Understanding Parent and Subtask Relationships in Canopy
In Canopy, the relationship between parent tasks and subtasks is designed to facilitate streamlined task management. By default, parent tasks reflect the completion status of their subtasks. However, this behavior can be customized to better meet your workflow requirements.
Default Behavior: Parent Tasks and Subtasks
In scenarios where a parent task serves solely as a container for its subtasks, the parent task will automatically be marked as "Completed" when all its subtasks are completed.
If a parent task has a single subtask, completing that subtask will also mark the parent task as "Completed," unless alternative configurations are in place.
Customizing Parent Task Completion Behavior
To prevent a parent task from auto-completing when subtasks are completed, you can configure automation settings for the parent task. Here’s how:
Navigate to the parent task in your Canopy workspace.
Open the Automation settings for the task.
Add a rule to change the parent task’s status to something other than "Completed" (e.g., "Needs Review") when one or more subtasks are marked as "Completed."
This configuration allows for greater control over task completion and status updates.
Example Use Case
You are managing a collaborative report with different sections (subtasks) assigned to team members. By configuring the parent task’s automation, you can ensure that when a team member completes their section, the parent task reflects a status like "Needs Review" instead of automatically being marked as "Completed." This ensures the overall task includes review and approval processes.
FAQs
Why does the parent task auto-complete?
As a default feature, Canopy considers the parent task complete when it no longer has incomplete subtasks. This is intended to simplify task status updates.
Can I configure different rules for different parent tasks?
Yes, the automation settings are customizable for each task, giving you flexibility to adapt to specific workflows.
Related Topics
Automating workflows in Canopy
Managing complex task hierarchies in Canopy