
- Large tasks broken into steps
- Multi-step processes
- Checklist items
- Task dependencies

## Time Tracking

### Estimated Hours

Set how long you think it will take:
1. Open task
2. Enter **"Estimated Hours"**
3. Save
4. Used for planning and budgeting

### Logging Time

Track actual time spent:
1. Open task
2. Click **"Log Time"** or **"Add Time Entry"**
3. Enter:
   - **Date**: When work was done
   - **Hours**: Time spent
   - **Description**: What was worked on
4. Save
5. **Actual Hours** updates automatically

### Time Reports

View time tracking:
- Total estimated vs actual
- Time by team member
- Time by task list
- Project time summary

## Organizing Tasks

### Drag and Drop

Reorder tasks:
1. **Kanban View**: Drag between status columns
2. **List View**: Drag to reorder
3. **Task Lists**: Move between lists

### Filtering

Filter tasks by:
- **Status**: Not started, in progress, completed
- **Assignee**: Show tasks for specific person
- **Priority**: High, medium, low
- **Due Date**: Overdue, due soon, upcoming
- **Task List**: Filter by section

### Searching

Search tasks by:
- Title
- Description
- Assignee name
- Tags

## Task Comments

Collaborate on tasks:

1. **Open Task**: Click task
2. **Comments Section**: Find comments area
3. **Add Comment**: Type your comment
4. **@Mention**: Tag team members
5. **Save**: Comment added
6. **Notifications**: Mentioned users notified

## Task Attachments

Attach files to tasks:

1. Open task
2. Find **"Attachments"** or **"Files"** section
3. Click **"Upload"** or **"Add File"**
4. Select file
5. Upload
6. File attached to task

**Supported Files:**
- Documents (PDF, Word, etc.)
- Images
- Spreadsheets
- Any file type

## Completing Tasks

### Mark Complete

1. **Open Task**: Click task
2. **Status**: Change to "Completed"
3. **Save**: Task marked complete
4. **Progress**: Project progress updates

### Quick Complete

- **Checkbox**: Click checkbox in list
- **Status Dropdown**: Change status to "Completed"
- **Drag**: Drag to "Done" column (Kanban view)

## Best Practices

1. **Break Down Work**: Divide large tasks into smaller ones
2. **Set Clear Titles**: Descriptive task names
3. **Add Descriptions**: Explain what needs to be done
4. **Assign Ownership**: Every task should have an owner
5. **Set Deadlines**: Use due dates to prioritize
6. **Update Status**: Keep task status current
7. **Use Task Lists**: Organize into logical groups
8. **Track Time**: Log hours for accurate tracking
9. **Communicate**: Use comments to collaborate
10. **Review Regularly**: Check task status frequently

## Common Scenarios

### Starting a New Project

1. **Create Project**: Set up project
2. **Add Task Lists**: Create sections/phases
3. **Add Initial Tasks**: Break down into tasks
4. **Assign Tasks**: Distribute to team
5. **Set Deadlines**: Establish timeline
6. **Begin Work**: Start on tasks

### Daily Task Management

1. **View Assigned Tasks**: Check your tasks
2. **Update Status**: Mark in progress
3. **Log Time**: Track hours worked
4. **Add Comments**: Update team
5. **Complete Tasks**: Mark finished
6. **Check Due Dates**: Prioritize upcoming

### Task Collaboration

1. **Assign Tasks**: Give work to team
2. **Add Comments**: Discuss in task
3. **@Mention**: Tag team members
4. **Share Updates**: Keep everyone informed
5. **Review Progress**: Check completion

## Troubleshooting

**Can't create task?**
- Verify project exists
- Check required fields filled
- Try refreshing page
- Check permissions

**Task not showing?**
- Check filters not hiding it
- Verify task list selected
- Check project view
- Refresh page

**Can't assign task?**
- Verify team members exist
- Check user has access
- Try different assignee
- Check permissions

For more help, see [Common Issues](../troubleshooting/common-issues.md).

## Next Steps

- [Creating Projects](https://help.swellsystem.com/en/article/creating-projects-1ejrx65/) - Set up projects
- [Project Collaboration](https://help.swellsystem.com/en/article/project-collaboration-1gcyk75/) - Work with team
- [CRM Overview](https://help.swellsystem.com/en/article/crm-overview-11ilr42/) - Link to clients