Organizing Tasks: Subtasks and Dependencies
🎯 Why This Matters
Complex projects need structure. Breaking large tasks into subtasks and linking related work helps you:
- Manage complexity - Big projects become manageable pieces
- Track progress accurately - See exactly where things stand
- Aggregate data automatically - Parent tasks roll up time and costs from children
- Show relationships - Link tasks that depend on or relate to each other
📂 Understanding Task Hierarchy
Parent and child tasks let you organize big projects into clear, manageable pieces.
Parent Tasks
A parent task is a container for related work. It represents the overall goal or project.
- Example: "Prepare Room A for New Grow Cycle"
- Cannot have timers run directly on them
- Automatically aggregates costs and time from subtasks
Subtasks (Child Tasks)
Subtasks are the individual pieces of work within a parent.
- Example: "Clean grow tables", "Inspect irrigation system", "Set up lighting"
- Can be assigned, timed, and tracked independently
- Contribute to parent task totals
➕ Creating Subtasks
Add subtasks in seconds - break down complex work without losing the big picture.
Method 1: From the Task Sidebar
- Click a task to open its sidebar
- Click Create Subtask
- Fill in the subtask details
- Save - the new subtask appears under the parent
Method 2: When Creating a New Task
- Click + New Task
- In the task form, select a Parent Task
- Fill in the rest of the details
- Save - the task is created as a child of the selected parent
💡 Quick Tip
You can nest subtasks multiple levels deep. A subtask can have its own subtasks, creating a detailed work breakdown structure.
📊 How Data Aggregates
See the true cost and time of any project - parent tasks automatically total up all subtask data.
Parent tasks automatically roll up data from their children:
| Field | How It Aggregates |
| Time Tracked | Sum of all child task timer sessions |
| Labour Cost | Sum of all child labour costs |
| Supply Cost | Sum of all child supply costs |
| Total Cost | Sum of all child total costs |
This means you can see the true cost and time of a project by looking at the parent task, even if work is distributed across many subtasks.
👀 Viewing Subtasks
Expand any parent task to see what's inside - collapse when you need the big picture.
In the Task List
- Parent tasks show an expand/collapse arrow
- Click to show or hide subtasks
- Use Hierarchical Sort to group parents with their children
In the Task Sidebar
- Open a parent task
- Scroll to the Subtasks section
- See all direct children with their status
- Click any subtask to view its details
🔗 Task Links and Dependencies
Connect related tasks across projects - show what depends on what, even outside a hierarchy.
Beyond parent-child relationships, you can link tasks that relate to each other.
Link Types
| Type | Meaning | Example |
| Depends On | This task cannot start until the linked task is done | "Package product" depends on "Complete QC testing" |
| Blocks | This task must finish before the linked task can start | "Clean room" blocks "Start new grow cycle" |
| Relates To | Tasks are related but no dependency | "Order supplies" relates to "Inventory count" |
🔗 Creating Task Links
Link any two tasks in a few clicks - choose the relationship type that fits.
- Open a task in the sidebar
- Find the Links section
- Click Add Link
- Search for the task you want to link
- Select the link type (depends on, blocks, relates to)
- Save the link
Viewing Linked Tasks
Linked tasks appear in the Links section of the sidebar. Click any link to jump to that task.
⚠️ Note
Task links are informational - they help you understand relationships but don't automatically block work. Team members can still update linked tasks independently.
📋 When to Use Subtasks vs Links
Pick the right tool - subtasks for breaking down work, links for connecting separate efforts.
| Use Subtasks When... | Use Links When... |
| Breaking one project into pieces | Connecting separate projects |
| You want costs to roll up to a parent | Tasks are independent but related |
| Work is part of a single effort | One task depends on another |
| Same team, same timeline | Different teams or timelines |
✨ Best Practices
For Subtasks
- Keep hierarchy shallow - 2-3 levels max for clarity
- Make subtasks actionable - Each should be a clear piece of work
- Use consistent granularity - Subtasks should be similar in size
- Don't over-divide - If a task takes 15 minutes, it probably doesn't need subtasks
For Links
- Use sparingly - Only link tasks that truly depend on each other
- Choose the right type - "Depends on" vs "Relates to" mean different things
- Keep links current - Remove links that no longer apply