Tag: Asana tutorial

  • How to hide Completed Tasks in Asana: A Step-by-Step Guide

    How to hide Completed Tasks in Asana: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Whether you want to declutter your workspace or permanently remove completed tasks, Asana offers straightforward options to manage your tasks effectively.

    We’ll give you a detailed step-by-step guide on how to hide completed tasks in Asana, how to delete the task, and also how to archive those tasks in this article.

    To hide completed task in Asana, click on “Filter,” then click on “incomplete tasks,” select the three-dot button, then click “Save the layout as default.”

    This will hide the completed tasks in your Asana dashboard, but to delete the tasks, click on the task, select the “Ellipsis menu,” and navigate to the “delete task” button.

    Hiding completed task in Asana

    How to Hide Completed Tasks in Asana

    If you want to hide completed tasks temporarily from your workspace without deleting them, Asana provides a simple way to filter them out.

    Step-by-Step guide on hiding tasks in Asana

    Open Your Project: Go to the project or task list where the completed tasks are located.

    By default, all tasks will be displayed. To focus only on incomplete tasks, because we don’t want unnecessary clutter in our project, click the Filter button.

    Navigating where tasks are located in

    Use the Filter: On the right side of the task list, click on the “Filter” button (represented by a funnel icon).

    Click on incomplete tasks.

    Select “Incomplete Tasks.”: From the dropdown menu, click on “Incomplete Tasks” to hide the completed tasks. The tasks will no longer appear in your view, keeping your workspace clean and focused on active tasks.

    Before and after hiding completed task in Asana with filter
    Before and after hiding completed task in Asana with filter

    You can see here that I checked two tasks as completed; after filtering the tasks down to only show me the unfinished tasks, the tasks that are checked as completed are hidden.

    Save the layout as default: Go to the “Ellipsis menu” beside the filter menu and then click on “save layout as default.”

    Toggle to View Again: If you wish to view completed tasks again, simply uncheck the “Completed Tasks” filter option.

    By hiding completed tasks, you keep your current tasks visible, and your project list uncluttered, improving your focus and workflow.

    Learn more: “How to email a task to Asana“

    How to Delete Completed Tasks in Asana

    The previous steps shown in the guide will help you hide the tasks, but the tasks will be kept in the system if you need them.

    If you want to permanently delete completed tasks from Asana, follow these steps.

    Step-by-Step guide on deleting tasks

    Go to Your Task List: Open the project or task list where your completed tasks are listed.

    Click on the Task: Select the completed task you wish to delete.

    Click on the details section

    Click on the arrow; this will take you to the details section. From there, click on the three-dot menu or more, then navigate to the delete section.

    Delete the Task:

    In the task details view, click on the three-dot menu (More options) in the upper-right corner.

    deleting tasks in Asana

    From the dropdown, select “Delete Task.”

    Confirm Deletion: Asana will ask for confirmation before deleting the task. There will be a popup notification in the bottom left corner, which will stay there for 15 seconds; you can undo the deletion within that time; there’s also an option that’ll come up on top of the task details, where you’ll have two options: 1. Undo and 2. permanently delete. Confirm to permanently delete the task. This will also delete all the subtasks.

    Note that after selecting permanently delete, you cannot recover the task anymore. However, you can recover the tasks that you deleted without clicking on permanent deletion within 30 days

    Learn more: “How to create an Asana template“

    Pro tip for hiding completed task in Asana

    There’s a more efficient and automated way to hide completed tasks. In Asana, you can use rules to automatically hide completed tasks from view, which helps keep your project board or task list clean and focused. Here’s a step-by-step pro tip for setting this up:

    1. Implement a Rule to Redirect Completed Tasks to a “Completed” Section or Project:

    • Navigate to your project and click “Customize” in the top-right.
    • Go to your project and click on the “Customize” button in the top-right corner.
    • Under “Rules”, click on “Create a Rule”.
    • Trigger: Choose the trigger “Task completed”.
    • Action: Select the action “Move task to section” (or choose “Move task to project” if you prefer to send completed tasks to a different project).
      • You can create a new section named “Completed” in your project and use this action.
    • Optional: If you’d like to keep your board view tidy, you can choose to also “Remove from board” or set a rule to “Mark task as archived”.
    • Click Save.

