Basic Task Management

Difficulty: Beginner

Overview

Tasks are the building blocks of your taskboard. Whether you're tracking a simple to-do item or a complex deliverable with dependencies, understanding how to create, edit, and manage tasks effectively is essential for getting the most out of Waymaker's taskboard system.

This guide covers everything you need to know about day-to-day task management, from creating your first task to organizing tasks across your board.

What You'll Learn

• Create tasks using quick add and full modal methods
• Edit task details and properties
• Move tasks between sections with drag-and-drop
• Understand the task card anatomy
• Mark tasks as complete
• Delete and archive tasks
• Use keyboard shortcuts for efficiency

Prerequisites

• A taskboard created (Creating Your First Taskboard)
• Basic understanding of the taskboard interface (Interface Overview)
• Access to a board where you have member or admin permissions

Creating Tasks

There are two primary methods for creating tasks: Quick Add for speed and Full Modal for detail.

Method 1: Quick Add (Recommended for Most Tasks)

The quick add method is perfect for rapidly capturing tasks during brainstorming or sprint planning sessions.

Steps:

1. Navigate to any section on your taskboard (e.g., "To Do")
2. Click the "+ Add task" button at the bottom of the section
3. Type the task name in the inline input field
4. Press Enter to create the task
5. Continue typing and pressing Enter to add more tasks quickly

Example workflow:

Click "+ Add task" in To Do section
→ Type "Review client proposal" → Enter
→ Type "Prepare presentation slides" → Enter
→ Type "Schedule team standup" → Enter
→ Click outside or press Escape to finish

💡 Tips for Quick Add:

• Keep task names concise but descriptive (aim for 3-8 words)
• Use action verbs at the start ("Review...", "Create...", "Update...")
• Press Escape to cancel and clear the input
• The task appears immediately in the section where you created it

When to use Quick Add:

• ✅ Brainstorming sessions where speed matters
• ✅ Converting meeting notes into actionable tasks
• ✅ Building initial project task lists
• ✅ Daily task capture and triage

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Method 2: Full Modal Creation

Use the full modal when you already know task details like assignee, due date, or description.

Steps:

1. Click "+ Add task" button in any section
2. Type the task name and press Enter (creates the task)
3. Click on the newly created task card to open the task modal
4. Fill in additional details:
   • Description (rich text with formatting)
   • Assignee (who's responsible)
   • Due date (when it's needed)
   • Priority (Low, Medium, High, Urgent)
   • Time estimate (hours or days)
   • Layer assignment (if using layers)

Alternatively (for boards that support it):

• Some boards have a "+ Detailed Task" button that opens the modal immediately

💡 Tips for Modal Creation:

• Fill in at least the assignee and due date for accountability
• Use the description field to capture context and requirements
• Set priority to help with daily task selection
• Add time estimates if tracking capacity or burndown

When to use Full Modal:

• ✅ Creating client deliverables with specific requirements
• ✅ Tasks that need detailed acceptance criteria
• ✅ Assigned work with clear deadlines
• ✅ Tasks requiring upfront context for team members

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Task Naming Best Practices

Good task names are:

• Action-oriented: Start with a verb (Create, Review, Update, Fix, Design)
• Specific: Clear enough that anyone can understand what's needed
• Concise: Avoid paragraphs - use description field for details
• Outcome-focused: Describe the result, not the process

Examples:

❌ Poor Task Names	✅ Good Task Names
"Website"	"Design homepage hero section"
"Client stuff"	"Review Acme Corp proposal feedback"
"Meeting"	"Prepare Q4 roadmap for board meeting"
"Bug"	"Fix login redirect loop on Safari"
"Research things about competitors"	"Analyze competitor pricing models"

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Understanding the Task Card

Every task appears as a card on your board. Here's what each element means:

