Task Comments and Activity Feed

Difficulty: Intermediate

Overview

Tasks aren't just lists—they're living conversations. Effective collaboration happens when team members can discuss work, ask questions, share updates, and track progress all in one place. Waymaker taskboards provide rich commenting and activity tracking features that transform tasks into dynamic collaboration hubs.

This guide teaches you how to use comments effectively, leverage @mentions for targeted notifications, navigate the activity timeline to understand task history, manage threaded discussions, and apply best practices for asynchronous team communication.

What You'll Learn

• How to add, edit, and delete comments on tasks
• Using @mentions to notify specific team members
• Understanding the activity timeline (system events + comments)
• Managing threaded discussions and replies
• Comment permissions and visibility
• Email notification behavior for comments
• Comment formatting with markdown
• Best practices for effective task communication

Prerequisites

• A Waymaker account with access to taskboards
• An existing taskboard with tasks (or create one following Creating Your First Taskboard)
• Understanding of basic task management (see Basic Task Management)
• At least Member permissions on the taskboard (to add comments)

Understanding Task Activity

Every task in Waymaker has an activity timeline that records two types of information:

1. System Events (Automatic)

System events are automatically logged when task properties change:

Common System Events:

• Task created by [User] on [Date]
• Task moved from "In Progress" → "Review" by [User]
• Priority changed from Medium → High by [User]
• [User] assigned to this task
• Due date set to [Date] by [User]
• Task marked complete by [User]
• Attachment "filename.pdf" added by [User]
• Layer changed from "Sprint 1" → "Sprint 2" by [User]

Why System Events Matter:

• Complete audit trail of task changes
• Understand task history without reading comments
• See who made what changes and when
• Identify bottlenecks (task sitting in same section for weeks)

2. User Comments (Manual)

Comments are messages added by team members:

Common Comment Types:

• Questions: "Should we use the dark blue or light blue?"
• Updates: "Design mockups are ready for review"
• Blockers: "Waiting on API documentation from backend team"
• Decisions: "We're going with Option B after discussing with the client"
• Context: "This is related to the bug reported in ticket #245"

Why Comments Matter:

• Centralized conversation (no need to hunt through email/Slack)
• Context lives with the task
• Asynchronous communication (everyone can catch up)
• Searchable history
• Notification system keeps stakeholders informed

The Activity Timeline View

Location: Open any task → Scroll down → Activity section (bottom of task details modal)

Timeline Layout:

• Most recent at top (reverse chronological)
• System events and comments intermixed
• Timestamps show relative time ("2 hours ago") or absolute time ("Oct 10, 2025 at 3:45 PM")
• User avatars show who performed each action

Filter Options:

• All Activity (default): System events + comments
• Comments Only: Hide system events, show only human conversation
• System Events Only: Hide comments, show only property changes

Adding Comments

Basic Comment Creation

From Task Details Modal:

1. Open the task (click any task card)
2. Scroll to the bottom of the task details
3. Locate the "Add a comment" text area
4. Type your comment
5. Click "Post Comment" or press Ctrl+Enter (Windows) / Cmd+Enter (Mac)
6. Comment appears in the activity timeline immediately

Comment Placeholder Text: The comment box shows: "Add a comment... Use @ to mention someone"

Comment Formatting

Waymaker supports markdown formatting in comments:

Basic Formatting:

• **bold** → bold
• *italic* → italic
• ~~strikethrough~~ → strikethrough
• `code` → code

Lists:

- Bullet point 1
- Bullet point 2
  - Nested bullet

1. Numbered item 1
2. Numbered item 2

Links:

[Link text](https://example.com)

Code Blocks:

```javascript
function hello() {
  console.log("Hello world");
}
```

Mentions:

@username - notifies that user
@team-name - notifies entire team (if supported)

See Rich Text Descriptions for full markdown reference.