    2. Filter for Incomplete Tasks:

    • Once this rule is in place, you can filter your task view to only show incomplete tasks by:
      • Using the “Incomplete” filter option in your task list or board.
      • Sorting tasks by “Due Date” or “Priority” to highlight tasks that are still pending.

    How to Archive Completed Tasks in Asana

    Asana also supports archiving the tasks you’ve completed rather than throwing them away. Archiving helps you keep the tasks you have completed in view for future reference without consuming your working space.

    Step-by-Step guide on archiving tasks

    • Open Your Project: Click on the project/task list containing the tasks you would like to archive.
    • Click on Project Name: Right in the top right corner of the project, click on the project name or the three dots beside it.
    • Choose Archive: Select “Archive Project” from the dropdown menu. This will archive the whole project, including completed work.
    • Asana will ask if you want to archive the project. Click OK, and the project will be archived.

    View archived projects:

    You can view archived projects at any time by going to your project sidebar and clicking on “Show Archived Projects.”

    Archiving keeps your workspace tidy, and all task information is retained for later access.

    When you restore archived tasks or projects, everything gets restored, so you can start working again or refer to them without any loss of data.

    See more: “How to create a form in Asana“

    Conclusion: Organizing tasks in Asana

    Managing your tasks efficiently in Asana is essential for productivity. Nobody wants a cluttered workspace that is full of distractions and unnecessary tasks. We hope you learned how to clean up your Asana workspace by reading this article to focus on more relevant tasks. Also, deleting tasks is ideal when you want to remove unnecessary clutter, but always remember that it is permanent. Restoring archived projects gives you the flexibility to bring back any task or project as needed.

    Read more: “Microsoft planner vs Asana“

  • How to Create a Template in Asana: An easy step-by-step guide for beginners.

    How to Create a Template in Asana: An easy step-by-step guide for beginners.

    To create a template in Asana, go to the project >click on the dropdown beside the project name> select Save as a template.

    Here, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to create a new template in Asana as well as how to create a template for an existing project, how to share the template, where to find the customized template, as well as how to edit and update templates in Asana.

    creating a template in Asana

    What Are Asana Templates?

    Asana templates are built-in project frameworks that enable teams to kick off new projects with prebuilt tasks, timelines, and workflows. These templates save time by providing a point of departure for common actions or operations.

    Rather than building a project from scratch each time, you can automate project management by creating an Asana template, keeping it consistent and speeding up the setup process.

    How to create a template in Asana for an existing project:

    • Open the project that you would like to save as a template.
    • Click on the dropdown button next to the project name.
    • Choose “Save as Template” from the dropdown menu.
    • Give your template a descriptive name so that you can identify it.
    • Now, you can upload or print the template for your team whenever needed.

    read more: “How to create an Asana form“

    Click on the project you want to save as a template in Asana. Open your workspace and open the project window.

    Screenshot showing where project is on Asana

    For this, I used the Cross-functional project, basically a default project in Asana.

    Pro tip: Ensure all tasks are in the “To Do” section or have the default setup. This is important because if the tasks are in the “Doing” section, your template will reflect the same status, which may not be the desired setup.

    How to change status of tasks in Asana

    Click on the dropdown next to the project name, then select “Save as template.”

    Screenshot showing how to find the save as template button in Asana

    You can then name your new template and modify the template’s privacy and accessibility. It’s as easy as that.

    How to Create an Asana Template from scratch:

    You can create a new Asana template by selecting “Blank Project” when starting a new project. After choosing the blank project option, set up your tasks, sections, and workflow as needed.

    Once your project structure is ready, click the dropdown menu next to the project name and select “Save as Template”. This allows you to reuse the structure for future projects without starting from scratch.

    Step 1: Access Your Asana Account.

    • Navigate to your Asana workspace where you’d like to design the template.
    • You need the proper permissions to create or edit projects in your workspace. You can save a project as a template if you’re an editor or admin.

    Step 2: Create a New Project.

    • Navigate to the “New Project” link on the homepage or sidebar.
    • You can choose “Blank Project” or a pre-defined template if you prefer to begin with a ready-made layout.
    • When you want to start a new project, you can either start from scratch or use a template already created. Both will give you a chance to define a new template.
    Click on the + icon
    Click on the Plus icon on the upper left corner
    Photo showing how to create new template

    Step 3: Configure the Project Information

    • Give your project a name that captures what you will use it for as a template (e.g., “Marketing Campaign Template”).
    • Select the view you want (list, board, or calendar).
    • Fill in any project-specific information you require, such as descriptions, dates, and recipients.