Task Card Anatomy

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 🔴 Design homepage hero section     │ ← Task name + Priority indicator
│                                     │
│ 👤 Sarah Chen                       │ ← Assignee avatar and name
│ 📅 Due Oct 15                       │ ← Due date
│ 📊 Epic: Website Redesign           │ ← Layer assignment (if any)
│                                     │
│ ✓ 2/5 checklist items               │ ← Checklist progress
│ 💬 3 comments                       │ ← Comment count
│ 📎 2 attachments                    │ ← File attachments
│                                     │
│ ━━━━━━━━━━━━ 40%                   │ ← Progress bar
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Card Elements Explained

Priority Indicator (colored dot or border):

• 🔴 Urgent - Red (needs immediate attention)
• 🟠 High - Orange (important, do soon)
• 🟡 Medium - Yellow (normal priority)
• 🟢 Low - Green (nice to have)

Assignee Avatar:

• Shows who's responsible for the task
• Hover to see full name
• Empty state shows "Unassigned"

Due Date:

• Format: "Due MMM DD" or "Due Today"
• Color changes as deadline approaches:
  • Normal: Gray text
  • Due soon (within 3 days): Orange
  • Overdue: Red with warning icon

Layer Badge:

• Only appears if task is assigned to a layer
• Shows layer name (e.g., "Sprint 4" or "Phase 2")
• Click to filter board by that layer

Checklist Progress:

• "X/Y checklist items" format
• Green checkmark when all items complete
• Click card to manage checklist items

Comments:

• Shows total comment count
• Includes system comments (assignments, moves)
• Updates in real-time as team discusses

Progress Bar:

• Manual or calculated from checklist completion
• 0% (empty) to 100% (full green bar)
• Helps visualize work-in-progress status

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Editing Task Details

Click any task card to open the task detail modal where you can edit all properties.

Task Modal Sections

1. Header Section

• Task Name: Click to edit inline (supports up to 255 characters)
• Close Button: Save changes and close modal
• More Menu (⋮): Access delete, duplicate, convert to template

2. Main Content Area

Description Tab:

• Rich text editor with formatting toolbar
• Supports: Bold, italic, lists, headings, links, code blocks
• Markdown shortcuts work (e.g., **bold**, - list item)
• Use for: Requirements, context, acceptance criteria, notes

Details Tab:

• Assignee: Search and select from board members
• Due Date: Calendar picker or type date (supports natural language)
• Priority: Dropdown (Low, Medium, High, Urgent)
• Time Estimate: Hours or days (used for capacity planning)
• Layer: Assign to epic, sprint, phase, or other layer
• Tags: Custom labels for filtering (if enabled)

Checklist Tab:

• Add checklist items: Break task into sub-tasks
• Check off items: Track completion progress
• Reorder items: Drag to prioritize
• Delete items: Click trash icon
• Completion percentage auto-updates task progress

Activity Tab:

• Timeline of all task changes
• System events: Created, assigned, moved, completed
• Comments: Team discussion and updates
• Mentions: @mention team members for notifications

Files Tab:

• Attachments: Upload documents, images, PDFs
• Drag and drop files directly to task
• Preview: Click to view in modal or download
• Version tracking: See upload date and uploader

Dependencies Tab (Advanced):

• Blocked by: Tasks that must complete first
• Blocking: Tasks waiting for this task
• Dependency types: Finish-to-Start, Start-to-Start, etc.
• Visual indicators: See dependencies in Gantt view

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Quick Edit Shortcuts

You can edit many task properties without opening the full modal:

Inline Edits on Card:

• Change section: Drag card to different column
• Update progress: Some themes show inline progress slider
• Quick assign: Click assignee avatar to reassign

Keyboard Shortcuts in Modal:

• ⌘/Ctrl + Enter: Save and close
• Tab: Move between fields
• Escape: Close without saving (prompts if changes made)
• ⌘/Ctrl + K: Quick command palette

Bulk Edit (select multiple tasks):

• Hold Shift and click task cards to select multiple
• Right-click → Bulk actions menu
• Change assignee, priority, layer, or section for all at once

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Moving Tasks Between Sections

Tasks flow through your workflow by moving between sections. There are several ways to move tasks:

Method 1: Drag and Drop (Recommended)

Steps:

1. Click and hold on any task card
2. Drag the card to the target section
3. Drop the card in the desired position within the section
4. Task automatically updates to new status

Visual Feedback:

• Card becomes semi-transparent while dragging
• Drop zones highlight when you hover over them
• Position indicator shows where card will land
• Real-time updates for all users viewing the board

💡 Tips:

• Hold Shift while dragging to copy instead of move
• Drop at top or bottom of section to control task order
• Drag cards between layers if layer view is active

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Method 2: Task Modal Section Selector

Steps:

1. Open task modal by clicking task card
2. Find "Section" dropdown in Details tab
3. Select new section from dropdown
4. Changes save automatically

When to use:

• Editing multiple task properties at once
• Moving tasks on mobile devices (drag-and-drop less reliable)
• Bulk operations when combined with filters

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Method 3: Bulk Move

Steps:

1. Select multiple tasks (Shift+Click or Ctrl+Click)
2. Right-click on any selected task
3. Choose "Move to..." from context menu
4. Select target section
5. All selected tasks move together

Use cases:

• Moving all tasks from Backlog → To Do for sprint planning
• Bulk-completing tasks (move to Done section)
• Reorganizing after import or template use

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Task Progress Tracking

Track how much of each task is complete using progress percentages.

Setting Progress

Method 1: Manual Progress (default)

1. Open task modal
2. Find "Progress" slider in Details tab
3. Drag slider or type percentage (0-100%)
4. Progress bar updates on task card

Method 2: Checklist Auto-Progress

1. Create checklist items in task
2. Check off items as you complete them
3. Progress calculates automatically:
   • Formula: (completed items / total items) × 100
   • Example: 3 of 5 items = 60% complete

Method 3: Section Auto-Complete

1. Move task to section marked as "Completion Section" (usually "Done")
2. Task automatically marks as 100% complete
3. Completion timestamp recorded
4. Can be undone by moving task back to non-complete section

Progress Indicators

On Task Cards:

• Progress bar at bottom of card (color-coded)
• Percentage text next to bar (e.g., "40%")
• Color coding:
  • 0-33%: Red (just started)
  • 34-66%: Orange (in progress)
  • 67-99%: Yellow (nearly done)
  • 100%: Green (complete)

In List View:

• Progress column shows percentage
• Sort by progress to find stuck tasks
• Filter by progress range (e.g., show all < 50%)

In Gantt View:

• Progress bar overlays task timeline
• Helps identify schedule risks
• Compare planned vs actual progress

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Marking Tasks Complete

Completing tasks is one of the most satisfying actions in taskboard management!

Completion Methods

Method 1: Move to Done Section

1. Drag task to "Done" section (or your board's completion section)
2. Task automatically marks as 100% complete
3. Completion timestamp recorded
4. Activity log updated with "Completed" event

Method 2: Set Progress to 100%

1. Open task modal
2. Set progress slider to 100%
3. Task remains in current section but marked complete
4. Useful for tracking completed work still in review

Method 3: Complete All Checklist Items

1. If using checklist auto-progress
2. Check off all checklist items
3. Task automatically reaches 100%
4. Move to Done section when ready

What Happens When You Complete a Task?

• ✅ Visual change: Task card shows green checkmark or complete badge
• ✅ Timestamp: Completion date/time recorded
• ✅ Activity log: "Completed by [User] on [Date]" entry added
• ✅ Notifications: Watchers notified of completion
• ✅ Dependencies: Blocked tasks may become unblocked
• ✅ Metrics: Board progress and burndown charts update
• ✅ Auto-archive: After 30 days, may auto-archive (configurable)

Reopening Completed Tasks

Need to reopen a completed task? Easy:

1. Find the task in Done section
2. Drag it back to an active section (To Do, In Progress, etc.)
3. Task automatically becomes incomplete (< 100% progress)
4. Activity log records "Reopened" event

Or:

1. Open task modal
2. Reduce progress below 100%
3. Task unmarked as complete while staying in Done section

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Deleting Tasks

Sometimes tasks become irrelevant or were created by mistake. Here's how to clean them up:

Deleting Individual Tasks

Steps:

1. Open task modal by clicking task card
2. Click more menu (⋮) in top right corner
3. Select "Delete task"
4. Confirm deletion in dialog box
5. Task immediately removed from board

⚠️ Warning: Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. All task data (comments, files, history) is lost.

