Are you using Airtable to manage your projects? If so, you might find yourself needing to create subtasks to keep your team on track. In this article, we will explore two methods for creating subtasks in Airtable and a simple way to track your work using a formula.
Base Design
When it comes to creating subtasks in Airtable, there are two different base designs to consider:
Method 1: Subtasks in a long text field
One way to organize subtasks is by setting up a “Tasks” table that links to a “Projects” table and using a long text field to create a list of subtasks. This method is convenient when you want to view subtasks within the same context as the overall task record.
Method 2: Subtasks in another table
Another approach is to create a separate “Subtasks” table that links to a “Tasks” table, which in turn links to a “Projects” table. This method offers more granularity and the ability to easily track subtasks using linked records, rollups, and other powerful Airtable features.
Both methods require some understanding of linked records, but we will cover the basics in each approach.
Method 1: Subtasks in a long text field
To implement this method, start by creating a “Projects” table and a “Tasks” table. Then, rename the default long-text field as “Subtasks”.
In the “Subtasks” field, enable rich text formatting. This allows you to create a checkbox for each subtask by using brackets [ ] followed by a descriptive title. Adjust the row height to ensure all subtasks are visible without expanding the record.
Next, create a linked record field to establish a connection between the tasks/subtasks table and the “Projects” table. This enables you to leverage powerful Airtable features like lookup, rollup, count fields, and automations. Add the corresponding projects related to each task.
Looking to track subtasks using this method’s base design?
Tracking progress with Method 1 is possible but requires a more intensive setup. Keep in mind that the formulas provided in this example may or may not work with your base’s design. It’s important to be able to troubleshoot formulas and refer to the formula field reference when setting up tracking.
You’ll need to create three formula fields for this use case. Make sure to adjust “Subtasks” (the name of the subtasks field in the example) to match the name of your base’s subtasks field.
Method 2: Subtasks in another table
To implement this method, create a “Projects” table, a “Tasks” table, and a “Subtasks” table.
Next, link these tables together using linked records.
Now, the “Projects” table is linked to the “Tasks” table, and the “Tasks” table is linked to the “Subtasks” table. As mentioned in Method 1, this allows for effective project tracking and management using various Airtable features.
Tracking Subtasks
If you choose Method 2 for your base’s design, you can track subtask progress by following these steps:
- Count the total number of subtasks.
- Count the number of completed subtasks.
- Set up a formula to determine whether all subtasks for a task are complete.
Step 1
In the “Tasks” table, add a count field that tallies the total number of records in the “Subtasks” linked record field. You can rename this field to “Total subtask count”.
Step 2
Create another count field in the “Tasks” table, but set a condition for subtasks whose status is “Done” to appear. Rename this field to “Subtasks completed”.
Step 3
Now, create a formula field that determines whether all subtasks for a task are complete. If so, the calculation outputs “Task complete”. Name this field “Status”. The formula used in this example is:
IF({Total subtask count}={Subtasks completed}, "Task complete")
For example, since all subtasks were completed for Task 1, the formula outputs “Task complete”. The formula field remains blank for Tasks 2 and 3 until all subtasks are completed. You can use a similar workflow to track your project status in the “Projects” table.
To learn more about creating subtasks and tracking progress in Airtable, visit Zenith City News here.
Remember, keeping track of subtasks is crucial for successful project management, and Airtable provides powerful tools to help you stay organized and efficient.