    Step 4: Create Tasks and Sections

    • Publish tasks that are commonly used in your project workflow.
    • Sort tasks into categories (Select sections or columns). For instance, in a product launch template, you might have sections “Planning”, “Execution”, and “Review”.
    • Include job descriptions, assignees, due dates, and attachments if applicable.

    Step 5: Add Custom Fields and Workflow

    Customize your template even more by adding additional fields your team is likely to be using (e.g., priority, progress stage).

    Create task dependencies and automate tasks in Asana to automate your workflow, such as assigning tasks or sending reminders when you’ve done something.

    Step 6: Turn the Project into a Template.

    • Once you’ve crafted your project with all the tasks, sections and information you’ll need, it’s time to turn it into a template that can be reused.
    • Select the project name and click “Customize” (three dots).
    • Choose “Use as a Template”. This setting will create a template for your project structure, tasks, and workflows.

    Where can you find the templates you’ve created in Asana?

    If you want to see the templates you’ve made in Asana, follow these steps:

    • Open your Asana workspace.
    • In the left menu, press the “Search” bar and enter the name of the template or click on the “Templates” button.
    • Or, navigate to “Create” and click the Use template option.
    • When the “Use Template” option has been activated, click “My workspaces” and search your saved templates to find the template that you require.
    • Templates are pinned to your project list, which can be easily copied and shared.
    screenshot showing where the templates are saved in Asana

    How do you edit or update the templates in Asana?

    For Asana template editing and revision, use these steps:

    • Head to the Team Members section and search for the template you wish to edit.
    • Click the three dots in the template’s box.
    • Click “Edit Project” to edit tasks, deadlines, sections, or people.
    • You can store the revised template for later reference once you have finished editing it.

    How to share Asana Template?

    • Step 1: Navigate to the Template Project.
      • Open the project that you’ve saved as a template.
    • Step 2: Share the Template
      • You can open the project’s settings by clicking on the project name at the top.
      • Select the “Share” button to share it with other colleagues or partners.
      • – If you would like others to have access to the template, make sure to change the sharing mode to “Can Edit” if they have full permissions or “Can Comment” if they have limited access.
    • Step 3: Duplicate the Template
      • Users or collaborators can copy the template by choosing the “Duplicate Project” button on the project’s menu. This will produce a copy of the template that they can update as required.
      • Make sure to make the template visible to others via an external link to the template project or a shared team space.

    Use case of Asana template.

    Asana templates are ideal if you are working on a project where everything is exactly the same every time.

    For instance, if you’re running weekly marketing campaigns, you can build a “Campaign Template” with features such as content creation, scheduling social media, and measuring results. Similarly, if you have client onboarding, a “Client Onboarding Template” might include contract signing, account creation, and training. Templates prevent you from reinventing the wheel and keep everything organized.

    Read more: “How to email a task to Asana“

    Conclusion

    Asana templates are time-efficient and allow teams to standardize procedures and start projects immediately.

    These are the quick and easy steps you can follow to create a template for yourself, share it with your colleagues and streamline your workflow. The flexibility in Asana means you can add sections, tasks, and automation to your templates to make them as effective as possible for subsequent work.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

    Can you create a task template in Asana?

    Yes, you can create a task template in Asana. To do this, create a task with all necessary details (assignee, due date, description). Once the task is set up, you can save it as a template by duplicating it. This allows you to reuse the task structure for future projects.

    How do you create task templates in Asana?

    To create task templates in Asana, open a project, add tasks with the necessary details (due dates, assignees, descriptions), and customize them to fit your workflow. Then, click the project dropdown and select “Save as Template”. This allows you to reuse the task structure for future projects.

    How do you edit templates in Asana?

    To edit templates in Asana, navigate to the Team Members section and locate the template you want to edit. Click on the three-dot menu next to the template and select “Edit Project”. Make the necessary changes to tasks, due dates, and assignees. After editing, save the updated template.

