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Structure your projects clearly

In This Article

Effective projects depend on consistent structure. In this article, we’ll cover how to write actionable tasks, when to use subtask, and how to set up sections that map to real stages of work.

Make tasks the single source of truth

A task should capture the outcome, the assignee, and the date—so anyone can answer “who’s doing what by when?” at a glance. Keep the title action-oriented, add a clear description, set an assignee, and give it a due date. If your work needs triage or reporting, add a couple of custom fields (e.g., Priority, Work type), but start small so fields stay meaningful.

You can create a task in three different ways:

  1. From the + Create button in the top bar
  2. Via the + Add task button in a project
  3. Clicking + next to the section

Task details

A well-formed task should tell any teammate what will happen, who owns it, and when it’s due.

  1. Task name: Write a clear, action-first title that states the outcome. Avoid vague labels.
    Example: “Prepare agenda for quarterly planning meeting.”
  2. Assignee: Every task needs one assignee—the person accountable for completion. Assign it immediately (to yourself or the right teammate) so responsibility is unambiguous. Others can follow as collaborators.
  3. Description: Add the context required to finish the work: objectives, requirements, links. Attach supporting materials (images, charts, short videos) so everything lives in one place.
  4. Dates: Set a due date so priority and timing are clear. If the work spans multiple days, add a start date as well.
  5. Collaborators: Add the people who need visibility. They’ll receive updates and can comment, while the assignee remains responsible for delivery.
Note iconNote

If the work involves different deliverables, split it into multiple tasks and create a project rather than adding everything to one task.

Use subtasks to break up work

Subtasks shine when a task has multiple contributors or discrete steps. They keep responsibilities and dates clear without losing the bigger context of the parent task. Limit depth to one layer. Deep nesting hides work and makes projects harder to scan.

When to use a subtask:

  • Breaking a deliverable into hand-offs.
  • Assigning prep or follow-ups to different people tied to the same outcome.
  • Capturing per-reviewer action items on a single artifact.

By design, subtasks live under their parent task. If you also want to manage them in the project alongside other tasks (for sorting, grouping), add the subtask to the project and give it a due date. Then it behaves like a parent task in that project’s views.

Sections

Sections are the backbone of a project. They divide work into stages or categories. Name them clearly, and order the way work moves.

Good patterns to try:

  • Stage-based (e.g., Intake, In progress, Ready for review, Done).
  • Stream-based (e.g., Design, Content, Web).
Note iconNote

Simple section names make automation easier later.

Create sections

To create a section in your project:

  1. Click the drop-down menu next to the Add new button
  2. Click Add section

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How to structure projects | Asana Help Center