Alternative: Archive Instead

• Move task to "Archive" section if available
• Keeps task data but removes from active workflow
• Can be retrieved later if needed

Bulk Delete

Steps:

1. Select multiple tasks (Shift+Click to select range)
2. Right-click on any selected task
3. Choose "Delete selected tasks"
4. Confirm bulk deletion
5. All selected tasks deleted permanently

💡 Tip: Use filters to identify tasks to delete:

• Filter by: Created > 90 days ago + Status = Backlog
• Review filtered tasks
• Bulk delete irrelevant ones

Deletion Permissions

Who can delete tasks:

• ✅ Task creator - Can always delete their own tasks
• ✅ Board admins - Can delete any task on the board
• ✅ Board owner - Full deletion permissions
• ❌ Board members - Cannot delete others' tasks (configurable)
• ❌ Guests - No deletion permissions

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Task Organization Best Practices

Daily Task Workflow

Morning Routine (5 minutes):

1. Review "To Do" section → Drag 3-5 tasks to "In Progress"
2. Check "In Progress" → Update progress on active tasks
3. Review "Review" section → Approve or send back tasks
4. Scan "Done" → Celebrate yesterday's wins!

End of Day (3 minutes):

1. Update progress on all "In Progress" tasks
2. Move completed work to "Review" or "Done"
3. Add tomorrow's tasks to "To Do" section
4. Review board for blockers or overdue items

Task Prioritization Strategy

Use Priority Field Consistently:

• 🔴 Urgent: Deadline today or blocking others (< 5% of tasks)
• 🟠 High: Due this week, important outcomes (15-20% of tasks)
• 🟡 Medium: Standard priority, due within 2 weeks (60-70% of tasks)
• 🟢 Low: Nice to have, flexible timeline (10-20% of tasks)

Daily Focus:

1. Start with all 🔴 Urgent tasks
2. Complete at least 2 🟠 High tasks
3. Fill remaining time with 🟡 Medium tasks
4. 🟢 Low tasks only if ahead of schedule

Avoid Priority Inflation:

• If everything is urgent, nothing is urgent
• Limit urgent tasks to true emergencies
• Use due dates for time-sensitive work

Keeping Your Board Clean

Weekly Maintenance (10 minutes):

• Archive completed tasks older than 7 days
• Delete abandoned tasks in Backlog for > 30 days
• Update stale tasks that haven't been touched in 2 weeks
• Reassign tasks from team members on vacation
• Review unassigned tasks → Assign owners

Red Flags to Address:

• Tasks in "In Progress" for > 1 week without updates
• Overdue tasks (review and adjust due dates or escalate)
• Tasks with no assignee (assign or delete)
• Tasks blocked by dependencies for > 3 days

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Keyboard Shortcuts for Task Management

Master these shortcuts to become a taskboard power user:

Task Creation & Navigation

Shortcut	Action
N	Create new task in current section
Enter	Open selected task modal
Escape	Close task modal
⌘/Ctrl + K	Quick command search

Task Editing

Shortcut	Action
⌘/Ctrl + Enter	Save and close task modal
Tab	Next field in modal
Shift + Tab	Previous field in modal
⌘/Ctrl + B	Bold text in description
⌘/Ctrl + I	Italic text in description

Task Selection & Movement

Shortcut	Action
↑ / ↓	Navigate between tasks
Shift + Click	Select range of tasks
Ctrl/⌘ + Click	Add task to selection
Ctrl/⌘ + A	Select all visible tasks
Delete	Delete selected tasks (with confirm)

Quick Actions

Shortcut	Action
A	Assign task to yourself
Shift + A	Open assignee picker
D	Set due date
P	Set priority
Space	Mark task complete / incomplete

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Common Task Management Mistakes

