> ## 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.

# Tasks overview

> Learn how tasks work in TimeTracker – where they live, what they carry, how they move through sections, and how they connect time to money.

A task is one piece of work. It lives in a project, sits in a section, and carries everything the work needs: who is doing it, when it is due, how long it should take, and how much time has gone into it.

## What is a task?

A task is the smallest unit of work you plan and track against. Every task belongs to exactly one project.

Tasks are where operations meet money. The same row that says "Homepage wireframes, Sarah Lin, due Friday" also says how many hours were estimated, how many were tracked, what those hours are worth to the client, and what they cost you.

<Info>
  The chain that runs through the whole product is **Client → Project → Task → Estimate → Time entry → Approval → Budget impact → Invoice → Payment**. Tasks are the fourth link, and the one everyone touches every day.
</Info>

## Where tasks live

There are three places you work with tasks.

| Place                 | What it is                                                                          | Best for                                       |
| --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Project **List** tab  | One table per section, with columns for time, estimate, assignee, tags and due date | Working through a project section by section   |
| Project **Board** tab | A kanban board you drag cards across                                                | Moving work along and seeing where it is stuck |
| **Tasks** page        | Your own work across every project, grouped by the day it is due                    | Planning your day                              |

The project tabs are at `/{workspace}/projects/{project}`. The personal Tasks page is in the sidebar under **Tasks**.

## How a task moves

A task's stage **is** its section. There is no separate status field to keep in step.

Each project defines its own sections – "To do", "In design", "Ready for QA", whatever fits the work. Every section carries one of three categories:

| Category      | Meaning                 |
| ------------- | ----------------------- |
| `not_started` | Work that has not begun |
| `active`      | Work in progress        |
| `done`        | Finished work           |

Moving a task into a section whose category is **Done** completes it. Moving it back out reopens it. That is the whole model.

Read more in [/projects/project-sections](/projects/project-sections).

## What a task carries

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

  <Card title="Estimates" icon="clock" href="/tasks/task-estimates">
    How long the work should take, and how revisions are recorded.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Assignees" icon="user" href="/tasks/assignees">
    One owner plus any number of collaborators.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Subtasks" icon="list-tree" href="/tasks/subtasks">
    One level of breakdown, each with its own status.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Example

Priya Raman runs the **Website Redesign** project for Bluebird Coffee at Northwind Studio.

The project has three sections: **To do**, **In progress** and **Done**. Priya creates a task called "Homepage wireframes", assigns it to Sarah Lin, sets a due date of Friday and an estimate of 6 hours.

Sarah opens the task, starts the timer, and works 3 hours. Her billable rate is $100/hour, so those 3 hours are worth **$300\*\* to the project. Her cost rate is $45/hour, so they cost Northwind **$135\*\*. The margin on those 3 hours is **\$165**.

When Sarah drags the card into **Done**, the task completes and Priya sees the finished work on the board.

## Permissions

| What you want to do          | Capability            |
| ---------------------------- | --------------------- |
| Create a task                | `task.create`         |
| Edit a task                  | `task.edit`           |
| Delete a task                | `task.delete`         |
| Change several tasks at once | `task.bulkEdit`       |
| Set or revise an estimate    | `task.reviseEstimate` |

Owner, Admin, Project Manager, Member and Contractor can create and edit tasks. Deleting and bulk editing stop at Project Manager. Finance and Client hold none of these.

Full detail is in [/tasks/task-permissions](/tasks/task-permissions) and [/concepts/roles-and-capabilities](/concepts/roles-and-capabilities).

## Plans and apps

Tasks are part of the **Projects & tasks** app, which is on by default and included on the **Free** plan. Some things attached to a task need more:

| Feature on a task                 | Needs                                         |
| --------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| Task budget cap                   | **Budgets** app on, `budget.manage`, Pro plan |
| Visible to client, Send to client | **Client portal** app on, Pro plan            |
| Timer and tracked time            | **Time tracking** app on                      |

If the Projects & tasks app is switched off, the whole Tasks area disappears from the sidebar and the URLs stop working. See [/concepts/apps-and-modules](/concepts/apps-and-modules) and [/concepts/plans-and-features](/concepts/plans-and-features).

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can a task exist without a project?">
    Every task belongs to a project. Tasks you add from the **Tasks** page without picking a project go into a hidden container project, so they behave like any other task and never get lost.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does completing a parent task complete its subtasks?">
    No. Each task completes on its own. A parent and its subtasks are separate work items with separate stages.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I move a task to another project?">
    Yes, from the task detail **Project** field – as long as none of its time has been submitted, approved or invoiced. See [/tasks/task-details](/tasks/task-details).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is there a status field?">
    No. A task's stage is the section it sits in. Your project's section names are the statuses.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create a task" icon="plus" href="/tasks/create-a-task">
    Every way to add a task.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Task views" icon="layout" href="/tasks/task-views">
    List, board and the day view.
  </Card>

  <Card title="My tasks" icon="user" href="/tasks/my-tasks">
    Your personal day-by-day list.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Project sections" icon="columns" href="/projects/project-sections">
    Define the stages a task moves through.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Budget vs estimate" icon="scale" href="/concepts/budget-vs-estimate">
    Two different numbers people mix up.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Task permissions" icon="lock" href="/tasks/task-permissions">
    Who can do what to a task.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>