What are Subtasks in Cirkus?
You can use Subtasks to split tasks into smaller parts, or to define more detailed goals and assign them to multiple people.
Subtasks are full Tasks with their own assignees, dates, comments and files.
How to create a Subtask
To create a subtask:
- Select your parent Task, to load it in the Inspector.
- In the Subtasks section of the inspector, click on [Add Subtask].
(On Cirkus web , click the (+) button, and on iOS, go to the Subtasks tab in Task details.)
- In the New Subtask sheet fill out all the information as you would for a Task.
The Subtask will be assigned to your own user by default, but you can assign it to any project Member, Role, or email address.
- You can also select a template to apply to your Subtask if one is available in your Workspace.
Add files, dates and priorities, as you would with any normal Task.
- Click OK and your Subtask will show in the Task Inspector.
Working with Subtasks
- When a Task has a Subtasks you will see a Subtask count in the Task cell, along with an indicator of Subtask completion with a pie chart.
The parent task status is independent of that of the subtasks. - You can also click into a Task and manage them via in the Subtasks tab.
- Collaborators will be notified of Subtasks activity in their Inbox just like they are for tasks.
- You can star Subtasks and they will be pinned to your Starred Tasks.
- You can include Subtasks in your advanced Search and csv exports.
- You can add start and end dates to Subtasks and they will show in your Schedule.
- You can define if the parent Task status is Independent or if it depends on Subtask Status in Tasks and Template options. Read more about this setting here.
- Subtasks can be nested beneath their Parent in the Task list by selecting the “Include Subtasks” option from the Showing/Filter at the bottom of the list.
Subtasks in Task Templates
A really powerful way to use Subtasks is with Task Templates.
You can create a Task Template with custom fields, statuses, workflows and now Subtasks.
To add Subtasks to your Task Templates.
- As Workspace Admin, go to your Workspace, and Templates tab, then “Task Templates”
- Select the Task template you want to edit, and click through to the “Subtasks” tab of that Template.
- There you can add the Subtasks that you want to include in the Template.
- You can also set conditions for the Subtask within the Template.
For example, when creating a Request if the requestor sets “Captioning needed” = YES, Subtasks will be created for “Captioning” and “Captioning QC “.
If “Captioning needed” = NO, on the parent Task, the Subtasks will not be created.
- If you are using Subtasks in Task Templates you can specify if the Parent status should be “Depends on Subtasks” or “Independent”. This is set in Task Template>Info, and the option only appears when the Template already has subtasks.
- Note: when using “Depends on Subtasks” mode it is not possible to define the assignee of a Task Template as it will be implicitly set from the assignees of the Subtasks.
Note: Subtasks in Task Templates is a Pro feature an can only be used in Pro Workspaces on cirkus.com. For more information check /pricing/
Parent and Subtask Statuses
When you create subtasks under a parent tasks, by default the parent will have its own status too i.e if all subtasks are done, the parent will still be Not Done.
This is a useful feature if some work also needs to be completed on the parent task, for example QC, or final delivery.
On the other hand, if the subtasks are a list of things to do and when this list is completed the body of work is completed, then you should use the “Depends on Subtasks” Parent Status setting
Below you can see how this affects the status and assignees on the parent in each mode
Parent status “Depends on Subtasks”
Parent does not have own assignees or status. They depend on the completion (Done, Not Done) of the subtasks.
When all subtasks are done, the parent is done.
When parent task assignee status is updated, all subtasks are also updated
Parent Status is Independent
Parent can have it’s own Assignees and status, and must be completed seperately.
Changes in the parent do not affect the subtasks, and vice versa.
