> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.timetracker.in/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Assignees and collaborators

> Assign a task to one owner, add collaborators, reassign in bulk, and understand who gets notified when work changes hands.

A task has one **assignee** – the person who owns it – and any number of **collaborators**, the people who care about it.

## Assignee vs collaborator

| Assignee                                   | Collaborator                                 |
| ------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------- |
| Exactly one person                         | Any number of people                         |
| The task appears on their Tasks page       | The task does not appear on their Tasks page |
| Notified when the task is assigned to them | Not notified on assignment                   |
| Shown as the avatar on the board card      | Shown as extra avatars on the card           |

Use the assignee for "whose job is this". Use collaborators for reviewers, second pairs of hands and anyone who needs to follow along.

## Assign a task

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the task">
    Click the row or card. The side panel opens.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click the Assignee field">
    It is in the **Details** section. The picker is searchable and shows each person's avatar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a person">
    The change saves immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

You can also change the assignee straight from the project **List** tab – the **Assignee** column is an editable picker on every row.

<Tip>
  When the task is not yours, an **Assign to me** link appears under the picker in **Details**. One click takes it.
</Tip>

## Add collaborators

Collaborators live on the full task page.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the full task page">
    Click the diagonal arrow in the panel header, or the task number in the breadcrumb.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find the More card">
    It is at the bottom of the right rail.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use the Collaborators picker">
    Choose as many people as you need. Each shows with an avatar.
  </Step>
</Steps>

If the workspace has no other members yet, the field reads "No members to add yet."

## Assign several tasks at once

Select the tasks on the board and use the bulk bar's **Set assignee** dropdown, then **Apply**. See [/tasks/bulk-actions](/tasks/bulk-actions).

## Who you can assign to

The picker only offers people you are allowed to assign work to. Someone whose supervision scope covers only themselves gets a list of one. That list is decided on the server, so it is the same list wherever the picker appears.

Only members of the current workspace can be assigned. An assignee is validated again on save.

## What happens next

When a task is assigned to someone other than you:

* They get a **task assigned** notification, through the channels they have turned on.
* The task starts appearing in the right day bucket on their **Tasks** page.
* Their home-screen widget refreshes.

You are never notified about your own click. Assigning a task to yourself sends nothing.

Reassigning a task notifies the new person. Re-saving the same assignee sends nothing.

## Example

Priya Raman creates "Homepage wireframes" on Bluebird Coffee – **Website Redesign** and assigns it to **Sarah Lin**. Sarah gets a notification and the task shows up in her **Today** bucket on the Tasks page.

Priya adds **Jonas Bergman** as a collaborator so he can see the layout before he builds it. Jonas is not notified and the task does not land in his day list – he follows it through the comment thread instead.

Later the wireframes are handed to **Ana Ferreira**. Priya changes the assignee; Ana is notified, and the task leaves Sarah's day list and joins Ana's.

## Options and settings

| Control           | Where                  | Notes                                            |
| ----------------- | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| Assignee picker   | Detail pane → Details  | Searchable, avatars, one person                  |
| **Assign to me**  | Detail pane → Details  | Only shown when the task is not already yours    |
| Assignee column   | Project **List** tab   | Edit in place, row by row                        |
| Collaborators     | Full task page → More  | Multi-select                                     |
| **Set assignee**  | Bulk bar               | Applies to the whole selection                   |
| Assignee filter   | Board toolbar → Filter | Narrows the board to chosen people               |
| Group by Assignee | Board toolbar → Group  | One column per person, plus an Unassigned column |
| Whose tasks       | **Tasks** page header  | Only shown if you can view others' work          |

<Note>
  The **Details** picker has no "Unassigned" option. You change an assignee by choosing a different person.
</Note>

## Permissions

| Action                                       | Capability        |
| -------------------------------------------- | ----------------- |
| Assign or reassign a task                    | `task.edit`       |
| Add or remove collaborators                  | `task.edit`       |
| Reassign several tasks at once               | `task.bulkEdit`   |
| See another person's tasks on the Tasks page | `time.viewOthers` |

Remember that a capability and a scope are two different things. `time.viewOthers` says you **may** look at other people's work. Your supervision scope says **whose**. Both have to pass. See [/concepts/supervision-scope](/concepts/supervision-scope).

| Role            | Assign a task | View others' tasks |
| --------------- | ------------- | ------------------ |
| Owner           | Yes           | Yes                |
| Admin           | Yes           | Yes                |
| Project Manager | Yes           | Yes                |
| Finance         | No            | No                 |
| Member          | Yes           | No                 |
| Contractor      | Yes           | No                 |
| Client          | No            | No                 |

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can a task have two assignees?">
    No. One assignee, so ownership is never ambiguous. Add the second person as a collaborator, or split the work into subtasks with different owners.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do collaborators get notified about comments?">
    Being a collaborator does not on its own trigger a notification. Mention someone with @ in a comment to reach them – see [/tasks/comments-and-mentions](/tasks/comments-and-mentions).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Someone is missing from the picker">
    Either they are not a member of this workspace, or they are outside your supervision scope. Check the roster at [/settings/team-members](/settings/team-members).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I assign a task to a client contact?">
    No. The Client role holds no delivery capabilities and never appears as an assignee.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens to a person's tasks when they leave?">
    The tasks stay where they are, still assigned to that person's record. Reassign them from the project list or with a bulk edit. See [/team/remove-a-member](/team/remove-a-member).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The assignee change did not stick">
    The server validates that the person is a member of this workspace. If they were removed between the page loading and your click, the change is refused. Refresh and pick again.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I cannot see the Whose tasks picker on the Tasks page">
    You do not hold `time.viewOthers`. The page shows your own work only, and that filter cannot be widened by hand.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The person was notified twice">
    Assigning notifies once per genuine change. Re-saving the same person sends nothing. Two notifications means the assignee changed twice.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Task fields" icon="list" href="/tasks/task-fields">
    Every field on a task.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Bulk actions" icon="layers" href="/tasks/bulk-actions">
    Reassign many tasks at once.
  </Card>

  <Card title="My tasks" icon="user" href="/tasks/my-tasks">
    Where an assigned task shows up.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Supervision scope" icon="eye" href="/concepts/supervision-scope">
    Capability says may, scope says whose.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Roles and capabilities" icon="lock" href="/concepts/roles-and-capabilities">
    The seven roles and what they hold.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>