Manage tasks from a Canvas

Create Task nodes in a visual plan, then assign and update the same work in project task views. Learn how Canvas tasks work in Node Cluster.

Use Task nodes when a step needs an owner, a status, and follow-through. A Task node creates task work in the canvas's project context. You do not need to recreate that task in All Tasks.

Before you start

Open the intended project's Design canvas and confirm you can edit it. Task changes and reassignment also follow the project's task assignment policy. A person's assignment does not replace their project access.

Create an actionable step

  1. Choose Insert → Work items → Task, then place the task where it belongs. You can also use the Task quick addition or drag the Task item from the library.
  2. Give it an outcome-based title, such as Confirm the customer's launch date. Edit the node's title rather than leaving the default name.
  3. Add a description that explains the result needed and any handoff criteria.
  4. Open the project's All Tasks, find the task by title, and set its assignee, status, priority, and useful dates through the available task controls. You can also use the Canvas task table for the controls it provides.
  5. Return to Canvas and place any supporting note or document near the task. Use a Work attachment relationship when you want a supported work link to that material.
  6. Reopen the existing task to update it as the work progresses. Keep the diagram and the recorded task details understandable together.

Try it: create one task, assign it to yourself where permitted, and find it in All Tasks. Then open an Overview that includes the project and check Mine. Its appearance depends on the overview's scope and filters; a task without your assignment will not appear simply because you created it.

Use the diagram without creating duplicate work

A process box labeled “Confirm launch date” remains a shape. A Task node with that title is work. If a diagram step must be tracked, place a Task node for it and use descriptive shapes only where they add context.

All Tasks gathers task work across the project's canvases, together with applicable incoming pinned tasks. It does not mean every task in the company. Canvas search and All Tasks search help you find existing work before adding another item.

Keep task state meaningful

Update the actual task status when work starts, becomes blocked, or finishes. Use progress notes to explain the next action. The Task node's completion checkbox changes completion state; moving the node across a drawn stage, changing its color, or moving a pin does not do the same job.

For cancellation, removal, or recurring work, follow the dedicated task guides. Do not use deletion as a substitute for recording a completed outcome.

If the task is missing or cannot be edited

Check the organization, project, canvas, search, filters, and cancellation state. In Overview, check its included projects and Mine versus Team/All. Confirm that the assignee has access and that the assignment policy allows the intended edit. Current loading limits can affect large task sets; consult the known-limits guide before recreating apparently missing work.