  • How to create a form in Asana: A Quick step by step Guide

    How to create a form in Asana: A Quick step by step Guide

    Creating a form in Asana is easy. To create a form in Asana, go to the relevant project, select customize>forms>add forms, then add or edit fields as needed. Then click on “save.”
    How to make forms in Asana

    What are Asana forms?

    Asana forms collect information from users, such as team members or external collaborators. After that, the platform automatically turns those submissions into tasks for your Asana project.

    Instead of manually entering new tasks into a project, you simply have to create a form in Asana. After that, when someone fills out a form, it’ll automatically turn into a task in the parent project.

    Read more: “The 5 Best AI Task Managers for Project Management in.”

    You can simply use their drag-and-drop feature to include customizable fields, including text boxes, dropdowns, date pickers, and file uploads in your form.

    After someone fills out a form, their responses automatically become a task, making it easy to track and manage everything in one place.

    These forms help get information about project requests, feedback, bug reports, or event registrations.

    Summary on How to make a Form in Asana

    1. Go to your project and select Customize > Forms > Add Form to create a new form.
    2. Add fields like Single Line Text, Dropdown, Date Picker, and File Upload to collect information.
    3. Customize the fields and their options to suit your needs (e.g., task details, feedback).
    4. Under Settings, assign default team members and copy answers to the task description.
    5. Share the form link with users to collect responses directly into tasks.
    6. Review form submissions, which automatically create tasks for easy management and tracking.

    Below is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to create a form in Asana.

    Step 1: Configure Your Project.

    If you plan to create a form in Asana, first, you will need a project where forms appear as tasks. This project should match what you would want submissions to be about. For example, if you’re designing a form to take IT support tickets, ensure the project is dedicated to IT requests.

    Step 2: Create the Form

    Use the Form Builder:

    In your project, click the “Customize” button in the top right corner and choose “Forms” from the menu. Then, click the “+ New Form” button to build your form.

    Select the Customize button
    Select the Customize button
    Select forms
    Select forms

    Add fields:

    To add fields in the Asana form builder, you can easily drag and drop fields into your form. You can choose from the following field types:

    Add fields on asana forms
    Add fields on asana forms
    • Single Line Text: For single-line answers, such as a name or title.
      • Example: “Full Name” – Collecting the name of the person filling out the form.
    • Paragraph Text: For longer descriptions or explanations.
      • Example: “Project Description” – Gathering detailed information or explanations about a project.
    • Dropdown: To give users the possibility to select a set of choices.
      • Example: “Priority Level” – Users can choose from “Low”, “Medium”, or “High” to indicate the priority of a task.
    • Single Select: Allows users to choose only one option from a set of predefined options.
      • Example: “Task Status” – Users select the current status of a task, such as “Not Started”, “In Progress”, or “Completed”.
    • Multiple Select: Similar to the dropdown, users can select multiple options.
      • Example: “Skills Needed” – Users can select multiple skills such as “Design”, “Development”, “Marketing”, or “Research” that are required for a project.
    • Date Picker: Pick dates, such as due dates or scheduling preferences.
      • Example: “Due Date” – Users can pick a date to indicate the deadline for a task.
    • File Upload: This allows users to upload documents or images.
      • Example: “Upload Design Files” – Users can upload files related to their task or project, such as design documents or images.

    Make Field Labels and Descriptions specific:

    Be specific about field labels and descriptions. The more transparent your fields are, the more readily a submitter can input the necessary information. Give respondents guidance via assistance words or examples.

    Configure Conditional Logic (Optional): If you want to deliver a fluid experience for form visitors, apply the conditional logic component. This allows you to reveal and hide fields based on a previous response from a respondent.

    For example, if the user clicks on “Bug Report” as a reply, then the form may ask for further information about the bug type or severity.

    Step 3: Configure Submission Settings

    To add additional questions in Asana forms, follow these steps:

    • Click the Settings Tab: On the right sidebar, click the Settings tab.
      • Adjust Task Settings: Under this tab, you can adjust task settings, such as Selecting a default team member. Choose a default person to be assigned to each form submission.
      • Copying answers to the task description: You can opt to automatically copy all form responses into the task description for easy reference.
      • Form Settings: Below Form Settings, you can include a button that enables users to easily submit another form. This is useful if you want multiple submissions from the same person or team.
    • Copying answers to the task description: You can opt to automatically copy all form responses into the task description for easy reference.
      • Form Settings: Below Form Settings, you can include a button that enables users to easily submit another form. This is useful if you want multiple submissions from the same person or team.

