Subtasks
Break down large tasks into smaller, trackable pieces with parent-child task hierarchies
Subtasks let you break large tasks into smaller, independently trackable units. A parent task can have multiple subtasks, and each subtask is a fully functional task in its own right — with its own status, priority, assignees, labels, and timeline.
Creating Subtasks
From the Task Detail Panel
- Open any task
- Find the Subtasks section in the task detail
- Click Add Subtask
- Enter the subtask title and optionally set other fields
- Press Enter or click Create
The subtask is immediately associated with the parent and appears in the subtasks list.
From the Quick Create Modal
When creating a new task, you can assign it as a subtask of an existing task by setting the Parent Task field.
The Parent Task View
When you open a task that has subtasks, a Subtasks section shows:
- All subtasks with their status, priority, and assignees
- A progress indicator showing how many subtasks are completed
- A button to add more subtasks
Clicking any subtask opens it as a full task, where you can edit all of its properties.
Subtask Properties
Subtasks inherit no properties from the parent. Each subtask has its own:
- Title and description
- Status, priority, and assignees
- Labels and category
- Visibility setting
- Timeline and comments
This means a subtask can have a different assignee, status, and priority from its parent task.
Navigating Between Parent and Subtasks
- From a subtask — A breadcrumb or "Parent" link at the top of the subtask detail takes you back to the parent task
- From the parent — The subtasks list shows a quick overview and links into each subtask
Promoting a Subtask to a Top-Level Task
To remove a subtask from its parent (making it an independent task):
- Open the subtask
- Find the Parent field in the task sidebar
- Click the parent link and select Remove parent
The task becomes a standalone task and no longer appears in the parent's subtask list.
Subtasks and Visibility
Each subtask has its own visibility setting (public or private). A subtask's visibility is independent of the parent task's visibility. You can have a public parent task with private subtasks (for internal implementation details) or private parent tasks with public subtasks.
Subtasks and Progress Tracking
The parent task's subtask section shows a count of completed subtasks versus total subtasks. This gives a quick at-a-glance progress view, similar to a checklist:
3 / 5 subtasks complete
The parent task's own status is set manually — completing all subtasks does not automatically close the parent task.
Limitations
- Subtasks can only be one level deep — a subtask cannot itself have subtasks
- Subtasks are not shown in the main task list by default; they appear within the parent task's detail view
When to Use Subtasks vs. Task Relations
Use subtasks when:
- A piece of work is clearly a component of a larger task
- You want to track granular progress within a single deliverable
- The sub-items would clutter the main task list
Use task relations (Relations) when:
- Two tasks are independent but related or dependent
- You want to express that one task blocks another
- Tasks may be worked on by different teams
Tips
Keep subtasks small — A subtask should represent a few hours to a day of work at most. If it's larger, consider making it a separate task with a relation instead.
Use subtasks for checklists — For simple multi-step tasks, subtasks work well as a trackable checklist with their own assignees and statuses.
Group related work — If you're implementing a feature that has a backend task, a frontend task, and a docs task, create these as three subtasks under a parent "Implement X feature" task.