Creating Tasks

PrimeTask gives you many ways to create a task because different situations call for different speeds. Sometimes you want to type a one-line description and move on; sometimes you want to fill in every field - project, assignees, due date, dependencies, attachments - before you save. Both are supported from the same creation form, and there are multiple entry points so you're never more than a click or a keystroke away from capturing something.

All the ways to create a task

Entry point	How	What's pre-filled
New Task button	Click the New Task button on the Tasks page toolbar	Nothing - blank form
Quick Add	Press `⌘`+`⇧`+`A` (or `Ctrl`+`⇧`+`A`) from anywhere in the app	Parsed from your natural-language input (dates, priorities, tags, project, assignees). See Quick Add.
Command palette	Press `⌘`+`K` (or `Ctrl`+`K`), type new task	Nothing - blank form
Board column	Click the + button at the bottom of any column in Board View	Status (or whatever the column's grouping field is) pre-set to match the column
Calendar drag	Drag across a time slot or click a date in Task Calendar View	Due date (and time, if you dragged a time slot)
From a project	Click New Task while inside a project's task view	Project pre-linked
From a CRM contact page	Click Add Task on a Contact Details page	Contact pre-linked as a CRM task
From a CRM company page	Click Add Task on a Company Details page	Company pre-linked as a CRM task
Add Subtask	Click Add Subtask on any task's Task Details Page	Parent task set - the new task becomes a subtask
Right-click in any view	Right-click in the task list, board, or calendar and choose New Task	Context-dependent (may pre-fill date, status, or project)
From Time Inbox (Pro)	Open Time Inbox, hover a captured block and click New Task, or select several blocks and click New Task in the bulk action bar	Captured time attached on save. See PrimeTime.
Assign picker inline row (Pro)	While attaching captured time from Time Inbox, use the + Create new task row at the top of the Assign picker to type a name, pick a status and priority, and confirm	Captured time attached on save, task selected in the picker

Quick Add is the fastest path for everyday capture

Press ⌘+⇧+A, type something like "Finish the proposal tomorrow 5pm !high #work @Website", hit Enter. PrimeTask parses the due date, priority, tag, and project from your text. See Quick Add and Quick Add Settings.

What you can set when creating a task

The creation form lets you fill in as little or as much as you want. Only the task name is required - everything else is optional and can be added later from the Task Details Page.

Essential fields

Task name (required) - a clear, actionable title. Start with a verb: "Call John", "Review proposal", "Buy groceries".
Status - defaults to your Space's default status (typically To Do). Pick any status configured for your Space. See Custom Statuses & Priorities.
Priority - defaults to your Space's default priority. Pick any priority level.

Scheduling

Due date - when the task should be done. Shows in calendar views and can trigger notifications. See Date & Time Settings for format.
Start date - when the task should begin. Useful for planning and Gantt view.
Duration - estimated time in minutes. Useful for Day Planner scheduling.
Recurrence - set the task to repeat on a schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, or custom). See Recurring Tasks.

Organisation

Project - link the task to a project. Searchable dropdown; you can also create a new project inline without leaving the form. See Projects Overview.
Milestone - link to a project milestone (filtered by the selected project). See Projects Overview.
Tags - add one or more tags. You can create new tags inline by typing a name. See Category Management Settings.
Assignees - assign one or more people. The picker shows CRM contacts from your Space. See Contacts & Tasks.

CRM linking

Linked Contact - link the task to a CRM contact. The task becomes a CRM task and appears on the contact's detail page. Multiple contacts can be linked.
Linked Company - link to a CRM company. Multiple companies can be linked.

CRM fields are available when PrimeCRM is enabled in your Space. See CRM Tasks.

Content

Description - a rich text editor for detailed notes, instructions, or context. Supports headings, lists, code blocks, and embedded content (YouTube, Twitter/X, images, links). See Rich Text Editor.
Checklist - add checklist items directly during creation. Simple done/not-done items for quick action lists. See Subtasks.
Attachments - upload files during creation. See Task Attachments.
Cover image - set a visual cover (upload, pick from Unsplash, or choose from your library). See Task Attachments.

Advanced

Dependencies (Pro) - mark this task as blocked by other tasks, or mark it as blocking them. See Task Dependencies.
Sync to Apple Calendar - toggle to push this task to Apple Calendar (macOS only, requires the integration to be set up). See Integrations Settings.
Sync to Apple Reminders - toggle to push this task to Apple Reminders (macOS only). See Integrations Settings.
Completion percentage - set initial progress manually if the task is already partially done.

