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A dependency says “this task cannot finish until that one does”. TimeTracker calls the other task a blocker.

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What is a dependency?

A dependency is a one-way link between two tasks in the same project:
WR-145 Send for review is blocked by WR-144 Build in Figma
The task you are looking at is the dependent. The task it waits on is the blocker. Dependencies are informational, not enforcing. You can still complete a blocked task – the product asks you to confirm first, rather than stopping you.

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Dependency vs subtask

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Add a blocker

1

Open the full task page

Dependencies live on the full page, under Subtasks.
2

Find Add a dependency

A dropdown lists the other tasks in this project. Tasks that are already blockers are left out, and so is the task itself.
3

Pick the blocking task

It is added straight away and appears in the blockers list.
Adding the same blocker twice does nothing – the second attempt is quietly ignored.

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Read the blockers list

Each blocker shows its title and its current state. A blocker that is not yet done carries a blocking indicator, so you can see at a glance what is actually holding the task up. A blocker counts as cleared when its section reaches the Done category.
If a blocker is deleted, it stops blocking and drops out of the list. The link itself survives, so restoring the deleted task brings the blocker back exactly as it was.

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Remove a blocker

1

Click the X on the blocker row

A confirmation opens – “Remove dependency?”
2

Confirm

The link is removed. You can add it back at any time.
Removing a dependency is a plain confirmation, not a typed one, because it is trivially re-addable.

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The loop guard

TimeTracker refuses to create a circular dependency. That includes an indirect loop through several tasks. If A is blocked by B, and B is blocked by C, then C cannot be blocked by A. The picker shows the message inline, right where you clicked:
That would create a loop – a task can’t depend on itself, directly or indirectly.
The check runs on the server before anything is saved, so a loop can never end up stored.

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Completing a blocked task

When you click Mark complete on a task with unfinished blockers, a confirmation appears:
Complete anyway? 2 tasks this depends on aren’t done yet. Completing now ignores that.
Confirm and the task completes normally. The dependency is a warning, not a lock – sometimes the work really did finish out of order.

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Example

On Bluebird Coffee – Website Redesign, Priya Raman sets up the handoff: Jonas Bergman opens WR-150 and sees one blocker, still open, with the blocking indicator. He knows not to start. When Priya tries to add WR-150 as a blocker on WR-144, the picker refuses it inline – that would close the loop.

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Options and settings

The picker only ever offers tasks from the same project. Cross-project dependencies are not supported.

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What happens next

  • The task’s Activity feed records the blocker being added or removed.
  • The Mark complete button starts asking for confirmation while any blocker is open.
  • Nothing is scheduled or reordered. A dependency does not move dates.

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Permissions

Owner, Admin, Project Manager, Member and Contractor all hold task.edit. Finance and Client do not. Dependencies belong to the Projects & tasks app, which every workspace has and which is on the Free plan. Turning off the Planner does not affect them.

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Common questions

No. The picker only offers tasks in the same project.
No. Blockers never prevent tracking, editing or completing – they warn.
No. TimeTracker does not reschedule a task because its blocker moved. Move the dates yourself, or plan the work in the Planner.
There is no fixed limit. In practice, a task with a long blocker list usually wants splitting.
A blocker is cleared when it sits in a section whose category is Done – whatever your project calls that section.

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Troubleshooting

It is either already a blocker, is this task itself, or belongs to another project.
Follow the chain. The task you picked already depends on this one, directly or through other tasks. Remove the existing link first if the direction was wrong.
It was deleted. A deleted blocker no longer blocks. Restore it from Trash to bring the link back – see /settings/trash.
You do not hold task.edit in this workspace.

Subtasks

A different kind of relationship.

Task details

Where the Dependencies section lives.

Project sections

What makes a blocker count as done.

Planner overview

Scheduling work across the week.

Task permissions

Who may add and remove blockers.