Task

Definition: A task in Taskade is a single unit of work: one line in a project that you can check off, assign, schedule, nest into subtasks, and hand to an AI agent. It is the smallest piece of Taskade's hierarchy, and every project, view, and automation is built from tasks.

In project management, a task is commonly defined as an activity that needs to be accomplished within a defined period of time or by a deadline (Wikipedia: Task (project management)). Taskade keeps that meaning and adds three things: tasks nest without limit, the same task list renders in multiple project views, and AI agents can create and complete tasks alongside your team. Tasks live inside projects. Add a due date and the task appears on the Calendar. Add an assignee and it shows in My Tasks.

TL;DR: A task is the atomic to-do in Taskade: checkable, assignable, schedulable, and nestable into subtasks. Press Enter to add a task and Tab to nest it. Every task syncs in real time across project views, and AI agents can create or complete tasks for you. Describe your first project and build it free →

What a Task Looks Like Inside Taskade

A task is one row in your project. Check it to complete it, indent it to make it a subtask, or open it to add a due date, assignee, comments, and attachments. Below is the same project shown in two views. The tasks stay identical, and only the layout changes.

┌─ List View ──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  ☐  Launch Q3 newsletter           @maya   Jun 12  🔁     │
│      ☑  Draft subject lines        @maya   Jun 08         │
│      ☐  Design header banner       @leo    Jun 10         │
│      ☐  Schedule send in tool      —       Jun 12         │
│  ☐  Collect customer quotes        @priya  Jun 14         │
│  ☑  Finalize budget                @maya   Jun 05         │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

┌─ Board View ─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│   To Do            In Progress         Done               │
│  ┌────────────┐   ┌────────────┐     ┌────────────┐       │
│  │ Header     │   │ Subject    │     │ Budget     │       │
│  │ banner @leo│   │ lines @maya│     │ @maya  ☑   │       │
│  ├────────────┤   └────────────┘     ├────────────┤       │
│  │ Customer   │                      │ Draft subj │       │
│  │ quotes     │                      │ lines  ☑   │       │
│  └────────────┘                      └────────────┘       │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Where Will You Find a Task Inside of Taskade?

You find tasks stacked under your project headers or nested in sub-lists. Each task can have nested subtasks, and you can nest them several levels deep to model a larger breakdown. Think of a subtask as a smaller step inside a bigger objective. Subtasks keep the main task manageable because you complete them one by one. The caret on a parent task folds or unfolds its subtasks.

Why Task Structure Matters in 2026

Big goals stall when nobody can see the next step. A task list turns a goal into steps with an owner and a date. Wikipedia notes two classic problems with tasks: dependencies, where a task cannot start until another finishes, and completion ambiguity, where it is unclear what "done" means for a partly finished task (Wikipedia). Small, checkable tasks with one owner reduce both problems, because "done" is a checkbox. AI adds a new option: you can give the first draft of a task to an agent and keep the review for yourself.

How to Add a Task and a Subtask

The Add Task / Subtask guide covers the full steps. The short version:

1. Click an empty line in a project and start typing to add a task.
2. Press Enter to create the next task below.
3. Press Tab to indent a line and turn it into a subtask.
4. Press Shift + Tab to move a subtask back up a level.
5. Drag a task to reorder it or move it between sections.

The Lifecycle of a Task

A task moves through a predictable lifecycle, whether you advance it by hand or let an AI agent and a reliable automation workflow do it for you.

A repeating task adds one twist. When you complete one instance, the next occurrence appears in the project. See recurring tasks.

What Can You Attach to a Task?

A task is more than a checkbox. Each one can carry the context it needs to get done.

Tasks also carry tags, custom fields, files, and reactions. See Due Dates and Custom Fields for setup.

A Worked Example: Launch Checklist

A marketer plans a product launch as one project.

