Tasks are the fundamental units of work in Squared. Understanding how to effectively use tasks will help you and your team stay organized, track progress, and deliver work efficiently.

What Are Tasks in Squared?

Tasks in Squared represent discrete units of work that need to be completed. They serve as:

A way to break down projects into manageable pieces
A system for assigning and tracking work
A central location for all information about a piece of work
A medium for collaboration and communication

Each task in Squared has a unique identifier (e.g., ENG-123), which makes it easy to reference specific work items in discussions, documentation, and other systems.

Key Task Features

Rich Information Storage

Tasks can store a wealth of information:

Title and detailed description
Assignee and team ownership
Status and priority
Time-related properties (due dates, estimates)
Categorization (labels, epics)
Relationships to other tasks (parent/child, dependencies)
Comments and activity history
File attachments

Flexible Organization

Tasks can be organized in multiple ways:

Lists: Traditional list views with customizable columns
Boards: Kanban-style boards organized by status
Calendars: Timeline views based on due dates
Custom Views: Saved configurations of filters and display options

Task Workflows

Tasks follow customizable workflows that reflect your team's processes:

Creation: Tasks are created and initial information is added
Refinement: Details are clarified and tasks are prioritized
Assignment: Tasks are assigned to team members
Execution: Work is performed and status is updated
Review: Completed work is verified
Completion: Tasks are marked as done
Archive: Completed tasks are stored for reference

Accessing Tasks

Tasks can be accessed from multiple entry points:

Team Views: See all tasks for a specific team
My Tasks: View tasks assigned to you or created by you
Sprints: Access tasks organized by sprint
Search: Find tasks by ID, title, or content
Recently Viewed: Quick access to recently opened tasks
Saved Views: Custom filtered views of tasks

Task Organization Systems

Squared provides several ways to organize tasks:

Teams

Tasks belong to specific teams
Team prefix appears in task ID (e.g., ENG-123)
Teams can have custom workflows and properties

Sprints

Time-boxed periods for focused work
Tasks can be assigned to specific sprints
Sprint planning tools help allocate tasks effectively

Epics

Larger initiatives that contain multiple related tasks
Help organize work around specific goals or features
Provide progress tracking across multiple tasks

Labels

Flexible categorization system
Custom colors and names
Multiple labels can be applied to each task

Working with Tasks

Viewing Tasks

List View: Traditional list with customizable columns
Board View: Kanban-style board organized by status
Grid View: Spreadsheet-like view with rows and columns

Filtering Tasks

Filter by any property (status, assignee, priority, etc.)
Save custom filters for frequent use
Advanced filtering with multiple conditions

Sorting and Grouping

Sort by any property
Group tasks by status, assignee, priority, etc.
Customize display options for each view

Task Management Best Practices

Creation

Be Clear and Concise: Write specific titles and descriptions
Right-Size Tasks: Break down large tasks into smaller pieces
Include Context: Provide enough information for others to understand
Set Realistic Deadlines: Assign due dates that make sense

Organization

Consistent Labeling: Use labels consistently across your workspace
Hierarchical Structure: Use parent-child relationships for complex work
Regular Review: Periodically review and clean up task backlogs
Team Conventions: Establish naming and organization conventions

Execution

Keep Status Updated: Change task status as work progresses
Add Comments: Document decisions and challenges
Link Related Work: Connect tasks with dependencies or references
Track Time: Record time spent on tasks if needed for reporting

Completion

Verify Requirements: Ensure all acceptance criteria are met
Add Closure Notes: Summarize outcomes and key decisions
Link Deliverables: Attach or link to completed work
Document Learnings: Note any lessons learned for future tasks

Integrating Tasks with Your Workflow

Task Notifications

Stay informed about task updates through:

In-app notifications
Email notifications (configurable)
@mentions in comments
Dashboard activity feeds

Task Reporting

Gain insights into your work through:

Sprint reports and burndown charts
Team velocity metrics
Workload distribution
Completion rate analytics

External Integrations

Connect tasks with other tools:

GitHub integration for code changes
Calendar synchronization
Slack notifications
API access for custom integrations

Tasks Across Different Roles

Individual Contributors

Focus on tasks assigned to you
Update status as you make progress
Add comments for questions or blockers
Track time spent on tasks if required

Team Leads

Create and assign tasks to team members
Monitor progress and help remove blockers
Ensure proper task organization and prioritization
Review completed work and provide feedback

Project Managers

Create task hierarchies for project planning
Track progress across multiple teams
Generate reports for stakeholders
Manage dependencies and timelines

Executives

View high-level progress reports
Monitor team performance metrics
Identify bottlenecks and resource constraints
Make strategic decisions based on task data

Getting Started with Tasks

Browse existing tasks to understand how your team uses them
Create your first task for something you're working on
Explore different views to find what works best for you
Save custom filters for your frequently needed task lists
Practice commenting and updating tasks regularly

Ready to dive deeper? Check out our detailed guides on Creating Tasks, Editing Tasks, Parent and Child Tasks, Comments, and Task Properties.