Quick Comment Actions

Keyboard Shortcuts:

• Ctrl+/ (Windows) or Cmd+/ (Mac): Focus comment box
• Ctrl+Enter / Cmd+Enter: Post comment
• Escape: Cancel comment (if not yet posted)

Comment Draft Auto-Save:

• Comments are auto-saved as drafts while typing
• If you close the task before posting, your draft persists
• Return to the task to continue editing your draft

Using @Mentions

@Mentions notify specific users about a comment. When you @mention someone, they receive:

• In-app notification
• Email notification (if enabled)
• Notification badge on their dashboard

How to @Mention

Typing @:

1. Type @ in the comment box
2. A dropdown appears showing team members
3. Type a few letters to filter the list
4. Click the user's name or press Enter to select
5. The user's name appears as a linked mention in your comment

Example:

@john Can you review the designs before Friday? Thanks!

Multiple Mentions:

@sarah and @mike - please take a look when you have a moment.

Who Can Be @Mentioned?

Mentionable Users:

• All board members (anyone with access to the taskboard)
• Organization members (even if not explicitly on this board)
• Guests (if they have access to this specific task)

Not Mentionable:

• Users outside your organization
• Deactivated accounts
• Users who've lost board access

Team Mentions (Future Feature):

• @designers - mention all designers
• @engineering - mention entire engineering team
• Check if your board supports team mentions

@Mention Notifications

When you @mention someone:

They receive:

1. In-app notification (bell icon) with preview
2. Email notification (subject: "[Board Name] You were mentioned in '[Task Name]'")
3. Email contents: Comment text, task link, task details preview

Email Notification Example:

Stuart Leo mentioned you in "Design homepage mockup"

Comment:
@john Can you review the designs before Friday? Thanks!

Task: Design homepage mockup
Board: Q4 Marketing Campaign
Priority: High | Due: Oct 15, 2025

→ View Task

Notification Timing:

• In-app: Instant
• Email: Instant (if email notifications enabled)
• Digest: Included in daily/weekly digest (if configured)

@Mention Best Practices

✅ DO:

• Use @mentions to notify specific stakeholders
• @mention the task owner when asking questions
• @mention relevant experts ("@sarah you know this codebase, thoughts?")
• Be specific about what you need ("@mike please review by EOD")

❌ DON'T:

• @mention everyone on every comment (creates notification fatigue)
• @mention people just to "keep them informed" (they can follow the task instead)
• Use @mentions for urgent issues (use Slack/phone for true emergencies)
• @mention someone repeatedly if they haven't responded (they may be busy)

Managing Comments

Editing Comments

Edit Your Own Comments:

1. Hover over your comment in the activity timeline
2. Click the "Edit" icon (pencil icon)
3. Update the comment text
4. Click "Save" or press Ctrl+Enter
5. Comment shows "(edited)" indicator with timestamp

Who Can Edit:

• Your own comments: Always
• Other people's comments: Only if you're Board Owner or Admin

Edit History:

• Waymaker tracks edit history (future feature)
• "Last edited [time] ago" appears below edited comments

Deleting Comments

Delete Your Own Comments:

1. Hover over your comment
2. Click the "Delete" icon (trash can)
3. Confirmation dialog: "Delete this comment?"
4. Click "Delete"
5. Comment is permanently removed (cannot be undone)

Who Can Delete:

• Your own comments: Always
• Other people's comments: Board Owner or Admin only

What Happens When You Delete:

• Comment disappears from activity timeline
• @mention notifications remain (already sent)
• Replies to deleted comments may become orphaned (check UX)

Reacting to Comments (Future Feature)

Emoji Reactions:

• React with 👍 👎 😊 🎉 without adding a full comment
• Lightweight way to acknowledge
• Check if your board supports reactions

Comment Permissions

Who Can Comment?

Comment Access by Role:

Role	Can Read Comments	Can Add Comments	Can Edit Own Comments	Can Delete Own Comments	Can Edit/Delete Others' Comments
Owner	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Admin	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Member	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Viewer	✅	❌	N/A	N/A	❌
Guest	✅ (task-specific)	✅ (task-specific)	✅	✅	❌

Guest Permissions:

• Guests can only see tasks they're explicitly assigned to or invited to
• If a guest can see a task, they can comment on it
• Guests cannot see comments on tasks they don't have access to

Private Comments (Future Feature)

Private Comments are visible only to specific users:

• Check a "Private" checkbox when adding comment
• Select who can see it (Owner, Admin, specific users)
• Useful for sensitive discussions (e.g., performance issues)

Email Notifications for Comments

When You Receive Email Notifications

You receive an email when:

1. Someone @mentions you in a comment
2. Someone comments on a task you're assigned to (if enabled)
3. Someone comments on a task you created (if enabled)
4. Someone comments on a task you're watching (if enabled)

You do NOT receive an email when:

• You add a comment yourself
• Someone comments on a task you're not involved with
• You've disabled email notifications in settings

Configuring Email Notification Preferences

Global Settings:

1. Click your profile avatar → "Settings"
2. Navigate to "Notifications" tab
3. Configure email preferences:
   • ☑ Email me when someone @mentions me (recommended: ON)
   • ☑ Email me when someone comments on my tasks (optional)
   • ☑ Email me when someone comments on tasks I created (optional)
   • ☑ Email me when someone comments on tasks I'm watching (optional)

Per-Task Watching:

1. Open any task
2. Click "Watch" button (eye icon)
3. You'll receive notifications for all comments on this task
4. Click "Unwatch" to stop notifications

Email Digest Option:

• Instead of instant emails, receive daily or weekly digest
• Settings → Notifications → Email Frequency → "Daily Digest" or "Weekly Digest"
• Digest includes all activity from followed tasks

Replying to Comment Emails

Direct Reply (Future Feature):

• Some systems allow replying to comment notification emails
• Your email reply becomes a comment on the task
• Check if Waymaker supports this feature

Current Workflow:

• Click the task link in the email
• Opens the task in Waymaker
• Add comment via web interface

Threaded Discussions (Future Feature)

Thread Support: Some taskboards support threaded comments (replies to specific comments):

Creating a Thread:

1. Hover over a comment
2. Click "Reply"
3. Your reply is indented beneath the original comment

Benefits:

• Organized discussions
• Multiple conversation threads per task
• Easier to follow complex discussions

Check if Available:

• Look for "Reply" option when hovering over comments
• If not available, use flat comment structure

Comment Best Practices

✅ DO

1. Be Clear and Specific

• Bad: "This won't work"
• Good: "The submit button doesn't work on mobile Safari. It's unresponsive when tapped. I've tested on iOS 17."

2. Provide Context

• Link to related tasks, documents, or screenshots
• Explain why, not just what
• Tag relevant people for their expertise

3. Use Comments for Decisions

• Document key decisions in comments
• Example: "Decided in today's standup: We're going with Option B (blue header) because it aligns with brand guidelines."

4. Update Status via Comments

• "Just finished the API integration. Ready for QA."
• "Blocked: Waiting on design feedback from @sarah"
• "Update: Client approved this approach. Moving forward."

5. Ask Actionable Questions

• Bad: "Thoughts?"
• Good: "@mike Do you prefer the sidebar on the left or right? We need to decide by EOD to stay on schedule."

6. Use Markdown for Clarity

• Format code snippets with backticks
• Use bullets for lists
• Bold key points
• Link to relevant resources

7. Keep Conversations in the Task

• Avoid solving issues in email/Slack and not documenting in the task
• Copy important external decisions into task comments
• Ensures everyone has context

❌ DON'T

1. Don't Use Comments for Urgent Issues

• Comments are asynchronous
• For urgent blockers, use Slack/phone + follow up with a comment

2. Don't Over-Notify

• Don't @mention 10 people on every comment
• Only @mention people who need to take action

3. Don't Have Lengthy Debates

• If a comment thread goes beyond 5-6 back-and-forths, schedule a call
• Summarize the call outcome in a comment afterward

4. Don't Use Vague Language

• Avoid: "soon", "maybe", "we should probably"
• Use: specific dates, clear decisions, actionable steps

5. Don't Forget to Follow Up

• If you ask a question, follow up on responses
• If you're asked a question, respond within 24 hours (or acknowledge with timeline)

6. Don't Leave Comments Unresolved

• If a comment raises an issue, either resolve it or create a new task
• Don't let important discussions disappear into comment history

Troubleshooting

"I @mentioned someone but they didn't get notified"