    Default Task Assignee: Select the default assignee for forms-generated tasks. You can either assign it to a project owner or leave it open until someone on the team receives it.

    Rules engine Configuration: The Asana Rules engine can be configured to perform actions based on form submissions. You might, for instance, mark tasks automatically with the label of which task it is, delegate them to the appropriate user, or assign due dates based on the information contained in the form.

    Personalize Notifications: Choose who will receive notifications when a form is submitted. You can send this notification to project members or create a workflow that notifies specific people based on what the submission is about (e.g. departments for various request types).

    Step 4: Share Your Form

    Once you’ve developed your form, send it out. Share the form link directly with external stakeholders, clients or employees. Here’s how to do it:

    Obtain the Form Link: When you create your form, Asana generates a unique link that you can send out. You can email, embed this link in a site, or share it through chat systems.

    Embed the Form: If you would like the form to be embedded on your organization’s intranet or website, Asana enables you to embed forms directly. This makes it easy for users to submit the form.

    Reminder: Every form submission will show up as a tasks in the project of choice. These are completely automated, so you can monitor them and deal with submissions as they arrive.

    Step 5: Review and Optimize

    As with any tool, the only way to keep improving your forms is to constantly review them. Consider these:

    Track Data Quality: Be sure that your form questions are asking the right questions. When answers are too vague, try to modify the questions or provide clearer prompts.

    Modify Fields: As your processes change, so should your forms. Check your forms regularly for any changes to current business requirements and processes.

    Analytics: If you’re getting a lot of responses, take advantage of Asana’s reporting tools to see how people are submitting forms. This can speed up your processes or uncover bottlenecks before they arise.

    Use Cases for Asana Forms:

    • Task Collection from External Stakeholders: Use Asana forms to gather task details from clients, team members, or external collaborators without giving them full access to your project. For example, submitting project briefs, feedback, or feature requests.
    • Onboarding New Employees: You can automate the onboarding process by simply having new hires fill out forms. Tell them to submit necessary documents, preferences, and personal details, which then automatically create tasks in your project section.
    • Customer Feedback and Surveys: You can use forms to collect feedback from customers or users about your product or service.
    • Bug Reporting: Use a form to collect detailed bug reports, including issue descriptions, severity, and screenshots, which then create tasks for your dev team to resolve.
    • Event Registration: Use forms to collect details from event attendees (e.g., name, contact info, preferences), Which will automatically add them as tasks for your event management team.

    Why Use Asana Forms?

    • Streamlined Data Collection: Forms simplify the process of gathering specific information and directly convert it into actionable tasks in Asana.
    • Customization: You can tailor forms with different question types (text, dropdowns, file uploads), making them adaptable to various business needs.
    • Automation: Form submissions automatically create tasks, saving time and reducing manual data entry.
    • Collaboration: Team members can easily view and manage tasks created through forms, ensuring efficient collaboration.
    • Transparency: Forms keep project workflows organized and transparent by having all necessary information collected in one place.

    Cons of Asana Forms:

    • Limited Formatting Options: Asana forms are relatively simple and lack advanced customization, such as rich text or conditional logic in questions.
    • Limited Field Types: While Asana forms cover basic needs, they lack more advanced field types that some users might expect, like ratings or advanced multi-step forms.
    • No Email Notifications for Submissions: While Asana creates tasks from forms, it doesn’t automatically send notifications to form submitters, which is a downside if you need to keep them informed.
    • Dependence on Asana: To have access to the form, users first have to get access to Asana or access the task in Asana, where the form is hosted. This is not ideal for external users.
    • No file storage: While Asana forms allow users to upload files, Asana doesn’t provide full file storage capabilities. Uploaded files are only attached to the specific task created from the form submission, and these files are limited by Asana’s task attachment storage restrictions.

    Read more: “Motion vs Asana: Which Task & Project Management Tool is Better?“

    Overall, Asana form builder is a great tool for streamlining task creation and workflows. However, it’s not ideal for users who need to create highly complex or customizable forms. You can look for online form builders if you need more customization options in your form builder.