Things worth knowing

Three task types

When you create a task, it becomes one of three types depending on what you link it to:

Personal task - no project, no CRM entity. A standalone to-do.
Project task - linked to a project. Appears in both the main Tasks page and the project's own task views.
CRM task - linked to a CRM contact or company. Appears on the contact's and company's detail pages, the CRM Tasks page, and the regular Tasks page. See CRM Tasks.

A task can be both a project task AND a CRM task if you link it to both a project and a CRM entity.

Task type is determined by what you link, not by a type selector

You don't explicitly pick "Personal" or "CRM" - PrimeTask infers the type from which fields you fill in. Link a project → it's a project task. Link a contact → it's a CRM task. Link nothing → it's personal. You can change the type later by adding or removing links.

Only the name is required

Everything else is optional. You can create a task with just a title, then add details later from the Task Details Page when you have more context. Don't let the number of available fields slow you down - use what you need, ignore the rest.

Don't over-organise on creation

Capture the task quickly with a name and maybe a due date. Add tags, assignees, attachments, and other details later when you open the task. Speed of capture matters more than completeness at creation time.

Creating subtasks

A subtask is a task nested inside another task. To create one, open the parent task's Task Details Page and click Add Subtask. The creation form opens with the parent task pre-set. Subtasks have their own status, priority, and assignees - they're full tasks, not just checklist items. See Subtasks.

Creating from Quick Add vs the full form

Quick Add (⌘+⇧+A) is optimised for speed - type natural language and hit Enter. It parses dates, priorities, tags, projects, and assignees from your text. Best for capturing something fast.

The full creation form (New Task button or any other entry point) gives you access to every field. Best when you want to set up a task completely before saving - with attachments, dependencies, a milestone link, or a rich description.

Both create the same kind of task. The difference is how much you fill in up front.

Unsaved changes are protected

If you start filling in the creation form and then try to close it without saving, PrimeTask warns you about unsaved changes. You can choose to discard and close, or go back and save. This prevents accidental loss of a task you were in the middle of setting up.

After saving

When you save a new task:

The task appears immediately in whichever view you're using (list, board, calendar, or Gantt)
PrimeTask offers to take you to the new task's Task Details Page so you can continue adding information
If you created the task from inside a project or CRM page, the task appears in that context

Common questions

"What's the fastest way to create a task?"

Press ⌘+⇧+A and type. Quick Add parses natural language - dates, priorities, tags, projects, and assignees are all extracted automatically. See Quick Add.

"I want to create a task for a specific date from the calendar."

Click the date in month view, or drag across a time slot in week or day view. The creation form opens with the due date (and time, if applicable) pre-filled. See Task Calendar View.

"I want to create a task linked to a CRM contact."

Open the contact's Contact Details page and click Add Task. The form opens with the contact pre-linked. Alternatively, use Quick Add with &contactname to link a contact during creation. See Contacts & Tasks.

"I want to create a recurring task."

Open the creation form, set the due date, and configure Recurrence - pick daily, weekly, monthly, or custom. See Recurring Tasks.

"I want to create a task that blocks another task."

Open the creation form, scroll to Dependencies (Pro), and add the task(s) this one blocks. See Task Dependencies.

"Can I create a task from a keyboard shortcut?"

Yes - ⌘+⇧+A opens Quick Add (the fastest path). You can also press ⌘+K to open the command palette and type new task. Both work from anywhere in the app.

"I started filling in the form but changed my mind. Will I lose my work?"

No. PrimeTask detects unsaved changes and warns you before closing the form. You can either save or explicitly discard.

"I tracked time for something new. Can I turn it into a task?"

Yes, with PrimeTime (Pro). Open Time Inbox, hover the block, and click New Task to open the creation form with the captured time ready to attach on save. Select several blocks first if you want to group them into one task. You can also add the task inline from the Assign picker without leaving it: type a name, pick a status and priority, and confirm to attach the time. See PrimeTime.

Where to go next

If you want to…	Read this
See everything about a single task	Task Details Page
Use Quick Add for fast natural-language capture	Quick Add
Create subtasks inside a task	Subtasks
Set up recurring tasks	Recurring Tasks
See all four task views	Task Views
Understand the three task types	Tasks Overview
Link tasks to CRM contacts	CRM Tasks / Contacts & Tasks
Customise statuses and priorities	Custom Statuses & Priorities
Manage tags	Category Management Settings
Set up Apple Calendar/Reminders sync	Integrations Settings
Track time and create a task from it (Pro)	PrimeTime