1. She adds "Launch Q3 newsletter" as a task and presses Tab under it to add three subtasks: draft, design, schedule.
2. She assigns the draft to Maya and the design to Leo, then gives the newsletter a due date.
3. The dated tasks appear on the Calendar, and each person sees their own items in My Tasks.
4. She switches from List to Board to see progress by column. The tasks are the same, and only the layout changed.
5. She asks an AI agent to draft subject lines under the draft subtask, then reviews the result before checking it off.

How AI Agents Work With Tasks

Taskade AI agents and Taskade EVE can read, create, assign, and complete tasks directly inside a project. Using their built-in tools, agents can turn a single prompt into a structured task list, then keep it moving by generating subtasks, drafting content for each item, or marking work done as it finishes. In an AI Team on Orchestrate mode, a plan is built step by step and each step goes to the best-suited agent. This is part of Taskade's Workspace DNA loop: Memory (your projects and tasks) feeds Intelligence (agents), which drives Execution (automations).

Common Mistakes With Tasks

• Tasks that are really projects. "Launch website" is a project. Break it into tasks you can finish in one sitting.
• No owner. A task with no assignee is easy to ignore. Assign it so it appears in someone's My Tasks.
• No date. Undated tasks never reach the Calendar. Add a due date to anything time-bound.
• Flat lists for big work. Use subtasks to group related steps under one parent instead of a long, mixed list.
• Copying tasks between views. You do not need to. Every view reads from the same tasks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a task in Taskade?

A task is a single unit of work in a Taskade project. You can check it off, assign it, give it a due date, add comments, and nest subtasks under it. It is the smallest piece of the hierarchy that runs from workspace to folder to project to task.

What is the difference between a task and a subtask?

A task is an item in your project, and a subtask is a nested step indented beneath a parent task. Press Tab on a new line to turn it into a subtask. Subtasks can nest several levels deep, and you can fold or unfold them with the caret on the parent.

How do I add a task in Taskade?

Click an empty line in a project and type, then press Enter for the next task. You can also use the plus button at the bottom of the task list, or type / for the slash command menu. The Add Task / Subtask guide has every step.

Can I assign a task to a teammate?

Yes. Add an assignee to a task and it appears in that person's My Tasks view across their projects. You can also mention people in a comment with @ to notify them. See Assign Tasks.

Do tasks appear in every project view?

Yes. The same task list renders in every project view, including List, Board, Table, and Mind Map, plus the views under More Views. A task you check off in List view is checked in Board view too, because every view reads from one source. Gantt Chart, Actionsheet, and Org Chart are paid-only. See project views.

How do recurring tasks work?

Set a due date and a frequency on a task: daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or a custom interval. When you complete one instance, the next occurrence appears in the project. See recurring tasks.

Can I type a due date instead of picking one?

Yes. Taskade reads everyday phrases such as "tomorrow" or "next Monday" when you type a date with the / slash command. See Due Dates.

Can AI create and complete tasks for me?

Yes. Taskade AI agents and Taskade EVE can generate a task list from a prompt, add subtasks, draft content for each item, and mark tasks complete. You can also connect reliable automation workflows so tasks are created or updated when an event happens in one of 100+ connected tools.

What You Would Build in Taskade

Picture the launch checklist above as a live team hub: a tracker where every task has an owner and a date, a Calendar that shows the week, and an agent that drafts the first pass of each item. Describe the process you run every week, and Taskade Genesis builds the project, the agent, and the automations around it.

Describe yours and build it free →

Related

• Project: the container your tasks live in
• Project Views: see the same tasks in different layouts
• My Tasks: every task assigned to you in one place
• Calendar: tasks with due dates in one view
• Recurring Tasks: repeat work on a schedule
• AI Agents: let agents create and complete tasks
• Workspace: the top level that holds it all

For More Information About Tasks

For step-by-step guides on adding and managing tasks, visit Learn Taskade: Add a task and subtask, Manage tasks, and Due dates.