Plan a task in the Tasks widget

A task in the Tasks widget can be one line, or it can carry a full plan: who is doing it, when it starts and ends, what has to finish first, notes, files and smaller steps. Everything here is saved as you change it, and due dates show on the desk's Calendar widget.

Use this when a piece of work has more than one person, a deadline, or steps that depend on each other.

Before you start

• You need a Tasks widget on the desk with at least one task in it. See Tasks widget.
• Task planning is included on every plan.

Open a task's details

1. Find the task in the Tasks widget.
2. Click the arrow at the end of its row (Show details), or click the task's name.
3. The row opens in place. A row of quick controls comes first, then the details.

If the task already has its own desk, clicking its name asks whether to Open the task here or Go to its desk. Choose Open the task here, or use the arrow, which always opens the details directly.

Queue, snooze and the task's desk

The first row of the details holds three quick controls.

Queue

Queue says what kind of task this is. It decides which section the task falls under when you group the list By queue, and the word on the task's box.

A new task starts in To Do. Tasks on a desk also show in Attention, under the same queue. See Queues, closing verbs and grouping Coming soon.

Snooze

Click 1d, 3d or 1w to put the task down for a day, three days or a week. It leaves the Active list and comes back on its own when the time is up. While a task is snoozed, a Wake now button appears beside these; click it to bring the task back straight away.

Give it a desk

Give it a desk opens the task as a desk of its own, so you can put widgets on it. Once the task's desk has widgets, the button says Its desk and takes you there.

Status and assignee

• Status: Open, In progress, Parked or Done. In the list, an In progress or Parked task shows a coloured dot.
• Assignee (the person icon): type a name and press Enter or click away. It is free text, so you can assign a task to anyone, including people who do not use PlexiDesk. The row shows their initials. Leave it empty for Unassigned.

Set the dates

• Start: when the work should begin. The task's row shows it with an arrow after it.
• Due: when it has to be finished.
• Duration: how many days the task takes.

Typing a duration moves the due date and keeps the start where it is. If the task has no start yet and does not wait for another task, typing a duration also sets the start to today. To clear a date, delete it in its box.

Make a task wait for another

When one task cannot start until another is finished, link them.

1. Open the later task's details.
2. In Waits for, choose the task that has to finish first. The list shows the other tasks in the widget.
3. Leave Lag empty to start as soon as that task is due, or type a number of days:
   • A positive number leaves a gap, such as 2 for two days after the other task ends.
   • A negative number overlaps them, such as -1 to start a day before it ends.

The start date now follows the other task: it is that task's due date plus the lag, and from dependency appears under it. This needs the other task to have a due date. If that date moves, this task's start moves with it.

To set a start date of your own instead, type it in Start. To go back to the date that follows the other task, delete your date. To unlink the tasks, set Waits for to Nothing.

Notes

Type anything worth remembering about the task in Notes. It saves as you type.

Type @ to mention a desk, a room, a document, a widget or a person, then pick from the list. See Link desks, widgets and people with @.

Attachments

1. Under Attachments, click Attach.
2. Choose a file. Its name appears in the list, and the row shows a paper clip with the number of files.

Click a file's name to open it. To take a file off the task, rest the pointer on it and click the cross (Remove from this task). The file itself stays in your files; only the link to this task is removed.

Subtasks

Break a task into smaller steps.

1. Click in Add a subtask.
2. Type the step and press Enter. Add as many as you need.
3. Tick a subtask's box when it is finished. Tick it again to reopen it.

The Subtasks heading shows how many are finished, such as 1/3, and so does the task's row.

See every task at once: Table view

The list shows one task's details at a time. Table view lays out every task's plan side by side, so you can check who has what and what waits on what.

1. Click Table at the top of the Tasks widget.
2. Edit any cell in place.
3. Click List to go back to the list.

The table shows the same tasks as the list, with the same tab, scope and order. It scrolls inside the widget. For notes, attachments and subtasks, switch back to List and open the task.

Common questions

The Lag box is greyed out

Lag only applies once the task waits for another one. Choose a task in Waits for first.

The start date says "from dependency"

The start is following the task it waits for. Type your own date in Start to override it, or delete your date to go back.

Can a task wait for more than one task?

No. Waits for takes one task. For a longer chain, make each task wait for the one before it.

Attach says it needs the desktop app

Attaching files works in the PlexiDesk desktop app. If you are using a shared desk in a browser, open it in the desktop app to attach files.

Does removing an attachment delete the file?

No. Remove from this task only takes it off the task. The file stays in your files.

Related tasks

• Tasks widget
• Calendar widget
• Plan and track widgets
• Queues, closing verbs and grouping Coming soon
• Link desks, widgets and people with @