How to Create and Assign Tasks in CrmLeaf
All editions. Core feature - no add-on required.
Availability: All editions. Core feature - no add-on required.
Overview
A task is the unit of work in CrmLeaf. A task can be attached to a project and a milestone, or it can stand alone without a project. Tasks carry their own assignees, dates, priority, estimate and status, and they collect the comments, files, subtasks and time logs that record how the work was done.
Because tasks also link to time tracking and to billing, an accurately created task is what later allows tracked time to reach an invoice.
How It Works
You create a task, place it in the right context, assign the people who will do it, and then the task accumulates activity until it is marked completed.
Create → Assign → Work → Log time → Complete
- A task attached to a project appears in that project's task list, calendar and taskboard, and contributes to project progress when the project is configured to calculate task progress.
- A task attached to a milestone groups with the other tasks of that milestone, which is how milestone-based invoicing collects billable work.
- A task marked as billable allows its time logs to be billed later.
- Task status is incomplete or completed. Where the taskboard is used, the task also holds a position in a board column.
- Every change is recorded in the task's history, so you can see how the task moved over time.
Who Can Use This Feature?
Administrator
- Decide whether the status and priority fields are used, and manage the categories and labels available to task creators.
- Set the ownership scope that controls which tasks each role can see.
- Create and assign tasks across projects and teams.
User
- Create tasks, including standalone tasks that belong to no project.
- Update the tasks assigned to them, add comments, files, subtasks and reminders.
- Log time against a task and mark it completed.
Access depends on the modules and role assigned by your Administrator.
Prerequisites
- A project and, if you want to group the task, a milestone in that project, when the task is not standalone.
- The people you intend to assign must already be users in the account and, for a project task, members of that project.
- Categories and labels must exist if you want to classify the task on creation.
For Administrators
Step 1: Confirm which task fields are in use
What to do: Confirm whether the status and priority fields are switched on for your account, and review the categories and labels available. If a field is switched off, it will not appear when users create tasks.
What to verify: Create one test task and confirm the fields you expect are present.
Step 2: Set who can see which tasks
What to do: Set the task permission scope for each role. CrmLeaf scopes visibility as none, owned, added, both or all, so the scope decides which task records a role sees, not only whether the screen opens.
What to verify: Sign in as a member of the role, or ask that person to confirm they see only the tasks you intended.
For Users
Step 1: Open the task list
The task list shows the tasks within your permission scope. Use Search and Filter to narrow the list, and open My Tasks when you want only the tasks that involve you.
Step 2: Create the task
Select Add and complete the task record. Give the task a clear title, choose the project and milestone if the task belongs to one, and add one or more assignees. Set the dates, the priority, the category and any labels you use for reporting. Complete every mandatory field before saving.
Step 3: Set the task's working options
Before saving, decide whether the task is billable, whether it is private, and whether it should recur. Enter an estimate if your team plans capacity from estimates, because the Resource Utilization views read estimates.
Step 4: Assign the work and add detail
Select Save. Open the saved task and add the detail the assignees need: subtasks, files, comments and reminders. Assignees can then log time against the task as they work.
Step 5: Complete the task
When the work is finished, set the task status to completed, or move it to the completed column on the taskboard. If your team uses an approval step, send the task for approval instead.
Field and Option Reference
| Field / Option | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Task title | The name of the work item, used throughout the task list, calendar and taskboard. | Yes |
| Project | The project the task belongs to. Leave empty for a standalone task. | No |
| Milestone | The milestone within the selected project that groups this task. | No |
| Assignees | One or more users responsible for the task. A task supports multiple assignees. | No |
| Category | A task category defined in task settings, used to group and report on tasks. | No |
| Labels | Task labels defined in task settings, used for lightweight tagging. | No |
| Priority | Low, medium or high. Available only when the priority field is switched on in task settings. | No |
| Status | Incomplete or completed. Available only when the status field is switched on in task settings. | No |
| Dates | The task's start and due dates, used by the task calendar and by overdue reporting. | No |
| Estimate | The planned effort for the task. Used by Resource Utilization views. | No |
| Billable | Marks the task so that time logged against it can be billed to a client. | No |
| Private | Restricts the task so that it is not generally visible. | No |
| Recurring | Sets the task to repeat rather than occurring once. | No |
| Dependencies | Links the task to other tasks it depends on. Dependency links also appear on the Gantt chart. | No |
Expected Result
The task is saved and appears in Tasks for every user whose permission scope includes it. When the task is attached to a project, it also appears in that project's task list, calendar and taskboard, and its assignees can log time against it.
