Status automations
Status automations in Taska change a task by themselves when it's moved into or out of a column, and keep it from moving on until conditions are met. You set them up for each column separately.
How to set up automations for a column
- Click “⋮” in the column header and choose “Automation”. The number next to it shows how many rules are already on.
- In the “Status automations” window, choose the “Entry”, “Exit”, “Entry conditions” or “Exit conditions” tab.
- Turn on the rules you need with the switches and fill them in.
- Click “Save”.
After you save, a lightning bolt appears in the column header. Point to it, and a tooltip lists what the column does, for example “Closes the task on entry”. The same window opens from the lightning bolt next to a status on the board workflow or project workflow diagram.
Entry: when a task comes into the column
| Rule | What it does |
|---|---|
| “Close the task” | Marks the task as complete at the moment of the move. The nested switch “Reopen the task when it leaves the status” is on from the start. A recurring task moves to its next date and returns to the column you choose, “The first status of the board” by default |
| “Assign the task” | Makes a selected member, the task author or whoever moved the task the assignee. “Nobody (remove the assignee)” removes the assignee |
| “Send a notification” | Notifies the task author, the assignee or selected members. You can add your own text. Whoever moved the task doesn't get the notification |
| “Change tags” | “Add tags” adds the selected tags, “Remove tags” removes the selected tags or all of them |
| “Change priority” | Sets the selected priority |
| “Change the deadline” | “Set in N days” at a set time, or “Remove the deadline”. Days are counted from the day of the move |
| “Fill in fields” | Fills in the description, the epic and the project's custom fields. An empty value clears the field |
| “Start the timer” | Starts the timer of whoever moved the task. See “Time tracking: timer and logging time” for details |
| “Move tasks closed with a checkmark here” | A task marked as complete with the circle on its card moves to this column by itself. Only one column of the board can collect tasks this way |
Exit: when a task leaves the column
The “Exit” tab has the same rules as entry: “Change the assignee”, “Send a notification”, “Change tags”, “Change priority”, “Change the deadline” and “Fill in fields”. It also has two rules of its own.
- “Uncheck the checklist items”. Checklist items become unchecked again, for example when a task is sent back for rework.
- “Pause the task timers”. Works on any move out of the column.
Each exit rule has its own “Works” setting.
| Option | When it works |
|---|---|
| “On any move out” | On any move out of the column, including to Inbox or to another board |
| “On a move forward” | On a move to any column to the right of this one |
| “On a return back” | On a move to any column to the left of this one |
| “On a move to selected columns” | Only on a move to the selected columns of this board |
Entry and exit conditions
Entry conditions keep a task out of the column, and exit conditions keep it in, until the task meets them. The “Exit conditions” tab also has a “Check” setting with the same direction options.
| Condition | When the task is let through |
|---|---|
| “The checklist is fully done” | All checklist items are checked |
| “The task has an assignee” | An assignee is set |
| “The task has no active blockers” | The task has no blockers. See “Blockers: how to mark a task as blocked” for details |
| “All previous tasks are closed” | All tasks that come earlier through relations are closed. See “Related tasks and task chains” for details |
| “Time is logged on the task” | There's a timer with time on it or time logged in the chat. Only exit conditions have this one |
| “Required fields” | The selected fields are filled in: description, deadline, tags, epic or the project's custom fields |
Conditions are checked on any status change: when you drag a card, in the task window, when you send a task along a status connection and when you change the status of several tasks at once. While you drag a card, a column that won't take it shows a shield with an exclamation mark. If the move fails, Taska shows “Transfer is not possible” and lists what's missing, for example “the checklist has unfinished items”.
When automations don't run
- The task was created right in the column. Rules work only when an existing task is moved.
- The space isn't on the Business plan. The lightning bolt in the column header is faded, and its tooltip says “Not active on the current plan”.
- The exit rule is set to a different direction.
- Several tasks were moved at once. No notifications are sent in that case, the other rules still work.
What you see after automatic closing
If the column closes tasks, Taska shows “The task was closed automatically in the ‘Done’ status” after the move. Closed tasks are hidden on the board by default, so the card disappears from the column.
Related articles
On the website: Cross-team processes in Taska: linked boards without code