Possible causes:

• They have email notifications disabled
• They're not a member of the board
• There's a typo in their username
• Email went to spam folder

Solution:

1. Verify the @mention is correctly formatted (user's name is blue/linked)
2. Check if the user is a board member: Board Settings → Members
3. Ask them to check notification settings: Profile → Settings → Notifications
4. Ask them to check spam folder
5. As backup, send them a direct message (Slack/email) with task link

"I can't edit or delete a comment"

Possible causes:

• It's someone else's comment and you're not an Admin/Owner
• You lost permissions on the board
• Comment was posted before a system update (legacy comment)

Solution:

1. You can only edit/delete your own comments (unless you're Admin/Owner)
2. Ask a Board Admin/Owner to delete the comment if needed
3. If it's your comment but you can't edit, try refreshing the page

"Comment notifications are overwhelming"

Possible causes:

• Too many tasks you're involved in
• Email notifications enabled for all activity
• No filtering of notifications

Solution:

1. Switch from instant emails to daily digest: Settings → Notifications → Email Frequency → Daily Digest
2. Unwatch tasks you don't need to follow: Open task → Click "Unwatch"
3. Disable "Comments on tasks I created" if you create many tasks: Settings → Notifications → Uncheck this option
4. Use email filters to organize Waymaker notifications into a folder

"Can't find a specific comment"

Possible causes:

• Comment is on a different task
• Comment was deleted
• Activity timeline is filtered (showing only system events)

Solution:

1. Check filter toggle: Switch to "All Activity" or "Comments Only"
2. Use Cmd+F (Mac) or Ctrl+F (Windows) to search page for keywords
3. Use board-wide search to find tasks with specific comment content
4. Check if the comment was on a different related task

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Mistake 1: Not reading the activity timeline

Problem: Asking questions that are already answered in comments

Solution: Before commenting with a question:

1. Read the activity timeline
2. Check if someone already asked/answered
3. Saves time and reduces notification noise

❌ Mistake 2: Using comments instead of updating task details

Problem: Putting key information only in comments (due dates, requirements, decisions)

Solution: Comments are for discussion. Task details are for facts:

• Due date → Task due date field (not "We need this by Friday" in a comment)
• Requirements → Task description
• Acceptance criteria → Task checklist
• Use comments to discuss these, but update task fields with final decisions

❌ Mistake 3: Not documenting external decisions

Problem: Having a Slack/Zoom conversation and not capturing it in the task

Solution: After important external discussions:

1. Summarize key points in a task comment
2. Tag relevant people
3. Example: "Update from call with @client today: They approved the blue design. Moving forward with Option B."

❌ Mistake 4: Passive-aggressive comments

Problem: "Well, I guess we're just ignoring the deadline then?" or "Nice job leaving this until the last minute"

Solution: Be professional and constructive:

• Focus on problems, not people
• Ask questions instead of making accusations
• Example: "This task is at risk. @john, what do you need to unblock? Can I help?"

Quick Reference

Add Comment:

• Open task → Scroll to bottom → Type in comment box → Post Comment

@Mention Someone:

• Type @ in comment box → Select user from dropdown → Post

Edit Comment:

• Hover over your comment → Edit icon → Make changes → Save

Delete Comment:

• Hover over your comment → Delete icon → Confirm

Filter Activity:

• Click filter toggle → Choose "All Activity", "Comments Only", or "System Events Only"

Watch Task for Notifications:

• Open task → Click "Watch" button (eye icon)

Email Notification Settings:

• Profile → Settings → Notifications → Configure email preferences

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Related Articles

• Basic Task Management - Task creation and lifecycle
• Rich Text Descriptions - Markdown formatting guide
• Inviting Team Members - Add people to boards
• Notifications and Mentions - Advanced notification settings
• Real-time Collaboration - Live presence and updates

Next Steps

You now know how to communicate effectively using task comments and @mentions! Ready to continue?

1. Task Attachments and Files - Attach documents and images to tasks
2. Bulk Task Operations - Edit multiple tasks at once
3. Guest Collaboration - Work with external partners

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Ready for next topic? → Task Attachments and Files