Why This Matters for Service Organisations
In a professional services organisation the task is the point where delivery work and revenue meet. The same record that tells a consultant what to do also carries the decision about whether the hours spent on it can be charged to a client. Where tasks are created loosely, with no project, no estimate and no billable decision, effort cannot later be attributed to an engagement, and hours that were genuinely chargeable are written off at month end.
How It Supports Professional Services
- The
billableflag sits on the task, so the unit of delivery work is also the unit of billable work. Chargeable client delivery and internal effort are separated at the moment the work is defined, not reconstructed afterwards. - An estimate on the task records planned effort, which is what the Resource Utilization views read where that module is enabled.
- Multiple assignees allow work staffed by a pair or a small delivery pod to stay as one task instead of being split for administrative reasons.
- Categories and labels let a firm group work by service line or work type, which is what makes task reporting readable across a portfolio of engagements.
- A task attached to a milestone joins the group of work that milestone invoicing bills, because that flow collects the milestone's approved but unbilled billable time.
- The project templates shipped for IT Services, Marketing Agency, Creative Agency and Legal Services carry Est. Hours, Rate/hr, Est. Cost, Owner Role and a Billable flag on every task, so a new engagement can start from a structure in which those decisions are already recorded.
Typical Service Workflow
Client → Engagement → Project → Tasks → Time → Billing
Tasks are the delivery step of that sequence, and CrmLeaf links a task to its time logs and, through them, to invoicing. Which tasks are treated as billable, and how a firm sizes an estimate, remain practices the organisation operates rather than calculations the product performs.
Other Product-Type Use Cases
The same task record carries installation, fabrication and site work in the Solar, Construction and Manufacturing editions, where tasks under a milestone also group material requisitions. Standalone tasks with no project suit internal administration and operational work in any edition.
Related PSA Capabilities
- How to Track Time with the Timer and Manual Entries — the task is what time is logged against.
- How to Bill Tracked Time on an Invoice — shows what the billable flag makes possible later.
- How to Use Resource Utilization Views — reads the estimates entered on tasks.
- How to Create and Use Project Templates — reusable engagement structures with billable tasks already set.
- How to Invoice a Completed Project Milestone — bills the billable work grouped under a milestone.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- A private task is restricted rather than hidden from everyone. Do not use it as a security control; use role permissions for that.
- A task can only be linked to a milestone that belongs to the project you selected.
- Tasks can also be created in bulk with Import from a CSV file, and individual tasks can be pinned so that they stay easy to find.
- Tasks linked to a deal appear as CRM tasks; see the CRM articles for that entry point.
Common Scenarios
Example: billable client work. A consultant creates a task under the client's project and its current milestone, marks it billable, enters an estimate, and assigns it to two team members. Both log time against the task, and the time later reaches the client's invoice.
Example: internal work with no project. An office administrator creates a standalone task with no project or milestone, assigns it to one person and sets a due date. The task appears in that person's My Tasks view without affecting any project's progress.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| A user cannot see a task you created | The role's task permission scope is owned or added, so the user only sees their own or their added tasks. | Add the user as an assignee, or ask the Administrator to widen the scope for that role. |
| The priority or status field is missing on the task form | The field is switched off in task settings. | Ask the Administrator to switch the field on in Settings. |
| No milestone can be selected | No project is selected, or the project has no milestones. | Select the project first, then create the milestone in the project if it does not exist. |
| No category or label is available | None has been created for the account. | Ask the Administrator to add the categories and labels your team needs. |
| An assignee cannot be selected on a project task | The person is not a member of that project. | Add the person to the project's members, then reopen the task. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a task exist without a project?
Yes. A task can be standalone, with no project and no milestone.
Can a task have more than one assignee?
Yes. Tasks support multiple assignees.
Does marking a task billable create an invoice?
No. It makes the time logged against the task eligible for billing. The invoice is created separately.
Where do I see only my own tasks?
Use the My Tasks view, which is filtered to the signed-in user.
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