❌ Creating Tasks That Are Too Large

Problem: Tasks like "Build entire website" or "Complete Q4 marketing" Impact: Never gets started, sits in backlog forever, unclear progress Solution: Break into smaller tasks (2-8 hours each):

• ✅ "Design homepage wireframe"
• ✅ "Write homepage copy"
• ✅ "Develop homepage HTML/CSS"

❌ Not Assigning Tasks

Problem: Tasks remain unassigned or "assigned to everyone" Impact: No accountability, tasks fall through cracks Solution: Every task should have exactly one owner (assignee)

• Owner can delegate or collaborate, but accountability is clear
• Unassigned tasks are allowed in Backlog, not in To Do or In Progress

❌ Ignoring Due Dates

Problem: Setting due dates that don't matter or always pushing them back Impact: Team stops trusting deadlines, planning becomes ineffective Solution: Only set due dates for tasks that truly have deadlines

• ✅ Client deliverable with contract date → Set due date
• ❌ Internal refactoring with no urgency → Leave due date empty
• If you miss a due date, update it immediately and communicate why

❌ Progress Never Updates

Problem: Tasks sit at 0% or 50% forever Impact: Cannot track velocity, burndown charts useless, unclear status Solution: Update progress at least twice per week

• Use checklist auto-progress for granular tracking
• Set reminder to update progress during daily standup
• Progress should increase regularly or task is blocked (investigate!)

❌ Section Overload

Problem: 20 tasks in "In Progress" for a 5-person team Impact: Multitasking thrash, nothing actually completes Solution: Implement WIP (Work In Progress) limits

• Rule of thumb: 1-2 tasks "In Progress" per person
• Move tasks back to "To Do" if not actively working
• Finish tasks before starting new ones

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Troubleshooting

"I can't create tasks"

Possible causes:

• You're a viewer or guest with read-only access
• Board is archived
• Organization has reached task limit

Solution:

1. Check your board role (Settings → Members)
2. Verify board is active (not archived)
3. Contact board admin if permissions issue

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"Tasks disappear after I create them"

Possible causes:

• Filter is active hiding your new tasks
• Wrong layer selected (task created in different layer)
• Browser sync issue

Solution:

1. Clear all active filters (click "Clear filters" in sidebar)
2. Select "All layers" in layer dropdown
3. Refresh page (⌘R or Ctrl+R)
4. Check "All Tasks" list view to locate task

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"Drag and drop isn't working"

Possible causes:

• Browser compatibility (outdated browser)
• Conflicting browser extension
• Touch device without proper gesture support

Solution:

1. Update browser to latest version
2. Disable browser extensions temporarily to test
3. Use section dropdown in task modal as alternative
4. Try two-finger drag on touch devices

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"Task changes aren't saving"

Possible causes:

• Network connection issue
• Session expired
• Concurrent edit conflict

Solution:

1. Check internet connection
2. Look for save indicator (should show "Saved" in modal)
3. Refresh page and re-enter changes if needed
4. Sign out and back in if session expired

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Next Steps

You now have a solid foundation in task management! Ready to level up?

1. Inviting Team Members - Collaborate with your team on tasks
2. Board Settings & Configuration - Customize your workflow
3. Introduction to Layers - Organize tasks hierarchically
4. Task Details and Metadata - Advanced task properties
5. Rich Text Descriptions - Master task descriptions

Related Articles

• Creating Your First Taskboard
• Understanding the Taskboard Interface
• Task Checklists and Subtasks
• Task Priority and Urgency
• Writing Effective Tasks

Quick Reference

Create Task:

• Click "+ Add task" → Type name → Enter

Edit Task:

• Click task card → Edit in modal → Auto-saves

Move Task:

• Drag and drop to new section

Complete Task:

• Drag to "Done" section OR set progress to 100%

Delete Task:

• Open task → More menu (⋮) → Delete → Confirm

Keyboard Shortcuts:

• N - New task
• Enter - Open task
• Space - Mark complete
• ⌘+Enter - Save and close

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Ready to collaborate? → Inviting Team Members